I just watched this fight recently for the 2nd time just for the heck of it. Something I noticed is that Hearns just couldn't seem to take punches well in that fight. He was staggered with a single punch in the 6th when he was fresh. And then his legs just seemed to go and in the 13th and 14th he just got pummeled. I don't understand why. Leonard was a good puncher, but not a great puncher. Hearns seemed to take Hagler's punches better and Marvin is the bigger puncher. It took an avalanche of Hagler punches to hurt Hearns, but against Leonard everything that landed clean bothered Hearns. Is it because he was too tall for WW. Was his frame more suited for 154 and 160 because he was so tall?
Hearns was not hydrated enough, he had too much trouble making weight. That hurt his ability to take shots, especially as fight went on
That version of Leonard's shots were a million times sharper (not literally, but you get the point) than that version of Hagler's. Not as clubbing, but stunning sharp shots.
Any punch when thrown correctly and that lands flush can hurt. Some punches don't look that hard but are. If Tommy wasn't comfortable at the weight then he would have moved up sooner, and up until that punch in the 6th he had looked pretty devastating as a welterweight. For me, the problem with Tommy at 147 was Ray Leonard. He did come in two pounds under the limit (145) which probably played a part, but for me there was nothing inherently wrong with Tommy at 147. That said, he looked great at 154 and quite naturally he took a heavier punch at 160.
Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to downplay SSL's win it was a great win, because Thomas was devastating at Welterweight. It's just Hearns was just a huge unit!
Well seeing as though he just had his ass kicked by the best fighter in the division it's pretty clear to see why he'd want to move up.
Nah, he moved up because he could no longer make the weight. Do you reckon he went to S / Middle then on up to Cruiser though L / Heavy because he lost to Barkley?:roll:
Several factors. Leonard was a lot better puncher than people realize. He also was versatile - could box, could attack and fight inside. Also, keep in mind Leonard intelligently boxed cautioulsy and moved for the first 5 plus rounds. He got the powerpunching Tommy, who for the most part was used to stopping or damaging foes early with his explosive style, to shoot off a bit of his energy, and also to work chasing after him. Also, by being so defensive and cautious, I think he got Tommy to fall asleep defensively just a bit. Then Leonard sprang in with a very well thrown powerful quick quick hook that caught him right on the jaw, much harder than anything Leonard had landed to that point in the fight. I think the shock/surprise factor stunned Hearns. Keep in mind also, how many guys in his career to that point had avoided Hearns' blows and came back to nail him with something good and put him on the back heel? It I think that really was the first time in his pro career. It was something he was not used to. Now give Hearns massive credit for showing adaptability and changing his style and boxing Leonard to recover, a style he found could work. However, late in the fight, all that movement caught up with Hearns' legs, so when he got nailed in the later rounds, the legs weren't going to be quite as strong and you are more vulnerable to getting hurt. His legs were not as used to moving as were Leonard's, because it wasn't something he did ordinarily, so he isn't going to know how to do it quite as subtly, there is less muscle memory and adaptation that comes with consistent usage of that style, and therefore there will be more energy drain. Plus, even if you are used to it, moving for that many rounds isn't easy. That's why I love the 15-round fight.
Great post. It is rather ironic that the fight ended with the perceived boxer stalking the perceived puncher!
This doesn't appear to concur with your version. The fight began as expected, Leonard boxing from a distance and Hearns stalking. Leonard had difficulty with Hearns' long reach and sharp jab. By the end of round five, Leonard had a growing swelling under his left eye, and Hearns had built a considerable lead on the scorecards. Leonard, becoming more aggressive, hurt Hearns in the sixth with a left hook to the chin. Leonard battered Hearns in rounds six and seven, but Hearns miraculously regrouped. Hearns started to stick and move, and he started to pile up points again. The roles reversed: Leonard became the stalker and Hearns became the boxer.
A really good post. I consider Leonard a big puncher, as his punches had a "whip like" fashion to them. He could boxing really well, with excellent hand speed and movement, and had a tremendous chin. My problem with Leonard is he was maybe the biggest azzhole ever! I couldn't stand the guy and still can't.
Good post. I would have loved to see a rematch at 154. It would have been epic. Too see if Hearns had learned from the first fight and if Leonard could carry his power up against a more natural weight for Tommy.