If Hearns had beat Leonard in 81 ,how soon a rematch ?

Huh

October 1981
November 1981 etc. Until Leonard could win

 

It's a quite different scenario to his first loss, against Duran.

Had Hearns won their first enounter, I am not sure Leonard and his team would have had the same success at getting Hearns back in the ring so quickly. Hearns was still very young and had the time and the options to make some very good money, without having to rush back in, to face Leonard. As such, Hearns' team may very well have insisted a rematch take place at 154, as well.

The case with Duran was different, in that he had just turned 29, when his first bout with Leonard took place. He knew his options to earn big money over time were probably limited. But, a guaranteed $8M for the re-match solved that uncertainty, despite the fact it would hamper his ability to compete.

A loss against Hearns, in '81, would have signified a need for Leonard to take pause for thought and do a lot of soul-searching. In essence, he'd have been given time to decide, as to whether or not he wanted to go through another trial with the Hitman.

 

I think his name would get an immediate rematch. Hearns(who btw as a man is everything Leo isn't. Pure class and dignity. My opinion.) was fearless, would give an immediate rematch but take the bigger purse and maybe get the fight where he wants.

 

It's quite possible that Leonard would think twice.

I do think Hearns would give him a rematch; just not immediately. But, I don't think he'd wait until '89; possibly a year or so after the first one (perhaps, late '82?).

If there were to have been any delay then the other issue is Leonard's eye surgery and whether or not he'd want to continue boxing, at all. With a Hearns rematch in the offing, later in '82, he might have been persuaded.

Hearns also had injury problems in mid-1982, causing his originally planned clash with Hagler to be postponed (for some considerable time, as it turned out). Late '82, seems feasible, if Leonard did decide to box on, in that alternative scenario, rather than retire, as he did (for the first time).

I also think that, if it did happen, the rematch would have been contested at 154.

 

Hearns UD.

 

Hearns would have been, in that fantasy scenario, The Man! The damage incurred to Leonard's career would have been virtually irreparable. Leonard might not have been seen as at all viable, at middleweight, for a clash with Hagler and, in any event, he'd have been having to wait in line behind Hearns, Duran and possibly Mugabi.

So '87 could still be on but would the interest be anywhere near as big? I wonder...

 

I think they would have had a rematch in '82 but if Leonard still had the detached retina it wouldn't have happened.