Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns I 40 year anniversary

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Damn! I officially feel old because I still remember this fight vividly and remember the hype leading up to the fight. I also remember picking Hearns by KO, as I was a huge fan of the Hitman. Great classic fight that lived up to the hype. Two all time greats. Why can’t I even remember what I ate for breakfast today but can remember where I was sitting when I saw this one?

 

Boxer becomes the puncher and the puncher becomes the boxer

One of the truly great fights at 147

It's blasphemy when idiots call pacquiao the GOAT or Floyd TBE

I guess they should start actually watching old fights and scrub up in their history

Hearns for me with a little more I.q could possibly go down as the best ever.

Probably the best ever from the neck down and a true monster at 147/154

Ray has had some awesome wins, but for me this was the icing on the cake of a truly great career. He showed the heart of a champion to dig deep and force the Stoppage

P.s the hitman won the rematch 100%

 

You are lucky to have seen it at the time, it was 3 years before I was born lol

 

I thought the post said Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns exhibition for a sec. I was scared

 

An absolute classic fight where roles were reversed. I listened live on the radio as it wasn't live on TV in the UK and everyone talked about how skinny Hearns was when he appeared into view - he came in at 145 pounds which seems almost unbelievable for a 6ft 1in fighter. He was the slight bookies favourite too and the early rounds seems to back this up. A proper 15 round fight as well although it didn't go quite that long.

However, from about round 6 onwards, Sugar Ray came back into the fight and it ebbed and flowed from then onwards. The classic 'you're blowing it son' line from Angelo Dundee at the start of round 13 and SRL really did show his greatness in this fight. For me, his best ever performance as although Tommy wasn't prime he was quite fearsome even so. And if it wasn't for his tendency to always want to mix it up and his refusal to fix a long standing sinus problem, Hearns really could have been the greatest of the 4 Kings.

As it was, he was still quite special. And although a master manipulator, so was SRL.

 

Although I love him especially Tommy. Leonard still sounds and looks sharp but Tommy got old real quick.

 

I hate leonard. I dont know why, I cant stand his smile of idiot and his lizzard like face. I wish he had lost every single fight.

 

From a time when American Welter World champs were actually willing to face each other...and did!

 

Biggest takeaway is Leonard was 25 already with victories over Duran and Benitez while Hearns was 22 with a victory over Jose Cuevas..

In perspective Errol is 31 and Bud is 33 and then you have all these young guys in the same divisions (Teo, Garcia, Haney, Davis) (Ennis and Ortiz) will all circle each other for at least another 3 to 4 years.

 

I’ll be honest. I’ve never seen the fight.

(shameful)

 

The best fighting the best, high drama, very skillful, and an unforgettable match up. Hard to believe this classic fight is already 40 years old.

 

Damn!

 

Too bad. If you look closely. At the beginning of the 3rd round, you can get a glimpse of Jesus sitting ring side. Just saying.