1981: Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns, Who Would You Have Bet On?

That was also the year I was born but I would've bet on Hearns by KO in the mid rounds.

 

Hearns.

 

In spite of SRL's accomplishments he seemed like a bit of a nancy-boy at the time. I don't think anyone knew he was capable of coming back the way did after Dundee said; "You're blowin' it son! You've lost this fight. You have to knock him out." (That's probably not a perfect quote, but it's close.)

 

This was the fight that REALLY hooked me on boxing. I was a casual fan in the late Ali era, and watched some of the big fights, but this one REALLY drew me in and cemented me as a fan for life.

The buildup was intense and each fighter had their strong supporters. At the time, oddly enough, I was rooting for Leonard - which is unlike me, because I tend to prefer punchers to "pretty boy" boxers. But my feeling at the time was the fight could go either way, and as a Leonard supporter, I was very nervous that Hearns might be able to land the KO punch. It was very much a shock to me and everyone how the fight turned out, with Leonard turning stalker and getting the KO late.

 

Srl

 

Hmm not buying that!

Leonard's fighting guts were proven in his first fight with Duran. He took brutal punishment in Montreal and fired back courageously for 15 violent rounds. If anyone wrote off Leonard in terms of heart in 1981 then they were ****in stupid.

Sugar Ray's experience was one of the reasons I'd have picked him to beat Hearns. Tommy had never had his heart and will tested - Leonard had!

 

So Leonard proved himself by losing the first time he had to dig deep? Ya -- OKatsch

 

Hearns was the betting favorite going into the fight. Hell he was up on the cards at the time of the stoppage, and the stoppage itself is debatable (however I've never heard Hearns or Steward complain about it).

 

ray came out of that fight with a lot of credit. ok he didn't use his brain and box but to stand toe to toe and brawl with an animal like peak duran for 15 rounds proved he had incredible heart.

 

It was well known around Detroit that Earnie Shavers mortgaged his Ohio home, put all the money on Hearns and was pissed, when Tommy got beat. I was a young kid, but I do remember the whole city of Detroit being in a state of shock that Tommy was defeated. The local news stations were at the closed circuit locations, and they all did pre-fight and post fight analyis. Tommy Hearns was the man in Detroit in the 1980's. I am a big Hearns fan, but I would've bet on Sugar Ray. He seemed be able to dig a little deeper than Tommy, and he had a better chin.

 

Hearns for sure.
Too big. Too much reach. Too powerful.

 

Okay -- but that did not compare with what he did against Hearns. SRL came out beat up and blind in one eye and knocked out Tommy ****ing Hearns! At the time no one really knew Tommy's chin was less than stellar, and no one knew SRL could dig that deep, and do what he did! How many other eye eyed fighters beat Tommy?

 

Tommy was tight, but so was the Sugarman, just a little tighter as a fighter, and he proved it.

 

Without a shadow of a doubt i would have scraped together every penny i could get my grubby little mits on and run to the nearest bookies to slap it all on the hitman. Luckily I was only born in december of that year phew!