Fellas, This is another one of them forgotten classic fights pitting two ring warriors together when BOTH were considered past their primes, yet still capable of putting on a great showcase for the fans... I love "Hearns-Barkley 1" from 1988 when Barkley came back to KTFO of Hearns in round 3. Who doesn't love that replay? However, even though the sequel of '92 went the full 12 rds, it too displayed fireworks that pleased. Hearns always was more so skilled than Barkley, but Barkley was just too rugged and tuff for Hearns to cope with. Barkley won both fights with willpower, guts and power... I have a clean copy of fight # 1, but my part # 2 tape is shady, but viewable... Who feels what about these two fighters and the two fights they fought?:huh SR.BILLARDO:bbb:hat
Barkley won with a good style against Hearns. The first fight had Hearns been patient and just worked the body a little more he would have had a 4th round TKO over Barkley. The second fight Hearns legs were not the same and he was not as quick, but he did have experience. He almost edged Barkley in an inside fight. Notice at the end of round 10, Tommy landed a left to the body and then a left hook to the head. That punch was open to him the whole night. He broke 2 of Barkley's ribs in 1992. Something he didn't do in 1988 where he just bruised Barkley's ribs. Had Tommy been able to win the 11 and 12th rounds in 1992 he wins. Good style matchup for Barkley, who was not 50 percent the fighter Hearns was.
I thought Hearns and Barkley were both drained (Hearns More So) at 160 by 1988... Barkley was just too rugged and was able to survive the vicious assault from Hearns before lowering the boom in round 3. Barkley was much stronger, yet older and slower at 175 later in '92, but so was Hearns.. Again, regardless of the hoopla, I dig both fights... MR.BILL:hat
Great fight & i was fortunate enough to be there at Caesars to see it. no one could believe the scorecards as it looked too all in attendance that Iran just had Tommies number & especially after the 4th round KD. Look at the state of Tommies face & head shape straight after, he was really just as busted up as Iran. We nearly had another Vegas shafting that night by the judges. Iran was in agony on his way back to the dressing room as my wife bumped into him & his team & she was shocked at the site & the pain emitting from Iran who could just about say "I won" I'am the Champ" I'am the Champ" in painful gasps. It really shook her up.
Both were fun to watch. Hearns was having his way in the 1st fight at first. He was rocking Barkley and had him cut badly. Barkley stopped Hearns in the 3rd round though. The rematch was close and well fought by both men. Barkley had Hearns down but I felt the fight was very close and could have been scored either way... the decision was split btw.
Barkley swamped Hearns,kept him pinned against the ropes and had to absorb a terrible pounding to his body for the win.Hearns's legs were probably gone at this point,but I don't recall him ever making a serious effort to move the fight into the middle of the ring - seems like he was comfortable enough on the inside with Barkley,despite the great volume of punches that was being thrown in his direction. Very underrated fight in terms of sustained,consistent action.Hearns had a similar type of war two years later against the limited Freddie Delgado.Quite the forgotten classic that fight is.
Don't see how its possible to have Tommy winning that fight. The knockdown removes the draw from a possibility as well, in my eyes. Iran just had to much inside him for the much faded Hearns that night. Came at him all night, walked through anything he was hit with and blasted Hearns with barrage after barrage. Great fight. The first fight, Hearns less than granite chin got him in trouble. He was doing splendidly, stepped it up to end the fight, and got taken out with, basically, one punch. He got up, but he was finished.
Barkley closed out '92 with a lousy HBO fight and win over Robert Folley while weighing 179 pounds. Then Barkley dropped back to 168 to get massacred by James Toney in Feb. 1993 on HBO. Barkley was done by 1993 for sure, but I have his late 90s TKO over Coetzee on tape... Too bad ESPN only paid both Gerrie and Iran a couple of pizza's with a case of Miller beer and a night room with seperate beds at the local Motel 6 for their efforts that night in the ring... MR.BILL:bbb
For what its worth Barkley's TKO 2 over Darrin Van Horn was ****ing brutal. Probably his most impressive performance. Watching Barkley patiently line Van Horn up for those shot and then exploding with combos was just wicked. If Barkley had used that strategy against Nigel Benn, Benn would have been a goner in my opinion.
I believe that was Dec. 1991 when "The Barker" KO 2 Van Horn at 168 for the title there.. I never liked Van Horn as a fighter.. He seemed too fragile and hyped by TV... I believe he won his 154 lb. title by beating Robert Hines who stopped a pathetically conditioned Matt Hilton for the belt in '88... I can't recall who Van Horn beat to win the title at 168... All them dude's like: "Hilton, Hines and Van Horn" were either lucky to become champs or just in the right place at the right time. MR.BILL:bbb
Terrific ! Barkley's career had a new lease of life around this time. After losing to Duran,and getting blown away by Nigel Benn,he came back brilliantly.
It 'twas...:shock: BUT! Did you notice how scary "The Barker" looked upon entering ring? Iran was all psyched, but fully drained at 168 pounds by 1993. However, it didn't matter, James Toney was simply a much more skilled fighter than Iran Barkley ever was. Toney put on a school session for Barkley. MR.BILL:hat
