How did Iran Barkley beat Hearns twice???

Walk through the fire.

 

Barkley was better.
As a middleweight/light-heavyweight I mean.

 

I think he got a bit lucky in the first one, by the time of the second Hearns was a bit vulnerable to strong brawlers.

 

Barkley was a fearless animal and a huge puncher. Hearns had him on the way out the first time and got caught w a tremendous shot. By the rematch you're right. Tommy used all his skill to survive another knockdown and love a tight decision.

 

Barkley is underrated nowadays, I think.

 

For sure HG. Barkley was a good not great (or even close) fighter but he was honest and had heart.

 

Juan Roldan and Kinchen almost stopped Hearns too...

 

Hearns was in his third and fourth weight divisions by this time fighting against top guys at their natural weight and still winning ..

 

Thomas Hearns was a bit inconsistent when he got to fighting guys his own height.
The holes in his defense became more apparent.

 

was dog old wasnt he.

 

It was Tommy's posing that did him in. And believe it or not, there were guys like me and others
I knew that really liked Iran's chances going into the fights. He was a live 3-1 underdog in the first fight & that in and of iteself shows how many liked iran's chances. You'd think due to popularity and so forth Hearns would have been a 6-1 or more favorite over an ESPN fighter like Barkley--that had some losses and tons of tough fights. Plus, he swelled up easily and had scar tissue over both eyes. but still, only 3-1.

1. Tommy was fighting a guy his own height. Usually those Hearns big big results are against guys that are much shorter and they stand out in the zone Hearns is a killer from. The same zone against bigger guys and Hearns gets hit.

2. Bad bad habit by Hearns of throwing a devastating punch or combo and then standing there admiring his work. Always. He didn't move and didn't even bring those hands back high. Most opponents will go into a shell because of the power of those shots. Not Barkley. He will fire right back. He'd fire back on the way down.

3. So I thought Barkley is definately getting hit in the fight. No doubt about it. But he'll catch Tommy clean himself and Iran can hit. And is a guy willing to trade and will continue to do so even if continually losing the exchanges. Being tall, his punches will reach Hearns who will be standing right in front of him for a brief amount of time, posing. It's a rare breed that fires back big in a nanosecond after eating a hard punch. But that's something Barkley excelled at.

 

Hearns should have won that first fight, but I'd agree it was far form a lucky punch that did him in the first time. There is no such thing, anyway. Hearns was winning early, and got caught. It happens. The second tiume, he simply didn't have the legs to move off the ropes when Barkley moved him there. Not by 1992, with 175 pounds on his frame. He was so stationary in that bout that the real question in my mind as it ended was "how did he last the distance?"

 

I do think there a few occasions of lucky punches.

Mercer-Damiami is one.
Managed to brush the tip of his nose with an uppercut which resulted in a broken nose.
Freak punch.

Cooper - Coffee was similar, but that uppercut didn't miss the rest of the head.

 

Reviewing Barkley's amateur career, he had a stellar background. Besides, Barkley was kinda like Hopkins, a true lightheavy, fighting down at MW.

Amateur titles

• 1981 – Silver Medal (165 lb) at the New York Golden Gloves, losing to Dennis Milton
• 1981 – Gold Medal (165 lb) at the Empire State Games
• 1982 – Bronze Medal (165 lb)at the Copenhagen Box Cup in Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1982 – Bronze Medal (75 kg) at the World Championships in Munich, West Germany