How do you rate Hearns win over Duran?

A absolutely fantastic performance and the crowning achievement of Hearn’s glittering career.

Tommy absolutely obliterated an absolute ATG to an extent that no had before or would do again. Duran was monstered by Hearns size, length, speed and savage power. All Roberto’s defensive wiles and masterful slipping was negated by Hearns speed and aggression. Roberto couldn’t get off because he was getting battered from the get go. Hearns looked like one of greatest offensive machines of all time that night simply because he was.

The fact Roberto came back from this shellacking to win a middleweight title (against Tommy’s conqueror no less) is an indication of the extreme quality of fighter that Tommy destroyed this night.

 

Most people forget that after his loss to Leonard Hearns won his next 6 fights with only 2 by knockout, going the distance with much lesser fighters. The thought of him ko'ing Duran wasn't even on the table. I thought Hearns would win by decision as the gambler Billy Baxter was saying when he saw Duran begin training for the fight , he thought Duran was around 190 pounds . That reminded me of what Bob Arum said about seeing Duran before the rematch with Leonard who said he was waddling around the pool close to 200 pounds. You'd have thought he'd learned his lesson but as Duran himself said about the Hearns fight,"I was a shameless *******".
Fortunately with some good intel I didn't bet on that Duran fight. But I swear you could have made a fortune betting on an early KO for Hearns.

 

I can't lie, I didn't expect an early KO or that kind of devastation. I just remember friends being surprised that this usually very confident Duran fan was predicting an eventual KO loss. I'm glad you didn't bet on the fight.

 

Think that has to go to Foreman-Frazier. Frazier was undefeated and in his natural weight class.

 

Certainly a better shout than a past prime boxer 3 x weight divisions above his best. Though, whilst Louis was pre prime & it took much longer, he ranks higher than Frazier, so Schmeling's stoppage of him has an argument too.

Corbett clearly ranks lower than either Frazier or Louis, but a natural MW in Fitz, winning the HW title by stoppage, is very impressive, too.

Jimmy Wilde vs the unheralded Joe Conn deserves a shout, as well, imo. Conn was a FW contender who'd gone 19-1 in his most recent 20 fights prior to the Wilde fight, the sole loss being on points. Wilde weighed in as a Minimum weight and Conn a FW, a fight that would simply not get sanctioned today, mind blowing really.

 

Yes, but neither of them had quite that feeling of "this could never go another way". Tyson-Spinks is another like that, where one fighter makes another world level fighter (because Duran was that even at 154 at that age) look like he has no business in the ring with him.

I think those three are the ones that, no matter how many times I watch them, just gives me the feeling of "what the **** is happening?" every time.

 

I still don't know what to make of Tyson-Spinks. Not on the results, that one made sense, but Spinks' behaviour. Spinks had incredible self control and was the definition of a professional. He lost his wife prior to fighting Qawi, he had to tell his daughter that she wouldn't see her mother again and openly cried about it days before the fight. Come fight night, and there was nothing there, no glimmer of emotion, just pure concentration on the task ahead. How Spinks managed to lose that control against Tyson, and fall victim to his fear, despite being able to supress the sadness of losing his wife previously, is still something I can't understand.

 

I don't know that he was afraid, though. And guys on that level often say that all the anxiety they are feeling before, disappear once the bell rings. Mike was crazy intimidating, though.

 

It was an epic win due to the manner in which it happened. Pure obliteration. Nobody ever beat Duran that badly, even when he was shot to bits. And Duran had a great chin as well. Still shocking quite frankly.

 

Great win for Hearns, no doubt. Although KO by 2 looks bad on the record, it doesn’t diminish Duran in any way, shape, or form. In fact, I recently rewatched the fight and spotted a few occasions where Duran barely missed Hearns with fight altering shots. Duran took his chances, missed, and got caught flush.

I also rewatched McCallum vs Jackson and saw the same type of narrowly missed punches from Jackson. Although McCallum proved to have a great chin throughout his career, it’d be interesting to know if it could’ve withstood a monstrous shot from an all time great puncher.

 

Top notch KO for TH.....he was laser focused, kill mode was turned up and he was mean.....he sparked out in a brutal way a man that seemed to have a iron chin, impeccable defense and an ATG.....I never personally thought Duran could be wrecked like that he was manhandled

 

On paper, it is Hearns' biggest scalp. Hearns at 154 looked unbeatable.

 

Not to take away from either Hearns or Duran, but Moore wasn't physically fit for the fight. He looked way worse than in his victory over Benitez.

 

Hearns destroyed a legend. Incredible win.

 

Never saw Spinks so nervous. Do you think he could have done better on a repeat? He was a great boxer and didn't exactly have a glass chin.