A brilliant win. Up there amongst his best couple IMO. Ironically I've been watching Hearns vs Shields tonight. Nice action.
This was a top top win for hearns. Technically i think it was his best performance,beautiful feints,in and out footwork,rapier jab,constant pressure,elusive upper body movement,use of size and two of the best right hand bombs you could ever wish to see over a dangerous long reigning champ. And all at 21! Hearns was very special in that he could destroy great fighters early. I cant think of any other welter/lt middle that could destroy cuevas and duran so thoroughly in just two rounds... Ive read also that hearns said the right he hit pipino with was harder than the duran right...For me the the second right that hit pipino was an absolute bomb comparable to the duran bomb....Joe louis even commented that hearns was the first welter he had seen that hit harder than robinson....
That's why SRL & Dundee opted for the easier touch in a blown up Lightweight Duran rather than get in there with the Mexican smasher.
I feel sure Hearns beats him anytime, anywhere, any conditions. But I have never credited this win too much because of the slippery canvas. Watch Earnie Shavers and Tex Cobb on the undercard and they look like they're fighting in an ice rink, can't keep their footing. Same thing if you look at Cuevas. He had leather shoes and couldn't keep his feet while Tommy had rubber shoes that got suction on the canvas -- kind of interesting that hometown Hearns just happened to have the exact right equipment for a situation no one could have predicted, huh? There's an old basketball trick that happens in high schools sometimes when a slower team plays at home against a fastbreak team -- waxing the floors in the afternoon before the game. The fastbreak team is slipping and sliding all over the place while the home team just walks the ball up at a leisurely pace and doesn't have a problem. This fight reminded me of that. Again, look at Cobb-Shavers and you'll see how ridiculous that slick canvas was. How a commission would allow it to go on without doing something to correct it ... but then it was Tommy's commission and he was a pro franchise for Detroit. I think Tommy wins regardless, but it's sad that they resorted to giving him this kind of edge. It takes away from the victory to me.
I agree, and is it me or does Hearns look much better, physically in this fight? He looks skeletal in the Leonard fight but imposing in the Cuevas one!