If he stayed amateur that long maybe, but in 1976 he missed out by losing in quarterfianls to Aron Pryor. He was pro for about 4 years by 1980.
yeah he would have probably won, but to be honest he would have then missed out of Leonard,Cuevas,Benitez Duran and Hagler. Without Hearns the fab four would not have been as notable. He was sort of the excitement variable.
I think we could all venture to say that he would be a dominant, gold medal winner...it goes without saying.
I think the question is more would Hearns winning the 1980 gold medal do more for his career, than fighting Duran,Leonard,Benitez,Hagler,Cuevas and Hill. He would have probably fought guys like Curry,McCallum,Nunn, Starling,Honeyghan and been a little older obviously.
The United States boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics so it is a good thing Hearns didnt set his sights on those games.
Hearns has a lot of fights vs. Olympians or possibles. He fought Leonard 1976 Olympian. Beat James Shuler who would have been on the 1980 team. Beat Virgil Hill -silver medal 1984, beat Andrew Maynard 1988 medalist. fought Howard Davis. from 76 in the amatuers.
I think OP meant 'If" he had gone. Meaning he does not turn pro, and despite United States boycott (over USSR invading Afghanistan!!!) how Hearns would have done. I think he would have been at 154 by then, so depends how good Medal winners were at time.
Hearns was way better as a pro then he was a amatuer. In fact no one knew he had that power until his pro debut. Geez I miss those guys, Great fighters.
IT was possible, but most likely, with guys like Bumphus, Lemuel Steeples, Davey Moore, and Donald Curry around, some who were stronger amatuers than he was, it wasn't a given.
NO- there were no Olympics in 1980, President Carter boycotted them:nut, why the hell would he have wanted to stay an Amatuer for 4 more long years and fight for free?? when at the pro level he was making serious money??:huh Not only that if he were in the 80 olympics, he wouldn't have enjoyed his greatest victory the 2nd round KO of Cuevas in his hometown Detroit...:deal