If Leonard fought Hearns in 1978 and its effects on history

In 1978, Ray would have had Tommy at a desperate disadvantage. Hearns didn't go much past the amateur distance until Clyde Gray in January 1979. SRL was matched against stiff and resistant competition from the outset. Fireball Rodriguez was his second fight. Ray went ten rounds five times in the second half of 1978.

Late in SRL's amateur debut, he strove mightily to produce a knockout despite being dead tired at the end. He pushed himself in early bouts, which built up his stamina rapidly as a result. His development was managed as well as that of any prospect I can remember. It was the antithesis of a padded record.

 

For some reason I feel that Ray would get the better of it. Better it happened when it did

 

If the fight was n 1978 that stacks too many advantages in Rays favour.

 

Ray would stop Tommy in round five, flooring him a couple of times.He was somewhat on another level at this point in time.

 

SRL ices Hearns inside 6 rds in 1978.... Hearns was still pretty green in 1978, not that Ray was fully well seasoned as a pro then, either...

MR.BILL

 

Basically one prospect would have spoilt the career of the other. It was obvious early on that they'd be meeting for a title down the line,so it would have been madness to have had them meeting so early on. Ray would have won,narrowly,by decision.

 

The thing that amazes me is that (almost) everybody else thinks this fight wouldn't be a problem for SRL.

Here's the story (Four Kings pg.43-44) Dundee was away on vacation and the management decided that this "Thomas Hearns guy" would be a decent next opponent. SRL's management were all about the fight happening. Dundee got back to the camp the night before the contract signing and said, "Are you nuts?" and the capper "Ray isn't ready for Hearns. Not now, but in a year or two he will be. And by the time he is, this fight is going to be worth much, much more than we're talking about now".

I think that this is a rough fight for both men, but if SRL was foolish enough to not take Duran as seriously the first go around. I can just as easily imagine a younger SRL making the same mistake against Hearns.

 

Imagine if Hearns got hurt, took a year out, never got his confidence back, became a gatekeeper and never became a champ

 

I doubt that. I highly doubt that. Hearns was a fighter that thought like a champ. He learned.

 

I did see Tommy run out of gas versus Harold Weston Jr.
If Harold didn't get an eye injury in that scheduled 12-rounder, that would have been
one tough test for Hearns.
Tommy blew it all-out for 4-Rounds, then was gassed.

 

i like this thread...two of my fav fighters and u guys know ur stuff

 

Duran would have become the Undisputed 147 champ after he'd KO'd WBA king Pipino Cuevas in what would have been the Biggest Latin showdown of all time & then would have proberbly gone straight after Hagler in 81 & beaten him:yep unlike Leonard who faked retirement too avoid that date with certain defeat.:deal

 

Yes but a confidence, activity and the ability to get big fights at the right time are vital to success. A fighter with huge potential can goto ruin after an early loss