Any information on Tommy Hearns son, Ronald, who was also a fighter? Has there ever been any father/son ATG?
Ronald never became very good. Like many sons of great fighters, he thought he could just show up and be as great as his dad. The problem is his father started boxing as a kid and had 163 amateur fights and won the Golden Gloves in 1977.. So he was a top amateur fighter when he was young. Ronald I don't think had more than a few amateur fights and started boxing late, and he was taller than his dad, but his reach is something like 73 inches.. His dad is 78 1/2. so a few things. The main thing is he was not a career boxer like his dad, so he doesn't have the learned skill of Thomas Hearns.. It is very hard to have a great fighter who has a son great. Very very hard. The sons did not have to struggle to make it out of hardship and that makes a huge difference.. I was hoping he would win a title since I like Ronald, but he really didn't have the experience and background to be good at boxing.
I read somewhere that Tommy didn't want his son to box in the first place, but if he insisted on it, he wanted him to graduate from college first
well that is a good way to have a second option but it also means he will not be as skilled or experienced as the guys he will fight. Thomas Hearns could beat most guys easily when he became a professional because of his vast amateur experience. Ronald had to learn as a pro. Totally different. Ronald also was not as tough as his dad. His dad was physically stronger and just mentally stronger for boxing. It happens. How can a son match up to a dad who had all those superfights and fought all those legends. Same with Chavez Jr. Or any of them. I don't even know how McGirt's son is doing in boxing or Pryor's son.. They never do as well as the dads. Floyd did better than his dad, but his dad was not the level of Pryor or Hearns or Chavez.
If you include the bare knuckle era, the closest thing to father/son ATGs are probably Dutch Sam and Young Dutch Sam. AFAICR they are the only father/son hall of famers. Depending on seriously you take women’s boxing, you may see Laila Ali as an ATG of sorts (not that I would personally). Leon and Cory Spinks may be the best father/son combo in modern times, if you take into account Leon’s amateur career. If you include adoptive, the Pattersons probably rank higher. It’s surprising given the long history of boxing, and the tendency of children to want to emulate their parents, that lightning hasn’t really struck twice at some point.
