"Thomas Hearns vs. James Kinchen" of 1988.. CLASSIC!

Thomas Hearns v James Kinchen

Really enjoyed this one. Love Tommy Hearns and he started this like the Hitman of old - spiteful jab, wicked body shots and looking like he was fully in control. Then Kinchen knocked him down with an innocent-looking sequence of punches and suddenly, it was bambi on roller skates (a Reg Gutteridge favourite expression).

Hearns had to use all his ring experience to navigate his way through the rest of the fight. Kinchen showed a good chin but was a little too methodical in the way he attacked in straight lines. Tommy mixed up his attack and won rounds by virtue of being more active.

This was a fight that Hearns could have lost but through experience and sheer grit, he got it done.

1 10-9
2 10-9
3 10-9 (closer)
4 7-10 (big round for Kinchen)
5 10-9 (after the previous round Tommy wisely elects to stick and move and wins the round)
6 9-10
7 9-10 (close) (66-66)
8 9-10 (very close) (cracking round that could have gone either way)
9 10-9 (good round for Hearns who controlled things with his jab and mixed it up with same nice body shots. Some more excellent give and take at the end of the round though)
10 10-9 (Kinchen just getting outworked by Tommy)
11 10-9 (close) (Kinchen takes first half of the round before Tommy comes back and pot shots The Heat to edge it. Could have gone either way)
12 10-9 (Some wild swings, some big punches but Tommy is just a bit busier)

Hearns 114-112 Kinchen

EDIT: Deducted an extra point from Hearns in round 4 as Mills Lane deducted a point after that round apparently for holding.

 

I remember this being very close with Hearns in some trouble. If I remember I think I had it a draw. Time flies!