What are your thoughts on the Leonard Hearns stoppage?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by scarecrow, Aug 8, 2016.


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  1. scarecrow

    scarecrow Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Was this stoppage a tad premature? How dangerous would it have been for Hearns to continue the fight?

    I personally do not like it when a ref stops the fight late when the guy receiving the punishment is ahead on the cards and just needs to hold on to win.

    We all saw that Hearns' legs were gone. He couldn't really mount much offense by the time of the stoppage. But the thing is there was only 4 and a half minutes left in the fight. He had only went down once and didn't even go down in the round when they stopped the fight.

    A lesser fighter and a less significant fight? Sure go ahead and stop it. But a fight of this magnitude ending on a ref stoppage is a little disappointing. Especially when it looked like Hearns could have survived. Would he have taken more punishment to survive the last 4 and a half rounds? Sure, but it could have been the win of a lifetime.
     
    scarecrow, Aug 8, 2016
    scarecrow, Aug 8, 2016
    #1
  2. Man_Machine

    Man_Machine Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    No, it wasn't premature.
    On balance, it was dangerous enough for Hearns, had he been allowed to continue.
    Hearns did not look like he could carry on for another minute, without taking a succession of Leonard's punches.
    The win of a lifetime is not worth it, if it becomes your last fight, due to a serious long-term injury or worse.
     
    Man_Machine, Aug 8, 2016
    Man_Machine, Aug 8, 2016
    #2
  3. Clinton

    Clinton Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    :good
     
    Clinton, Aug 8, 2016
    Clinton, Aug 8, 2016
    #3
  4. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    My impression of that stoppage is this:
    Hearns was done. The referee could see how weak he was.
    Maybe Leonard hadn't hit him with anything really nasty in that round yet but it wouldn't have taken much to hurt Hearns bad at that point. Leonard was way too good to have let him off the hook.
     
    Unforgiven, Aug 8, 2016
    Unforgiven, Aug 8, 2016
    #4
  5. scarecrow

    scarecrow Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Can't really blame the ref for stopping it. But like you said Leonard had not landed anything nasty yet in that round. A fighter as good as Hearns who was ahead on the cards should have had the opportunity to continue until Leonard really rocked him.
     
    scarecrow, Aug 8, 2016
    scarecrow, Aug 8, 2016
    #5
  6. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    I'll go with this -

    I will also add that if Hearns knew how to clinch when hurt (as he did later) i think he probably would have held on to win.
     
    JohnThomas1, Aug 8, 2016
    JohnThomas1, Aug 8, 2016
    #6
  7. scarecrow

    scarecrow Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Was Steward so confident in Hearns abilities that he deemed it unnecessary to teach Hearns how to clinch? It seems a little arrogant to fight a prime Ray Leonard and before the fight not consider that hey you may find yourself in trouble at one point during this fight.
     
    scarecrow, Aug 8, 2016
    scarecrow, Aug 8, 2016
    #7
  8. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    It was lack of experience as much as anything. Have a look at later fights, he was like an octopus when hurt and quite handy at it. Hearns had been pretty dominant. He'd also never faced an opponent as multi talented as SRL.
     
    JohnThomas1, Aug 8, 2016
    JohnThomas1, Aug 8, 2016
    #8
  9. BrainyBoxer

    BrainyBoxer Active Member Full Member

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    I agree he should have clinched more, like he did in the second fight. Feel kind of bad for Hearns falling short against Leonard both times when he should ideally have won both fights.
     
    BrainyBoxer, Aug 8, 2016
    BrainyBoxer, Aug 8, 2016
    #9
  10. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Steward himself in between rounds even told Hearns " Tommy I'm gonna have to stop this fight if you don't punch." Not long after, the ref intervened as Hearns was getting tagged, and Manny concured with the decision.. So no.. It wasn't premature.
     
    mr. magoo, Aug 8, 2016
    mr. magoo, Aug 8, 2016
    #10
  11. Stevie G

    Stevie G Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Precisely.


    Hearns was all over the place.
     
    Stevie G, Aug 8, 2016
    Stevie G, Aug 8, 2016
    #11
  12. Zakman

    Zakman ESB's Chinchecker Full Member

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    Yeah, I saw that fight back when it happened - it's the fight that basically hooked me on boxing - and he was essentially out on his feet.
     
    Zakman, Aug 8, 2016
    Zakman, Aug 8, 2016
    #12
  13. latineg

    latineg user of dude wipes Full Member

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    Could of been a tad premature but I think it was a good stoppage personally, I felt Hearns was beaten at that point regardless to what took place previously. Hearns was in a zombie like state of unresponsiveness unable to defend himself, ref called it right if you consider his job.
     
    latineg, Aug 8, 2016
    latineg, Aug 8, 2016
    #13
  14. Skins

    Skins Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I'm usually the first to complain if I think a fight is stopped early but I never had a problem with this one, Hearns was done
     
    Skins, Aug 8, 2016
    Skins, Aug 8, 2016
    #14
  15. sugarkills

    sugarkills Active Member Full Member

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    Steward said it, Tommy couldn't keep his body "erect".
     
    sugarkills, Aug 8, 2016
    sugarkills, Aug 8, 2016
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