Who saw Hearns vs Cuevas live/on TV at the time?

A fight with Sugar Ray Leonard would have been great for Pipino Cuevas financially, but I think that Leonard would have taken him apart, much like Tommy Hearns and an over-the-hill Roberto Duran did.

Unlike Cuevas, Carlos Palomino was never stopped during his career as a professional fighter. I also feel that Palomino fought better fighters overall in his title defenses than Cuevas did. Both John L. Stracey and Dave "Boy" Green were very capable fighters at the time they gave Palomino a tough time of it before being stopped late in their fights with him. Armando Muniz remained one of the best welterweights of his day at the time he fought Palomino in their first bout, a thriller which I saw in person at the Olympic. Wilfredo Benitez may have had some personal issues, but he was a truly great and skillful fighter during his peak years.

In fairness to Cuevas, he did fight Tommy Hearns in his final title defense. But up to that time in his title bouts, Cuevas was fighting once-good fighters who had seen far better days or fighters who weren't that good to begin with.

- Chuck Johnston

 

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The way Hearns rocked him then landed the right hand bomb, you knew there was a new star on the rise Motor City Cobra- Hit Man

 

NO way Ray was scared of Pipino.

 

http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...XJQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=N1oDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6331,6346312


@ suddenly having a change of heart after Cuevas did exactly what he was supposed to do.