36 years ago today hearns vs Leonard took place

[paddy chavez]

Possibly the greatest match up in welterweight history happened today 16th September 1981 , hearns took the lead and Leonard had to pull out a come from behind KO in a great tactical fight .

[elmersalsa]

Possibly the greatest match up in welterweight history happened today 16th September 1981 , hearns took the lead and Leonard had to pull out a come from behind KO in a great tactical fight .

That's the best fight, or one the 3 best fights that I have ever seen.

[Kalan]

It wasn't such a great fight for me... Hearns looked badly weight drained and I couldn't believe he weighed in at 145... I knew he would fade badly.

The super skinny Hearns was a wide open target by the 13th round.. But to my surprise he out-boxed Leonard by a bunch and had the lead.. Hearns tried desperately to rally but he had nothing left. Leonard bided his time from 7 through 11.. He seemed to sense Hearns would fade down the stretch.. You can feel your opponents' strength, or lack of it, in a way your corner and the audience can't.. Or you can sense his lack of confidence.. Like Floyd Mayweather after the 2nd round against Shane Mosley.. Roger was telling Floyd to "box." Floyd was thinking "attack." ... Dundee was telling Leonard, "You're blowing it" while Leonard seemed to be thinking, "Tommy's getting weaker by the round. I'll wait, make him work, and he'll get worse and worse and worse."

Like Joey Maxim when he fought Robinson, "I could feel him weakening by the mid rounds. My job was to make him throw punches."

[Vincent stevenson]

It wasn't such a great fight for me... Hearns looked badly weight drained and I couldn't believe he weighed in at 145... I knew he would fade badly.

The super skinny Hearns was a wide open target by the 13th round.. But to my surprise he out-boxed Leonard by a bunch and had the lead.. Hearns tried desperately to rally but he had nothing left. Leonard bided his time from 7 through 11.. He seemed to sense Hearns would fade down the stretch.. You can feel your opponents' strength, or lack of it, in a way your corner and the audience can't.. Or you can sense his lack of confidence.. Like Floyd Mayweather after the 2nd round against Shane Mosley.. Roger was telling Floyd to "box." Floyd was thinking "attack." ... Dundee was telling Leonard, "You're blowing it" while Leonard seemed to be thinking, "Tommy's getting weaker by the round. I'll wait, make him work, and he'll get worse and worse and worse."

Like Joey Maxim when he fought Robinson, "I could feel him weakening by the mid rounds. My job was to make him throw punches."

I really dont like agreeing with you kalan . But i agree with you on this kid. The fight was more well known because of leonard coming from behind and winning. When in real life it was quite a tactical game of chess. Maybe even a bit boring . It became so when leonard hurt tommy in round 6 and the kronk corner instructed hearns to frustrate and outbox ray and try to keep it long.
Quite a dull fight imo.
Although i do despise myself for agreeing with kalan hahaaa

[SenorPipino]

Had quite a bit of money on Ray, at least for the time.

I had a feeling that the lanky Hearns was one of those fighters who could dish it out but not take it as well.

I was feeling somewhat distressed when Leonard let Hearns off the hook after battering him around the ring in the 6th and 7th.

Hearns got on his bicycle afterward but was effective with his jab and movement.

Luckily Leonard had motivator Dundee in his corner, just when it seemed that Sugar was indeed "blowing it son."

To me, it was Leonard's body work that drained Hearns late and set up the KO.

Certainly a back and forth bout. Hearns early, Leonard in the middle rounds, Hearns again taking control by tactical boxing, and then Leonard unleashing on the Hit Man in the later rounds.

I recall Cosell calling it "changing tides."

No, it was not the most action packed legendary fight ever.

But it was fascinating watching it unfold.

[Kalan]

To me, it was Leonard's body work that drained Hearns late and set up the KO

Hearns was drained coming INTO the fight.. Have you ever seen anything so skinny in your life??? 145??? WTF? It was the last Welterweight fight for Hearns.

Tommy looked weak as dandelion fluff blowing in the wind... Leonard didn't concentrate on the body. He got the anemic looking Hearns with left hooks and other head shots early on -- until Hearns concentrated on boxing and saving his energy in the mid to later rounds -- because he had no energy or strength to trade punches or bomb away like he did with Duran -- when he was at a more appropriate weight.. Eventually Tommy couldn't even box anymore.. His legs gave out.. He was at the mercy of Leonard -- not a great situation for you when you're in a boxing match.

[SenorPipino]

To me, it was Leonard's body work that drained Hearns late and set up the KO

Hearns was drained coming INTO the fight.. Have you ever seen anything so skinny in your life??? 145??? WTF? It was the last Welterweight fight for Hearns.

Tommy looked weak as dandelion fluff blowing in the wind... Leonard didn't concentrate on the body. He got the anemic looking Hearns with left hooks and other head shots early on -- until Hearns concentrated on boxing and saving his energy in the mid to later rounds -- because he had no energy or strength to trade punches or bomb away like he did with Duran -- when he was at a more appropriate weight.. Eventually Tommy couldn't even box anymore.. His legs gave out.. He was at the mercy of Leonard -- not a great situation for you when you're in a boxing match.

Geez. Hearns was a 6'1" welterweight.

When didn't he look skinny?

One fight earlier Hearns weighed even less for his bout with Pablo Baez. He looked pretty strong then.

Body shots. That's what weakened Hearns over 14 rounds. Not the weight.

[Kalan]

Bullcrap... The weight draining beat him... You saw Hearns looking skinny before... But you never saw him looking THAT skinny in his LIFE!!!

[Seamus]

It's sad that Sugar Ray Leonard never called up every one of his opponents on the morning of their bouts and asked guys straight up "You've got to be honest with me, if this isn't the best you've ever felt, then we've got to call this thing off".

[Kalan]

That's a fair point... It's not Sugar Ray Leonard's problem if Hearns is weight drained... Manny Pacquiao wasn't responsible for Oscar De La Hoya's being severely weight drained.. And Andre Ward wasn't responsible for Chad Dawson agreeing to come to 168 to fight him and showing up looking drained... Normally you wouldn't ever agree to shed 7 pounds under the weight you normally dry out to for a weigh-in -- but Dawson thought he could do it and be strong.

However, it's still not a feather in your cap when you beat a guy who's severely drained -- though you're certainly not cheating or anything.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Hearns was the better boxer and Leonard was tougher. Unfortunate they couldn't have a proper trilogy.

[Counter-puncher]

To me, it was Leonard's body work that drained Hearns late and set up the KO

Hearns was drained coming INTO the fight.. Have you ever seen anything so skinny in your life??? 145??? WTF? It was the last Welterweight fight for Hearns.

Tommy looked weak as dandelion fluff blowing in the wind... Leonard didn't concentrate on the body. He got the anemic looking Hearns with left hooks and other head shots early on -- until Hearns concentrated on boxing and saving his energy in the mid to later rounds -- because he had no energy or strength to trade punches or bomb away like he did with Duran -- when he was at a more appropriate weight.. Eventually Tommy couldn't even box anymore.. His legs gave out.. He was at the mercy of Leonard -- not a great situation for you when you're in a boxing match.

Geez. Hearns was a 6'1" welterweight.

When didn't he look skinny?

One fight earlier Hearns weighed even less for his bout with Pablo Baez. He looked pretty strong then.

Body shots. That's what weakened Hearns over 14 rounds. Not the weight.

Good post

Boxing 'expert' Kalan failed to even notice the obviously draining huge left hook Leonard got Tommy with in round 6 near the end, and Hearns sagged badly, and boxing 'expert' kalan doesn't even notice a guy getting torn in two with a body shot

Nice to see someone did anyway senor

[Counter-puncher]

Bullcrap... The weight draining beat him... You saw Hearns looking skinny before... But you never saw him looking THAT skinny in his LIFE!!!

You also never saw him get beat to the body so badly

Oh, wait, you're so dumb you didn't even NOTICE a fighter getting hurt to the body.

Same as you call Valero a good bodypuncher, except he wasn't.

You're FOS

[Kalan]

The head shots got Hearns stupid ass... Particularly the sweeping overhand right that landed immediately before Leonard thrust his arms into the air.

Hearns was gone at that point and Leonard didn't even have to jump on him... He took time out to celebrate before finishing Tommy off.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Bullcrap... The weight draining beat him... You saw Hearns looking skinny before... But you never saw him looking THAT skinny in his LIFE!!!

You also never saw him get beat to the body so badly

Oh, wait, you're so dumb you didn't even NOTICE a fighter getting hurt to the body.

Same as you call Valero a good bodypuncher, except he wasn't.

You're FOS

He's never seen Hearns fight. His assertion that Barkley dominated and beat the shit out of Tommy is as wrong as it gets. Even for him.

[Counter-puncher]

And DON'T even think of explaining to the brain dead fool that a WEIGHT DRAINED fighter is more susceptible to suffering the effects of body shots. It will simply fly way over the idiots head. Doh.

well at least you noticed the bodyshots actually happened, that puts you one up the evolutionary ladder from kalan at least

for your reference, that goes something like:

golden oldie
^^
primordial sludge
^^
kalan

[Counter-puncher]

keep strumming that bile duct of yours, you superannuated, irrelevant, crusty, pathetic old man

[davie]

The insults on here just get better and better

https://youtu.be/IzdI_PecYx0

#bantsville

[Counter-puncher]

All of which are superior to the amoeba organism which defines you most suitably.

thats pretty good by your standards, nice tosee you're capable of something ever so slightly more evolved than your usual flatulence.

[Kalan]

And DON'T even think of explaining to the brain dead fool that a WEIGHT DRAINED fighter is more susceptible to suffering the effects of body shots. It will simply fly way over the idiots head. Doh.

You stupid jackass… You’re more susceptible to ANY punch when you’re weight drained… It’s evident from watching the fight that the punches that got Hearns in trouble in the early rounds were HEAD shots.. And in the 14th round a sweeping overhand right to the HEAD won it for Leonard.. SRL immediately thrust both hands in the air when he landed that shot – because he knew the fight was OVER!!! ... All that was left was clean-up work. When has Leonard ever scored ANY KO with a body shot. His 1-punch KO's are all head shots. He was never noted as the best body banger.

Evolutionary Regression:

21st Century Human
Cro-Magnon
Neanderthal
Mammal
Bird
Reptile
Amphibian
Fish
Vertebrates
Amoeba
Turd
Primordial soup
Dirt
Water
Rock
Dust
Gas
Counter-puncher
Fart
golden oldie

[Kalan]

That's good because my name is Kalan in it's on top of the Evolutionary Progression.

[Kalan]

Colon is only fitting for Colin Powell... But he loves the name because colons are extremely useful -- to expel worthless pieces of shiit like you.

Everybody needs a colon. What they don't needs are farts, turds, dingleberries or the rest of your ilk.

[Kalan]

Not by itself... It moves it along to the sphincter which moves it along to the flusher.. waste like you is discarded in a coordinated effort.

[ewenhay]

Is it just me or is there a certain irony that these two are now literally talking sh*t. You couldn't make it up.

[Kalan]

Bullcrap... The weight draining beat him... You saw Hearns looking skinny before... But you never saw him looking THAT skinny in his LIFE!!!

You also never saw him get beat to the body so badly

Oh, wait, you're so dumb you didn't even NOTICE a fighter getting hurt to the body.

Same as you call Valero a good bodypuncher, except he wasn't.

You're FOS

He's never seen Hearns fight. His assertion that Barkley dominated and beat the poo out of Tommy is as wrong as it gets. Even for him.

I never said Barkley dominated Hearns you lying piece... He beat Tommy on points and he knocked him out... Tommy is 0-2 vs Barkley, but The Blade couldn't get a win versus Benn, Nunn, Toney, Kalambay, and other conquerors of his -- who weren't as skinny or chinny as Hearns.