Thomas Hearns vs Jess Willard

[Cojimar 1946]

Can skill overcome size. Let's say the Hearns that fought Dennis Andries vs the Willard that fought Luther McCarthy over 12 rounds.

[Redback Rasta]

So we have the 29 year old, 43-2 , 6ft 1 tall, 173 pound Hearns versus the 30 year old, 10-2, 6ft 7 tall, 224 pound Willard.

The three big factors in this I see, in no particular order, are size, ability and experience. Hearn has it all over Willard in both ability and experience and at the time, Willard had beaten nobody of any note. But does it make up for the size difference?

This is a more interesting question than I initially thought.

Could Tommy Hearns do a Jack Dempsey on a much younger version of Willard than Dempsey fought? Yes, just maybe he could.

[Joson]

Willard was way too big for Hearns and would knock him out. We're talking one guy at a natural 6'6", 240 lbs, and the other just a 6'2", 150 pounder puffed up to fight in the unlimited weight class. It's inevitable that Hearns gets broken down and beaten.

I can't picture Tommy weighing more than 185 lbs for this fight, and that's at least 20 lbs over his optimum fighting weight.

Hearns was a great fighter, far better than Willard. But when it comes to great fighters putting on weight to take on much bigger guys, you can only push the envelope so far.

[scorpio83]

As great as the Hitman was even in his light heavyweight form, Willard's size and power may overwhelm him as he KO Hearns in 8 rounds with a big right hand.

[gilgamesh]

I feel like Hearns would be winning all the rounds and outboxing Willard all along the way, but Willard could and probably would just lean on him, wear him out, absorb his shots, and just kinda nullify the action until Hearns' stamina started to dip and eventually the size difference proves to be too much.

[Redback Rasta]

Can skill overcome size. Let's say the Hearns that fought Dennis Andries vs the Willard that fought Luther McCarthy over 12 rounds.

Your turn...

[tiny_acres]

I feel like Hearns would be winning all the rounds and outboxing Willard all along the way, but Willard could and probably would just lean on him, wear him out, absorb his shots, and just kinda nullify the action until Hearns' stamina started to dip and eventually the size difference proves to be too much.

x2 I agree with you

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Didnt they wear 5 oz gloves back then?

I think hearns breaks willards bones

[elmersalsa]

Jess Willard wins. Asking the great Thomas Hearns to fight a man that weighs in more than 240lbs and is 6'6" is like the great Sugar Ray Leonard fighting cruiserweights or Roberto Duran fighting light-heavyweights

Hearns legs would not stand the pressure of a bigger man. I don't think that Hearns would be able to hurt the Ambling Alp. Too big.

If the great Bob Foster, a natural light-heavyweight couldn't beat heavyweights and hit harder than The Hitman, Hearns would not beat Big heavyweights either.