Hearns vs Hagler. Cancelled fight.

[vatech1983]

Their first scheduled bout was cancelled. They eventually fought at 160 pounds.......Was their first scheduled contest goign to take place at 160?

[elmersalsa]

Their first scheduled contest was supposed to happen in May 1982, but, Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns hurt one of his hands in sparring.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler, the World Middleweight Champion was upset that the fight was cancelled because he was going to make at the time, the biggest payday of his career. He made a mockery of Hearns' injury by saying "The fight was cancelled because he hurt his tiny little pinky. For $1 million dollars, you know how much I would have given and cut that little pinky finger off and made that fight happen!" Something like that he said. (Correct me if I am wrong.)

Then the Hearns' Kronk Gym camp wanted the fight to be rescheduled, but in the state of Michigan near the city of Detroit, instead of Las Vegas. But, Marvelous declined to defend his crown in Hearns' turf.

[Nile4000]

Didn't Stewart admit Tommy wasn't ready for Marvin?

[elmersalsa]

Didn't Stewart admit Tommy wasn't ready for Marvin?

I have never heard Emanuel Steward said that. Because the fight was on in May 1982. Only Hearns' injury prevented that fight.

Back in 1982 and '83, Hearns had lots of hand injuries. He broke his hand when he beat Wilfred Benitez for the WBC World Super Welterweight Title in New Orleans. He only fought one time in 1983 and rumours had that his hands got injured as usual.

But, I am not saying that Steward never said that Tommy wasn't ready for Marvelous. I just never heard that from his own words.

[Nile4000]

Didn't Stewart admit Tommy wasn't ready for Marvin?

I have never heard Emanuel Steward said that. Because the fight was on in May 1982. Only Hearns' injury prevented that fight.

Back in 1982 and '83, Hearns had lots of hand injuries. He broke his hand when he beat Wilfred Benitez for the WBC World Super Welterweight Title in New Orleans. He only fought one time in 1983 and rumours had that his hands got injured as usual.

But, I am not saying that Steward never said that Tommy wasn't ready for Marvelous. I just never heard that from his own words.

Okay. Though I am glad the fight never happened, for Tommy's sake.

[elmersalsa]

Didn't Stewart admit Tommy wasn't ready for Marvin?

I have never heard Emanuel Steward said that. Because the fight was on in May 1982. Only Hearns' injury prevented that fight.

Back in 1982 and '83, Hearns had lots of hand injuries. He broke his hand when he beat Wilfred Benitez for the WBC World Super Welterweight Title in New Orleans. He only fought one time in 1983 and rumours had that his hands got injured as usual.

But, I am not saying that Steward never said that Tommy wasn't ready for Marvelous. I just never heard that from his own words.

Okay. Though I am glad the fight never happened, for Tommy's sake.

Tommy Hearns could have been the first fighter to fight Marvelous for Marvelous middleweight throne, but Roberto Duran challenged Marvelous first of the other two kings.

Also, Wilfred Benitez could have challenged Marvelous way before Duran and Hearns, but somehow he didn't.

[bennie]

Their first scheduled bout was cancelled. They eventually fought at 160 pounds.......Was their first scheduled contest goign to take place at 160?

Yes, Hearns was stepping up to challenge Hagler at middleweight. Their scheduled showdown on May 24 in Canada was not strictly cancelled. It was postponed until July 15 after Hearns injured a finger when he tripped doing roadwork. The problem was the fight location. It was due to take place in Windsor, Ontario but Hearns demanded that the rescheduled fight take place in Detroit at the Pontiac Silverdome. Hagler was not willing to fight Hearns in Detroit and Hearns wouldn't budge on the location so the whole thing fell through. Hearns then signed to challenge Wilfred Benitez for the WBC light-middleweight title, while Hagler scheduled a mandatory defence against Fully Obel in San Remo, Italy for late July. However, Hagler suffered a broken rib in sparring Bobby Watts and the Obel clash was pushed back to October.