BoxRec

Tommy hearns became a shot fighter the instant that whoah nellie right hand smashed his skull onto the canvas one summers night in 1988

It was a momentary defensive lapse .....and thats all it took for iran barkley to end the last vestiges of the hit mans peak.

Even than for 8 minutes tommy had been blisteringly fast and clinical in dissecting iran body to head....giving him an inhuman beating and pulping his face into a ripe mush of crenshaw melon.He administered the beating with such arrogance and superiority.

Yet the writing had been on the wall for 18 months vs dewitt,andries and roldan.....the last two victories had been spectacular but each time his legs betrayed him

The barkley punch tho seemed to forever beat some of tommys hand speed and reflexes out of him.His chin too suddenly seemed beyond the point of no return

At this point ,Emanuel Steward started to seemingly disparage/psychological y denigrate tommy to the american boxing writers.you"d read how he wouldnt allow tommy to spar michael moorer and " kept him away from young dangerous fighters in sparring" and michael nunn. The new york press were harping on about sugar ray and nunn would massacre tommy

Yes Emmanuel was his dear friend and didnt want to see a legend decline.

But the reality is even a 70percent tommy was a phenomenal fighter, and the fact is hearns adapted to the decline in chin and legs and loss of speed by fighting more stationary and tightning up his defence

Retrospective sparring videos show he was ably handling gerald mclellan and james toney in sparring at this time.of course he went on to "beat " ray and having ditched steward primarily because of his concerns he went on to beat virgil hill.

At this time he was even sparring evander.

Do u think it was wrong of emanuel to doubt Tommy in the press? Disloyal and premature even? Or justified ?

It could have been reverse psychology, make him look vulnerable and then...

Probably not imo noxy as it led to hearns and steward disbanding their relationship

I believe Emanuel Steward. caring for Thomas Hearns decided following the Barkley fight and understanding Tommy's style of fighting (Namely standing in the pocket and trading with at that time much bigger opponents) It was in Tommy's best interest to retire. While the victory over Virgil Hill was impressive I don't believe all the punishment he received following the Barkley fights was worth it. If you listen to Tommy's speech right now in 2016 it's clear he is suffering from Dementia Pugilistica. Just my opinion.

There isn't any dementia thats a long term nasal condition tommy has.

I beleive steward did show a lack of tact and indiscretion in his views to the press about tommy.it waa disrespectful to a great champion.

These great champions like hearns,duran even when they are semi shot they often find ways to adapt their fighting style and it turns out 70% of a hearns is still more than 100 percent of other fighters.

Its easy to overlook he had issued a brutal beatdown to barkley and was v close to a highly impressive stoppage

The second barkley fight he lost the closest of decisions despite fighting 9 rounds with a broken right hand and seven with a grotesquely swollen nose.

His 1988-1993 performances include wins over hill,olajide,maynard....supposedly the young lions steward was keen to avoid as well as the wins over sugar ray and kinchen

i always felt like emmanuel said things how
he saw them and both writers and his boxers
cherished this quality.

I agree with your Assessment on this question Man!
Mikey Capp

Yeah, he let Tommy down big time. But top fighters have huge egos. He really let down Milton McCrory more during the 1982-1983 period.