The Knockout: Hearns vs Duran...35 Years Ago
Posted: 16 Jun 2019, 10:40
On a Friday night in Las Vegas, NV of June 15, 1984, Thomas Hearns, Detroit, MI, 25, the WBC World Super Welterweight Champion, decapitated legendary champion Roberto Duran, 32, of Panama City, Panama in only two one-sided rounds.
It was The Hitman's defining win. He became the only man up to then to knockout the Hands of Stone. It was one of the greatest one-shot punch knockouts of the history of the sport.
Hearns retired Duran. The next day, it was Duran's 33rd birthday. A great retirement party gift for The Hands of Stone.
Seven months before that fight, Duran challenged the great Marvelous Marvin Hagler for Hagler's undisputed world middleweight title. He went toe to toe with the bigger guy for 15 rounds, but fell short. Marvelous won by unanimous decision. Duran came back to his old bad habits of drinking and fooling around with women and having "the good life", instead of having his ass inside the gym. Maybe the desire and hunger was gone after the Hagler fight. Maybe, he didn't had anything else to prove and was fighting by instinct and big money. It looked so. Because he was supposed to defend his WBA World Jr Middleweight crown against the #1 contender Mike McCallum of Jamaica. A terrific fighter in his own right. Duran ignored him and went for the bigger money. The WBA sanctioning bodies told Duran that he was no longer champion and that the title would be vacant the minute he steps the ring to fight Hearns. Duran ignored the WBA's rules, too. In his mind, he would rather fight for the bigger payday than to defend the crown against an unknown challenger. Fighting was not a issue anymore, but THE MONEY.
Hearns took care of Duran from early. It was not even a match. A total MISMATCH. Duran went down for the first time in 10 years to the canvas. Not by a left hook. But by a stunning right hand lead by the Hitman. It seemed before the knockdown that Duran was worrying about a cut in an exchange earlier in his left eye. Hearns pressed the attack and Duran went down again. He almost went out off the ring, but the ropes held him in. The bell rang and Duran was saved. But not for long. He went to the wrong corner. His handlers had to bring him to his. He was out. Hearns knew it. It was just a matter of time.
Round two came in and it was the same. A massacre. Hearns was too fast, too big and probably too strong for Duran, who was fighting in a weight class 20 pounds over his dominant weight. He was also in his 17th year as a professional and in his 80th fight. It wasn't a fair fight after all. Too many disavantages for the fiery Panamanian legend. The only highlight Duran had was a right cross to Hearns' chin, but Hearns didn't flinch. He kept the attack going and his speed was befuddling the Hands of Stone. A timely right cross to Duran's chin, and that was all she wrote! Duran went face first down to the canvas. He was out! You could have counted to 1 million. He wasn't going to get up. It was an extraordinary knockout punch by the Hitman. It was his greatest win of his legendary career. The knockout punch, became a legendary punch in the annals of boxing history. It was the first loss by Duran by knockout in over 80 fights!
The winner by technical knockout in round two and still the WBC World Super Welterweight Champion, Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns!
AFTERMATH: How many reincarnations the Hands of Stone had? You tell me. Duran had a brief retirement. He didn't fight at all in the next year, 1985. But made a comeback starting the year 1986. He lost and win some until he had a title shot in February of 1989 for the WBC World Middleweight Championship held by Iran Barkley of the Bronx, NY. Barkley became champ when he defeated Hearns in June 1988 by knockout. After 12 exciting rounds of slugfest action, Duran at 37 years of age, wins his fourth world title in The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year for 1989.
Hearns failed to beat Marvelous Marvin for the middleweight crown in an exciting slugfest of 3 rounds. The first round of that fight was called the best first round in boxing history. It was Marvelous Marvin Hagler's defining moment. But, The Hitman had other great days under the sun. He won 3 more world boxing crowns and became the first man in boxing history to win 4 world titles in four different weight classes. He won 5 world championships in 5 weight classes in his great and illustruos career.
It was The Hitman's defining win. He became the only man up to then to knockout the Hands of Stone. It was one of the greatest one-shot punch knockouts of the history of the sport.
Hearns retired Duran. The next day, it was Duran's 33rd birthday. A great retirement party gift for The Hands of Stone.
Seven months before that fight, Duran challenged the great Marvelous Marvin Hagler for Hagler's undisputed world middleweight title. He went toe to toe with the bigger guy for 15 rounds, but fell short. Marvelous won by unanimous decision. Duran came back to his old bad habits of drinking and fooling around with women and having "the good life", instead of having his ass inside the gym. Maybe the desire and hunger was gone after the Hagler fight. Maybe, he didn't had anything else to prove and was fighting by instinct and big money. It looked so. Because he was supposed to defend his WBA World Jr Middleweight crown against the #1 contender Mike McCallum of Jamaica. A terrific fighter in his own right. Duran ignored him and went for the bigger money. The WBA sanctioning bodies told Duran that he was no longer champion and that the title would be vacant the minute he steps the ring to fight Hearns. Duran ignored the WBA's rules, too. In his mind, he would rather fight for the bigger payday than to defend the crown against an unknown challenger. Fighting was not a issue anymore, but THE MONEY.
Hearns took care of Duran from early. It was not even a match. A total MISMATCH. Duran went down for the first time in 10 years to the canvas. Not by a left hook. But by a stunning right hand lead by the Hitman. It seemed before the knockdown that Duran was worrying about a cut in an exchange earlier in his left eye. Hearns pressed the attack and Duran went down again. He almost went out off the ring, but the ropes held him in. The bell rang and Duran was saved. But not for long. He went to the wrong corner. His handlers had to bring him to his. He was out. Hearns knew it. It was just a matter of time.
Round two came in and it was the same. A massacre. Hearns was too fast, too big and probably too strong for Duran, who was fighting in a weight class 20 pounds over his dominant weight. He was also in his 17th year as a professional and in his 80th fight. It wasn't a fair fight after all. Too many disavantages for the fiery Panamanian legend. The only highlight Duran had was a right cross to Hearns' chin, but Hearns didn't flinch. He kept the attack going and his speed was befuddling the Hands of Stone. A timely right cross to Duran's chin, and that was all she wrote! Duran went face first down to the canvas. He was out! You could have counted to 1 million. He wasn't going to get up. It was an extraordinary knockout punch by the Hitman. It was his greatest win of his legendary career. The knockout punch, became a legendary punch in the annals of boxing history. It was the first loss by Duran by knockout in over 80 fights!
The winner by technical knockout in round two and still the WBC World Super Welterweight Champion, Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns!
AFTERMATH: How many reincarnations the Hands of Stone had? You tell me. Duran had a brief retirement. He didn't fight at all in the next year, 1985. But made a comeback starting the year 1986. He lost and win some until he had a title shot in February of 1989 for the WBC World Middleweight Championship held by Iran Barkley of the Bronx, NY. Barkley became champ when he defeated Hearns in June 1988 by knockout. After 12 exciting rounds of slugfest action, Duran at 37 years of age, wins his fourth world title in The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year for 1989.
Hearns failed to beat Marvelous Marvin for the middleweight crown in an exciting slugfest of 3 rounds. The first round of that fight was called the best first round in boxing history. It was Marvelous Marvin Hagler's defining moment. But, The Hitman had other great days under the sun. He won 3 more world boxing crowns and became the first man in boxing history to win 4 world titles in four different weight classes. He won 5 world championships in 5 weight classes in his great and illustruos career.
