BoxRec

Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns' greatest win came when he decapitated in only two rounds, aging Roberto Duran of Panama, for Hearns' WBC World Super Welterweight Crown on Friday night of June 15, 1984 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV.

It was the first time in Duran's career of more than 80 fights, and 17 years in his boxing career, that he had ever been knocked out. The decapitation blow in round 2 was one of the brutal knockouts in boxing history.

Your comments please of that historical win for The Hitman.

One of the greatest combinations that was really more of a feint into the right hand. Lighter left jab to the body followed by huge right hand to the head while Duran was coming off the ropes. If I recall correctly. It’s a sequence that should be used more by taller long limbed big punchers like Hearns. Slightly unconventional but whoa.

Brutal beating. I thought Duran would of quit after that fight. But he went on to have some excellent fights even at that late stage of his career.
No one could of predicted that this fight would of ended this way

Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns did the unthinkable by knocking out the great Roberto Duran in that fashion. At the time, I thought that would have never happened to The Hands of Stone since he had a great and durable chin.

I knew that he could lose against Hearns, but not in that extraordinary fashion. All I can say that Hearns looked terrific!

Could anybody in boxing history beat The Hitman that night?

The Hitman Thomas Hearns scored his 33rd KO win in 40 fights.

Roberto Duran's record was 77-5, with 58KOs at that point in time.

That monster shot that Hearns laid on Duran was one of the most devastating punches I've ever seen.

Would Hagler have stood up to a cleanly landed missile like that? I asked that question here on this forum long ago. As I recall, the general response was that Hagler would have handled it. I have my doubts about that.

yancey wrote: ↑16 Jun 2024, 00:04 That monster shot that Hearns laid on Duran was one of the most devastating punches I've ever seen.

Would Hagler have stood up to a cleanly landed missile like that? I asked that question here on this forum long ago. As I recall, the general response was that Hagler would have handled it. I have my doubts about that.

Marvelous took the shots. And many of them. One of those shots by The Hitman gave Marvelous a big gash in the forehead. I think that it was a right uppercut. A nasty cut! Another middleweight would have been knocked out.

To me, I think that Marvelous had the greatest chin of all time.

Is there someone that could have beaten the great Tommy Hearns the night he destroyed the great Roberto Duran?

Hearns had nothing to beat. Duran made the disastrous decision to drop back down to light-middleweight after his fight with Hagler and the effort took everything out of him. Hearns made the same decision after his fights with Hagler and Shuler and was dead at the weight himself, but he was dead at the weight against the hapless Mark Medal.

bennie wrote: ↑18 Jun 2024, 04:44 Hearns had nothing to beat. Duran made the disastrous decision to drop back down to light-middleweight after his fight with Hagler and the effort took everything out of him. Hearns made the same decision after his fights with Hagler and Shuler and was dead at the weight himself, but he was dead at the weight against the hapless Mark Medal.

But, what about Hearns' performance that night with Duran? Would any of the greats beat that Hearns of June 15, 1984 at 154lbs?

Who? Sugar Ray Leonard? Mike McCallum? Sugar Ray Robinson? Donald Curry? Who?

I remember Alan Minter analysing the fight and Hearns' performance. He said that won't happen when Hearns comes up against a great natural middleweight.

Such a dramatic ending. Hearns must have landed a dozen right hands before the final one.

if Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown had still be in Duran's corner for that fight,
how do you think they would have had Duran fight Hearns ?
what earlier opponent had the similiar height and reach on Duran ?

.

Caractacus wrote: ↑22 Jun 2024, 13:09 if Ray Arcel and Freddie Brown had still be in Duran's corner for that fight,
how do you think they would have had Duran fight Hearns ?
what earlier opponent had the similiar height and reach on Duran ?

Joseph NuBuga and Zeferino "Speedy" Gonzalez were somewhat tall, but weren't as tall as the great Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns

elmersalsa wrote: ↑16 Jun 2024, 14:19 Is there someone that could have beaten the great Tommy Hearns the night he destroyed the great Roberto Duran?

Don curry.

Jeff_lacy_ko wrote: ↑23 Jun 2024, 22:17

elmersalsa wrote: ↑16 Jun 2024, 14:19 Is there someone that could have beaten the great Tommy Hearns the night he destroyed the great Roberto Duran?

Don curry.

Do you believe that? I am not saying that Donald Curry would not. But, definitely I would not miss the Battle of the Cobras.

Freddie Brown was interviewed in the newspaper the day before Duran fought Hearns. He said Duran had to stay on top of Hearns and work from the body to the head and not chase Hearns if he ran but only jab him till he stopped running.

Donald Curry vs Thomas Hearns at 154lbs for Hearns' WBC World Super Welterweight Crown should have been in September 1984. The Battle of the Cobras!

The perfect timing for that fight.