BoxRec

I believe I have read here many times about one single great punch that Hearns delivered, that Hagler nearly walked through that was given a great deal of credit as providing evidence of Marvin's amazing ability to take a punch.

First of all Marvin does not need this incident to prove that this is the case so I'm not trying debunk that assertion at all. He obviously had a granite chin.

HOWEVER if Tommy Broke his hand on a single punch that has caused many here ot "OOO and AHHH" at Marvin's apparent invincibility I have this small point to consider.

How many of you have seen some examples of kickboxers who have broken a limb on their opponents body? This is a far more exaggerated example of the point I will try to make. No one stands up and claims that the opponents who were struck were invincible...it simply was moment where just the right set of cross-stressors met to make the strike nearly powerless in it's moment of impact. Much like the occasional bat that breaks when it strikes a baseball or a well placed strike can break what appear to be formidable concrete bricks. The energy dissapates at a point that sort of "backfires" on the striking object vs the object that was intended to be (or expected to be) destroyed on impact.

If a wrist, hand, or arm bone is compromised at just the moment of impact the actual power of the impact will be compromised but not in nearly so obvious fashion as the examples I just gave. The Hearns, Hagler example may or may not be evidence of what I am speaking of but it is something to consider. That punch may not have been all that it appeared to have been due to how the energy may have dissapated when Hearns bones were fractured. Some of the energy "backfired" into his hand leaving only what was left to impact Marvin. The percentage only had to be enough to make the difference between somewhat effecting an already granite chinned Marvin or actually laying him out.
(There is also the less likey possiblity that to hit Marvin was much like hitting a two ton chunk of solid granite which would make my point mute since it is likely that in that case Hearns hand would have been broken in that encounter as well)

I'm really not trying to overstate this specific issue....but it brings me to my greater question. Are you aware of a KO that took place (or claimed to have taken place) at the same moment that someone also claimed to have broken or fractured their hand? I'm thinking their may not be a lot of examples but have you heard of even one in a championship fight?

Why do I ask? Because I have some time this morning as my 6 year old is doing her computer homework sitting right next to me, and this is the thought that entered my head. Meanwhile she is asking me why does a computer freeze up sometimes....an equally challenging question.

Interesting. Maybe Hearns didn't break his hand on that punch at all - maybe it was one of the uppercuts that he threw after, one of them might have landed awkwardly.

BoxBuzz wrote:I believe I have read here many times about one single great punch that Hearns delivered, that Hagler nearly walked through that was given a great deal of credit as providing evidence of Marvin's amazing ability to take a punch.

First of all Marvin does not need this incident to prove that this is the case so I'm not trying debunk that assertion at all. He obviously had a granite chin.

HOWEVER if Tommy Broke his hand on a single punch that has caused many here ot "OOO and AHHH" at Marvin's apparent invincibility I have this small point to consider.

How many of you have seen some examples of kickboxers who have broken a limb on their opponents body? This is a far more exaggerated example of the point I will try to make. No one stands up and claims that the opponents who were struck were invincible...it simply was moment where just the right set of cross-stressors met to make the strike nearly powerless in it's moment of impact. Much like the occasional bat that breaks when it strikes a baseball or a well placed strike can break what appear to be formidable concrete bricks. The energy dissapates at a point that sort of "backfires" on the striking object vs the object that was intended to be (or expected to be) destroyed on impact.

If a wrist, hand, or arm bone is compromised at just the moment of impact the actual power of the impact will be compromised but not in nearly so obvious fashion as the examples I just gave. The Hearns, Hagler example may or may not be evidence of what I am speaking of but it is something to consider. That punch may not have been all that it appeared to have been due to how the energy may have dissapated when Hearns bones were fractured. Some of the energy "backfired" into his hand leaving only what was left to impact Marvin. The percentage only had to be enough to make the difference between somewhat effecting an already granite chinned Marvin or actually laying him out.
(There is also the less likey possiblity that to hit Marvin was much like hitting a two ton chunk of solid granite which would make my point mute since it is likely that in that case Hearns hand would have been broken in that encounter as well)

I'm really not trying to overstate this specific issue....but it brings me to my greater question. Are you aware of a KO that took place (or claimed to have taken place) at the same moment that someone also claimed to have broken or fractured their hand? I'm thinking their may not be a lot of examples but have you heard of even one in a championship fight?

Why do I ask? Because I have some time this morning as my 6 year old is doing her computer homework sitting right next to me, and this is the thought that entered my head. Meanwhile she is asking me why does a computer freeze up sometimes....an equally challenging question.

Good points. As someone who has broken his hand hitting someone, from my limited experience I can say that it wasn't the best shot I've ever landed, and certainly I think my hand broke not due to any "wall-shattering" force behind the blow but rather the awkwardness of the contact.

So yeah, it seems plausible to me that Hearns broke his hand with one of those slicing uppercuts that Marvin did such a good job of deflecting -- rather than (as is often stated) in some kind of devastating wall-smashing flush powershot.

As to why, I think it's the base modifier-thingy you've got to account for when appraising things like this: ninety-nine per cent of people choose ignorance as a starting point and then go on to specialise in fuckwittery as a phD, and will therefore believe anything.

When you hear someone say "He broke his hand on this dude's head" they're thinking of a blow being delivered with such force that it immediately vapourises the bones in your hand, which is patently ridiculous; in fact I'm sure that in such cases (i.e. "He broke his hand on this dude's head" scenario) it's always going to be a case of incorrect punching technique leading to hand damage.

As to why the incorrect technique idea was likely in the case of the fight we're talking about -- Tommy had Marvin Hagler trying to decapitate him! I'm sure that'd put a bit of a crimp on anyone's technique...

Post-fight newspaper article mentioned Hearns' manager saying Thomas broke his right hand while throwing an uppercut.

BoxBuzz wrote:Are you aware of a KO that took place (or claimed to have taken place) at the same moment that someone also claimed to have broken or fractured their hand? I'm thinking their may not be a lot of examples but have you heard of even one in a championship fight?

I just recently quoted Gene Tunney in my discussion with Mike DeLisa in "Record Queries and Updates":

"In this Lewis match I happened to catch him with a hard short right on the point of the jaw. Despite the ten-ounce gloves, he fell to the canvas, kicking and groaning. I have never seen a man knocked out act in such a way. However, in hitting Lewis, I broke the knuckle of my middle finger. He was counted out. When I took my gloves off, my hand was swollen to twice normal size. This swelling took place almost instantaneously. The knuckle that I broke in that fight in the early spring of 1919 bothered me all during the early part of my subsequent career; as a matter of fact, up until the third Greb match, in December, 1923."

In "Arms for Living" Tunney said that his hands weren't wrapped right. Still, this example most definitely qualifies; Tunney describes Lewis as a "huge American Indian."