Thomas Hearns vs. Bruce Curry
Thomas Hearns 145 lbs beat Bruce Curry 146 lbs by KO at 2:59 in round 3 of 10
- Date: 1979-06-28
- Location: Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Referee: Arthur Mercante
- Judge: Rosemary Grable
- Judge: Ken Offet
Notes
- Thomas Hearns 19-0 (18 KOs) vs. Bruce Curry 20-4 (11 KOs)
- The fight occurred on Thursday, June 28, 1979 and aired on CBS-TV two days later.
- Hearns was ranked as the #4 welterweight in the world by both the WBA and WBC. Curry was ranked 15th by the WBC and was the reigning NABF light welterweight champion, having won the title in his previous bout against Willie Rodriguez.
Bout Summary
Curry came out full of energy. He threw (often wildly) a lot of power punches, but with little success. Hearns was composed and used his size and reach well. His long, stiff jab snapped back the head of his opponent. A left-right combination sent Curry off balance in the opening minute. Midway through the round, Curry changed his defense, moving his right glove up to cover his chin, reminiscent of Ken Norton. Curry found a little more success in the second round, occasionally getting on the inside and landing a few punches. Hearns continued to pump the jab. In the final seconds of the round, Hearns was warned for cuffing the back of Curry's head. In the third round, Curry landed a nice pair of left hands to the body and head. Halfway through the round, a cut opened in the corner of Hearns' left eye. The first knockdown came as a right hand staggered Curry. A follow-up barrage, highlighted by a pair of right hands, sent Curry down as he clung to the top rope. He quickly used the rope to pull himself up and was allowed to continue. The knockout came as Hearns landed two thudding right uppercuts while holding the back of Curry's head. A series of right uppercuts and right crosses sent Curry to the mat and flat on his back. He made an attempt to get up, but was unable to beat referee Arthur Mercante's count.