THOMAS HEARNS
Where to begin?
And where to end?
We begin at the beginning.
Thomas Hearns was born on October 18, 1958 in Grand Junction, Tennessee, an hour outside of Memphis.
A professional boxer nicknamed, the “Motor City Cobra,” but perhaps more widely known as “The Hitman” — both nods to his Detroit upbringing from age 5 — Tommy Hearns had a very peculiar build.
As a youngster he was tall and slender; if he turned sideways you could barely see him.
Like a blade or an x-ray.
At age 18, the tall and wiry Hearns was the reigning national Golden Gloves and AAU champion, compiling a 155–8 amateur record.
He turned pro in 1977 and began his journey with 17 consecutive knockout victories.
By December of 1980 his record stood at 30–0.
Training at the Kronk Gym under Emanuel Steward proved to be a wise career move.
With characteristic humility, Hearns was quick to acknowledge the profound impact Steward had on his life.
“Emanuel Steward played a very big role in my development,” he reflected.
“He showed me the ropes — [no pun intended] — took me through it and made it all happen for me.
He did things my father wasn’t around to do.
I was blessed to have to have a man like Emanuel Steward in my corner.”
Hearns’ physique, including oversized — as in long — arms (and shoulders), allowed him to move up over fifty pounds during his career, and he became the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions: welterweight; light middleweight; middleweight; super middleweight; and light heavyweight.
He piled up six world titles and two continental championships during his heyday.
Hearns didn’t suffer many defeats; he finished his boxing career with a 61–5–1 record, including 48 KOs, over nearly four decades.
He’s been retired for fifteen years and is remarkably self-effacing for one who achieved so much success in the ring.
“(My legacy) is not really up to me,” he said.
“I thank God that he gave me the chance to do what I needed to do and to be happy.
Good things happened in my life and some things that weren’t so great.
I thank God for what he allowed me to accomplish in my life.
I want them to know that Thomas Hearns took care of business, when Thomas Hearns performed, he did what he was supposed to do.”
At the height of his popularity, as he became the most heralded Detroit boxer this side of Joe Louis, Hearns was among the most famous athletes in the world.
He carried Detroit on his broad shoulders, especially at a time when the Motor City had a sullied reputation.
Jackie Kallen, his publicist for more than 40 years, conceded as much.
“Every win, he won for his city, and it was [with] such pride.
The city was so behind him, that when he lost, he was so hurt.
For all of his followers, he felt like he’d let them down,” Kallen remarked.
“Most fighters would say, ‘Who cares about that?…It’s my loss. I’m the one that got in that ring.’
Tommy wasn’t like that. He took it personally because he felt like he owed every single person that cheered for him an apology.”
For three years Hearns chased a date with the lightning-quick and charismatic 1976 light welterweight Olympic champion Sugar Ray Leonard, who had fast become a media darling.
Finally, the match to determine the undisputed welterweight championship was made and set for September 16, 1981 at Caesars Palace; the 25-year-old Leonard was 31–1, and Hearns, 22, was 32–0.
It was billed, “The Showdown,” between the WBC (Leonard) and WBA (Hearns) titleholders.
Hearns had the advantage in height and reach, and big thunder — a devastating punch.
He knew it, and was brimming with confidence.
“This could make me the king of boxing,” he reasoned.
“I don’t see any way I can lose this fight whatsoever.”
Of course, Leonard — a master tactician not short on bravado — disagreed.
“Hearns is a clumsy fighter,” he said.
“He’s too flatfooted. He’s not coordinated enough. He gets off balance. He relies deeply on his right hand.”
100-degree heat scorched the outdoor arena at Caesars, and in the third round, Hearns began to tire.
That’s when Leonard popped him with two right hands sending “The Cobra” careening toward the ropes.
The momentum toggled back and forth between the two, from rounds 4–9: Hearns stunned Leonard with a left hook; Leonard doubled Hearns over with a left uppercut; and Hearns opened a cut under Leonard’s left eye with a flurry of rights.
By the 13th round, Hearns was dictating the fight and Leonard — game enough — was laboring with one eye closed.
Behind on all three judges’ scorecards, Leonard suddenly came to life and delivered a blow to Hearns’ head which sent him crashing to the canvas, but the referee ruled it a shove, and not a knockdown.
Another knockdown by Leonard was also ruled a push.
A barrage of head punches launched by Leonard sent Hearns through the ropes, and in the 14th round, Leonard finished him off, attacking his head repeatedly until the fight was stopped.
The fight was televised live, or by tape delay, in 50 countries and grossed $37 million, the most money generated by a sporting event to that time.
Leonard was the world welterweight champion and Hearns moved on — and up to the light middleweight and middleweight divisions.
He continued to distinguish himself, defeating former USA Olympian Jeff McCracken by TKO in the 8th round of a July 1982 middleweight bout, and then in December of that year, he won the WBC World Super Welterweight championship with a 15-round decision over Wilfred Benitez.
It was time for a tete-a-tete with Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
Due to injury and the breakdown of protracted negotiations, this battle would not be fought until 1985.
And a battle it would be.
Originally billed as “The Fight,” but referred to afterward as “The War,” it was widely considered to be the three greatest rounds in boxing history, due to its constant action, drama, and violent back-and-forth exchanges.
While waiting for the Hagler fight, Hearns had defeated Luigi Minchillo of Italy by unanimous decision, retaining his WBC and The Ring light middleweight titles, and then in June of 1984, at Caesars (“Malice at the Palace,”) he positively annihilated Roberto Duran, knocking him down three times with his right hand and winning in two rounds.
The WBC, The Ring and the vacant lineal super welterweight titles were his.
“Thomas has become the hottest product of professional boxing,” manager Steward proclaimed.
For Hagler’s part, he had been the undisputed champion of the middleweight division since September of 1980, and by the time he fought Hearns, he had defended the title ten times, winning all but one by knockout.
The sole Hagler defense that went the distance, was a 15-round decision over, none other than, Duran.
The stage was set.
The world junior middleweight champion had gone up in weight for the bout.
In a nutshell, Hagler took Hearns’ legs away in a fight that was referred to as “eight minutes of mayhem,” and “the most electrifying eight minutes ever.”
“The War” won fight of the year for 1985, despite lasting less than three full rounds.
“The only thing I remember is that we went at it. There was no joking around,” Hearns recalled.
“I don’t think we’ve ever been in a fight like that. We didn’t know how to prepare for a fight like that.
It really showed that we had something to prove to each other and we did just that.”
Many were unaware that Hearns broke his hand early in the first round, when he hit Hagler’s head with a right uppercut.
But there were no excuses with Hearns.
He just dealt with it.
“Hagler and I fought, he defeated me, and that was it. He did a great job.
Today, I miss the man. He was a great man, and he did great things in his life.
I have nothing bad to say about Marvin; he’s always been a good person to me.”
Hearns’ rematch with Leonard in 1989, which infamously ended in a draw despite two knockdowns of Sugar Ray, engendered a typical Hearnsian response.
“I give Ray his props. He deserves it…Me and Ray do have love for each other.
We did make each other millions and millions of dollars.”
That’s Tommy Hearns for you.
In Showtime’s “The Kings,” a four-part documentary profiling the four champions who ushered in a boxing renaissance in the 1980s, it would be easy to overlook Hearns.
After all, he was keeping company with Leonard, Hagler and Duran as their careers intertwined.
Well, the company you keep is reflective of your personality.
Four great champions and ambassadors of “The Sweet Science.”
But none of the other three did what Hearns did.
[Editor’s Note: This piece was written by Mr. Kaplan in July 2021.]
