The Boxing History Blog

06th April 1987, Caesars Palace Outdoor Arena, Las Vegas WBC Middleweight Title Marvelous Marvin Hagler Vs Ray Leonard Ray Leonard's defeat of Thomas Hearns back in 1981 to unify the welterweight division was meant to put him on a collision course with middleweight king Marvin Hagler. Unfortunately for Leonard, his career was put on hold due to retina trouble. He defended the undisputed welterweight crown against Bruce Finch, stopping his challenger in the third round. He was due to face Roger Stafford in May 1982, but it was discovered that Leonard had a detached retina in his left eye. After successful surgery, the champion thought it best to retire from boxing, even though he had the all-clear from the doctors. In May 1984 Leonard came back against Kevin Howard. Though he stopped Howard in the ninth round, he had to get off the canvas in the fourth round from a right hand, the first time Leonard had been down. He was so disgusted with his performance tha

15th April 1985, Caesars Palace Outdoor Arena, Las Vegas Undisputed Middleweight Title Marvelous Marvin Hagler Vs Thomas Hearns Marvin Hagler was widely criticised for his safety-first approach against Roberto Duran in their 1983 bout. In March 1984 he faced his WBA mandatory contender Juan Domingo Roldan. The Argentinian was credited with a first-round knockdown of the champion, who had never been off his feet before. Roldan caught Hagler with a glancing left hook to the back of the head and referee Tony Perez counted it as a knockdown. "That was no knockdown in the first round," Hagler said later. "I slipped and I told the ref." Hagler went on to stop Roldan in the tenth round. In the October Hagler made the tenth successful defence of his undisputed middleweight championship with a third round TKO victory against Mustafa Hamsho. It was the second meeting between the two. They last fought in October 1981, with the challenger taking the champion in

15th June 1984, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas WBC light-middleweight Title Thomas Hearns Vs Roberto Duran After tasting his first professional defeat at the hands of 'Sugar' Ray Leonard in September 1981, Thomas Hearns won a decision over Ernie Singletary three months later. By the end of 1982 he positioned himself to get a crack at WBC light-middleweight champion Wilfred Benitez. The champion beat Maurice Hope to claim the title in May 1981 and at the beginning of 1982 he successfully defended the belt for the second time with a points win over Roberto Duran. In December that very year Benitez faced Thomas Hearns in his third defence. The challenger had a point deducted in round four for pulling the champion's head down. A right hand from the 'Hit Man' knocked the Puerto Rican down in the fifth. In round eight, Hearns damaged his right hand on Benitez's head, and had to box the remainder of the bout one-handed. In the ninth, the champion score