The Boxing History Blog

12th June 1989, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas WBC Super-Middleweight Title Ray Leonard  Vs Thomas Hearns  Thomas Hearns, eleven months after being involved in an eight-minute war with Marvin Hagler, stepped through the ropes to take on NABF middleweight champion James Shuler. The champion was also ranked number one by the WBC, but Hearns needed just one-minute and 13 seconds to claim the title. Unfortunately Shuler was killed in a motorcycle accident ten days after his knockout defeat. On 23rd June 1986 Hearns boiled down to the light-middleweight division for the final time to defend his WBC championship against Mark Medal, winning by an eighth round TKO. In the October he put his NABF middleweight crown on the line against Doug DeWitt, successfully holding on to the belt with a twelve round unanimous points decision. In March 1987 Hearns made an audacious challenge to WBC light-heavyweight champion Dennis Andries. The champion was making his second defence of th...

16th September 1981, Caesars Palace, Outdoor Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, WBC & WBA Welterweight Unification Bout (Undisputed Title) Ray Leonard (WBC Champion) Vs Thomas Hearns (WBA Champion) Thomas Hearns, the freakishly tall welterweight, who wasn't much of a puncher in the amateur ranks, blasted out seventeen opponents on the bounce in a two year period. The first man to take him the distance was the former USA Pennsylvania State welterweight champion Alfonso Hayman. Hearns won every single round in the ten rounder, but failed to knock the tough Philadelphia fighter off his feet. Seven fights later Hearns was matched with middleweight Mike Colbert, where he had to negate the full ten rounds for only the second time in his career as he went 24-0. Two fights later he stopped Angel Espada in four rounds for the vacant USBA welterweight championship. The 'Hit Man' continued to knockout his opponents and was pitted against WBA welterweight champion Pipino Cuev...