As a child, not unlike many young boxing fans back then in the late 1970s, my first boxing idol was Muhammad Ali. But, the first fighter I idolized from the very beginning of his career was the “Motor City Cobra” Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, my ninth greatest fighter of the last 45 years. In Hearns’ amateur…
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In the history of boxing, there was never a fighter who combined ring IQ, fearlessness, technical skill and savagery better than the Panamanian legend Roberto Duran. Duran, like the vast majority of great fighters, grew up in impoverished conditions. As an adolescent, he engaged in street fights with grown men on the streets of Panama…
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Thomas Hearns Vs Roberto Duran June 15, 1984 Las Vegas, Nevada Venue: Caesar’s Palace Although my father and I were huge Roberto Duran fans, Thomas Hearns was our favorite fighter. We also both knew that Duran had absolutely no shot at beating the “Motor City Cobra.” Hearns had a seven inch height and one foot…
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Words cannot express how sensational parts one and two of the four part Showtime documentary The Kings on Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran are. The archival footage, the expert commentators and the actual four fighters this groundbreaking piece of art focuses on, speaking both back then and today, make…
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7. Marvelous Marvin Hagler Vs Thomas Hearns April 15, 1985 Las Vegas, Nevada Venue: Caesar’s Palace Earlier this year when Marvelous Marvin Hagler died suddenly at he age of 66, both the boxing and sports world lost one of the greatest sportsmen that ever lived. I’ve said several times over the years that the chiseled,…
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Thomas Hearns Vs Pipino Cuevas August 2, 1980 Detroit, Michigan Venue: Joe Louis Arena As stated in my earlier two articles written on Thomas Hearns, the “Hitman” was the first fighter I followed from the beginning of his career in 1977. Hearns at 6’1 and a 78” reach had never been seen before in the…
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Robert Silva is counting down the greatest knockouts of all-time. Here are the previous lists in case you need to catch up: 50-46 45-41 40-36 35-31 30-26 Onto the top 25… 25: James Toney Vs Michael Nunn May 10, 1991 Davenport, Iowa Venue: John O’Donnell Stadium Going into his fifth defense of his IBF world…
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4. Marvin Hagler Vs Thomas Hearns April 15, 1985 Las Vegas, Nevada Caesars Palance For many years, Marvelous Marvin Hagler was avoided like the plague in the 160-pound division. Being a southpaw, boxer-puncher, he was considered a low reward/high risk opponent. After finally getting a shot at the Undisputed Middleweight Champion Vito Antoufermo in November…
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6. Sugar Ray Leonard Vs Thomas Hearns I September 16, 1981 Las Vegas, Nevada Venue: Caesars Palace Thomas Hearns was the first fighter I idolized whose career I followed from the very beginning. The first two years of his career, I read every article I could find about him in newspapers and magazines. When my…
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