Thomas Hit Man Hearns Greatest Hits of The Ring
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Between 1977 and 2006, Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns of Detroit, Michigan compiled a professional record of 61-5-1, with 48 knockouts, with a 71 percent knockout ratio. Many of his fights were memorable, such as his battles with Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Iran Barkley, and Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
Thomas Hearns versus Roberto Duran, Full Fight on YouTube, June 15, 1984
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaESioM03g4
The greatest hits of Thomas Hearns does not consider how memorable his opponents were, but rather, the intensity and viciousness of the knockout. Hearns knocked out his first 17 opponents, until Alfonzo Hayman of Philadelphia took him the 10 round distance in survival mode in April 1979, not winning a round but not going down.
Hearns finished former WBC World Light Welterweight champion Saensak Muangsurin in the third round in Detroit in in October 1979. Former WBA World Welterweight champion Angel Espada was stopped by Hearns in the fourth round in March 1980 in Detroit. Former WBA World Light Middleweight champion Eddie Gazo was knocked out by Hearns in the first round in Detroit in May 1980. WBA World Welterweight champion Pipino Cuevas was stopped in the second round by Hearns in August 1980. Hearns defended the WBA title won from Cuevas by knocking out 15-0 Luis Primera of Venezuela in December 1980. Hearns knocked out Marcos Geraldo in the first round in television in February 1982, the same Geraldo who went the 10 round distance with Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
Hearns stopped Roberto Duran in the second round at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas in June 1984 to retain the WBC World Light Middleweight title, and stopped Fred Hutchings in the third round to retain the title again in September 1984. Hearns knocked out James Shuler to win the NABF Middleweight title in March 1986, and then knocked out Juan Domingo Roldan to win the vacant WBC World Middleweight title in Las Vegas in October 1987. Hearns stopped 1988 Olympic Light Heavyweight gold medalist Andrew Maynard in the first round in Las Vegas in November 1983.
Of these hits, probably the brutal knockout of Duran was his brightest moment. Compared to Hagler and Leonard and Barkley, most on Tommy Hearns’ opponents were Grade B, a full level below Hearns in terms of raw ability and talent and ring generalship. Hearns spent 1993 to 2006 dabbling off and on in the cruiserweight division, where he won two minor world titles, but never got a shot at a major cruiserweight title.
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