LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Ronald Hearns' boxing career is off to a good start. Now, the son of Detroit boxing legend Thomas Hearns says he wants some more fights.
"The only thing I would like to do is stay busy a little bit more," he said. "That's why I'm down here - to hopefully get fights down here also."
Hearns, the son of seven-time world champion Thomas Hearns, was in Little Rock on Wednesday, touring the Arkansas Boxing Club's gym and eyeing a possible fight in the area. He was accompanied by Kevin Shaw, a publicist for Little Rock heavyweight Terry Smith.
Hearns (9-0) was impressed by the reception.
"Today I felt like I was the president or something," the 27-year-old middleweight said. "Everybody is so nice - greeted me like this is my hometown."
Hearns, of Southfield, Mich., trains in Detroit in the famed Kronk gym, and it was there he became friendly with another middleweight - current champion Jermain Taylor of Little Rock. Taylor is being trained by Emanuel Steward, who also trained Hearns' father.
The younger Hearns says he's amazed at the support Taylor receives in Little Rock.
"The fan support for JT down here is amazing, man. Just by them chanting his name - JT! JT! - that gets me excited! It feels like they're chanting for me."
Hearns had to wait a while before beginning his boxing career - his father saw to that.
"I had a really bad temper problem, and my dad didn't want me to use my boxing techniques in the street, so he wouldn't allow me to box," Ronald Hearns said. "He just asked me to go to school and get a college degree - something he was not able to do. Once I accomplished that, I came back to boxing."
Heeding his father's wishes, Hearns went to American University in Washington, D.C. But after that, he headed to the ring - and there was nothing his father could do to deter him.
"He tried to run me out of the gym, but it wasn't working," Hearns said. "I always had a passion for boxing."
Thomas Hearns is still fighting at age 47, and Ronald remembers his earlier days fondly.
"My dad had some great wars - classic fights and classic memories, man," Ronald Hearns said. "I try to look at the tapes and see how he set people up and try to add onto my game."
Thomas Hearns held WBA, WBC, WBU and IBO titles ranging from the welterweight to cruiserweight divisions between 1980 and 1999. His three-round loss to Marvin Hagler for the middleweight title in 1985 is generally considered one of the best bouts in boxing history.
"Marvin was a killer, man, back in the day. He's one of the greatest middleweights out there in the world," Ronald Hearns said. "Much respect to him, even though he beat my dad. That was one of the classic, classic fights in the world. The best three rounds of boxing."
Hearns has had a chance to fight on the same card as his father, but don't look for the two to square off against each other.
"Right now, I think he wants to do just one more fight, probably with Virgil Hill for that cruiserweight title," Ronald Hearns said. "And then that will be it."
Then his son will try to carry on the legacy.
