40 years ago Ray Leonard stopped Tommy Hearns

[uncle ben]

[Flickergrab98]

A fantastic victory that was only spoiled later when the damage it cost to Leonard’s eye was discovered. What a classic rivalry!

[The plunger man]

The greatest fight I have ever seen....had everything , come from behind stoppage , tactical , ebb and flow , drama and two of the greatest fighters in history on the biggest stage possible.
The sugar man was never as good as he was that night

[Ben Bolt]

And the question has been up here before ... if it had been a 12-rounder,
as today's title fights, had Hearns prevailed?
Or had Ray been able to start his rally earlier?

The scorecards in Hearns' favour read 117-111, 117-112, 116-112.

[QueensburyRules]

- -The tactical error Manny made was key to this fight, overtraining Tommy such that he was 145 on the scales. He could've had an egg and steak breakfast and been under 147. Tommy never fought at welter again. Ray and Dundee dodged a bullet as well as the Tommy rematch and the Duran trilogy.

Ray was soon bounced out of the division where be reformed as a Diva Extraordinaire to lose a lot of fans like me in his orchestrated comebacks. Instead became a huge Tommy fan, a trade well worth it.

[Willie Pep 229]

And the question has been up here before ... if it had been a 12-rounder,
as today's title fights, had Hearns prevailed?
Or had Ray been able to start his rally earlier?

The scorecards in Hearns' favour read 117-111, 117-112, 116-112.

IMO Leonard need the extra rounds- under 12 rounds he would have needed to begin his comeback in the tenth round, (instead of the 12th) but Hearns' legs were still fresh and his punches too sharp. It was in these rounds that Hearns was busting up Leonard's face.

No - Hearns by UD in 12 -- Over 12 rounds Marciano becomes a footnote and Walcott an ATG.

15 is the 'proper championship length.

P.S. And no Chavez-Taylor controversy.

[Anthony342]

IMO Leonard need the extra rounds- under 12 rounds he would have needed to begin his comeback in the tenth round, (instead of the 12th) but Hearns' legs were still fresh and his punches too sharp. It was in these rounds that Hearns was busting up Leonard's face.

No - Hearns by UD in 12 -- Over 12 rounds Marciano becomes a footnote and Walcott an ATG.

15 is the 'proper championship length.

P.S. And no Chavez-Taylor controversy.

You mean because the round ends and Chavez either gets a TKO between rounds or in the next round?

[Willie Pep 229]

You mean because the round ends and Chavez either gets a TKO between rounds or in the next round?

No . . . The fight stops just as it had, with 2 seconds left, but no one complains because it is obvious to all that Taylor does not last the next round and only has more of a beating in front of him.

[Anthony342]

No . . . The fight stops just as it had, with 2 seconds left, but no one complains because it is obvious to all that Taylor does not last the next round and only has more of a beating in front of him.

Oh, I see. Makes sense too. Taylor fought that round all wrong too, should've stayed away.

[Ben Bolt]

The fight stops just as it had, with 2 seconds left, but no one complains because it is obvious to all that Taylor does not last the next round and only has more of a beating in front of him.

Oh, I see. Makes sense

"Oh, I see" counts for me too. Have never thought of this before.

Edited: I watched the fight live on telly, and was among the minority who didn't mind Steele stopping it.
In the later rounds one sensed, that Taylor wouldn't have a career after this fight.