One of boxing’s most underrated fighters will be getting his due next summer when Tommy Hearns is inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF). Hearns has always been recognized as an above average boxer by most fans, but was really a lot more than that. He was one of the best to ever grace a boxing ring, especially when he was in his prime in the late 1970s through the early 80s. In fact, Hearns was so good he was well known by two nicknames, the ‘Hitman’ and the ‘Motor City Cobra.’
Hearns was a down-to-earth man with a pleasant personality and no pretension and arrogance. If he ever did speak out about upcoming fights he backed it up with his fists more often than not as shown by his record of 61-5-1, with 48 of those wins coming by knockout. Win or lose, Hearns always fought to the best of his ability and gave the fans every ounce of energy he had since turning professional in 1977.
Ironically, perhaps his most famous fight was his 1985 loss to Marvin Hagler in a battle that only lasted three rounds. However, the first round of that epic battle will remain in history as one of boxing’s greatest ever rounds. As soon as the bell rang to start the fight it was three minutes of pure mayhem as both fighters threw caution to the wind and simply let their fists fly. Both men were staggered several times and the fan’s witnessed 12 rounds of action in one. Hagler eventually won by a third round KO.
Hearns was a freak of nature in a way back then as he was 6-foot-1 with a 78-inch reach and fought as a welterweight out of the famous Kronk Gym with Emanuel Steward as his trainer. His hand speed was second to none as was his power and left jab. He won his first title in 1980 when he knocked out the intimidating WBA welterweight champion Pipino Cuevas of Mexico. When all was said and done, Hearns had won world championships in five different weight classes, becoming the first boxer in history to do so.
Along with his welterweight crown he added the WBC super welterweight, WBC middleweight and WBC super middleweight titles as well as the WBA’s light heavyweight championship. Hearns fought the best boxers of his era with many of them being Hall of Famers and world champions and had a 13-5-1 record against them. His only losses came to Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Uriah Grant and two against Iran Barkley. His most memorable wins came over world champions Cuevas, Roberto Duran, Wilfredo Benitez, and Virgil Hill. He was also named as the best junior middleweight ever by Ring Magazine.
The 53-year-old Hearns finally hung up his gloves in 2006 after knocking out Shannon Landberg in his last bout. However, he’s still been fighting in a way as he had to auction off some of his prized boxing memorabilia about 18 months ago to pay off a huge back tax bill to the government. Hearns, who earned about $40 million during his career, said he was saddened to lose some of his cherished possessions, but added that it was his duty to obligate the IRS. He ended up selling robes, trophies, gloves, championship belts, and vehicles and managed to pay off a big chunk of his taxes.
Hearns, who was born in Memphis, but made Detroit his home as a youngster, admitted he made quite a bit of money, but had a big family and shared his wealth with its members. He said he gave a lot and when it was time for people to give back they were long gone. Hearns will take his well-deserved place in the IBHOF in June 2012.
