To this day, fans debate which of the ‘four kings’ was the greatest and Thomas Hearns remains frustrated that his case is not a stronger one, believing that one of his defeats was unjust.
During the 1980s, Hearns fought against his fellow ‘kings’ on four occasions, but registered victory over only Roberto Duran, losing by knockout in his legendary scrap with Marvin Hagler and losing to and then drawing with ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard in their duology.
Still, the exciting ‘Kronk’ style of fighting adopted by ‘The Motor City Cobra’ makes him a fan-favourite, and the fact that he became boxing’s first five-division world champion makes him a legend.
Yet, speaking to Boxing News back in 2021, Hearns revealed his annoyance at his 1989 draw with Leonard, who has since admitted himself that ‘The Hitman’ deserved to get the nod on the scorecards.
“That’s when it makes a difference, when it shows up on the record, and that was good of him to say that to the world, but I want to see it on the record.
“I’m very happy and thankful he said I did win the fight, but to the world, it doesn’t mean anything. The judges had the final say.”
The second meeting between Hearns and Leonard took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, and despite Leonard being knocked down in rounds three and eleven, the judges scored the bout 113-112 Hearns, 113-113 Leonard and 112-112.
After winning his first world title in 1980, Hearns continued to fight until 2006, retiring with a record of 61-5-1 and being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2012.
