The résumé of Thomas Hearns was long, legendary and littered with talent, but there is one fight that ‘The Motor City Cobra’ prayed for, that he did not get before he hung up the gloves.
‘The Hitman’ debuted in 1977 and fought for a remarkable 29 years, famously sharing the ring with his fellow ‘Four Kings’; Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran, and becoming boxing’s first five-division world champion.
The Detroit-based fan-favourite was one of the first to adopt the ‘Kronk’ style of much-lauded trainer Emanuel Steward, and that approach guided Hearns to world honours at welterweight, super-welterweight, middleweight, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight.
However, out of all 67 of his career fights, the most talked about is undeniably Hearns’ three-round shootout with Hagler, with the opening round of that bout considered to be the most enthralling round in boxing history.
Still, in that iconic eight-minute battle, Hearns ultimately came out second best. Speaking to OSP TV, ‘The Hitman’ admitted that he was desperate for a rematch with Hagler, in order to avenge that defeat.
“He [Hagler] was a great man. I am not trying to be funny or nothing like that, but I prayed for the opportunity to have another fight with him. I wish I would have had that opportunity.”
“The man had great ability and he showed me, the Thomas Hearns that knocks everybody out, he turned it around. I’m not afraid to say it because the man got my respect.”
Hagler was one of just four men to trump Hearns in his career, joined by Leonard, Iran Barkley and Uriah Grant in that exclusive club.
