Thomas Hearns was born on October 18, 1958 in Grand Junction, Tennessee. When he was five years old, his family moved to Detroit, Michigan. He had an illustrious amateur career, and finished with a record of 155-8. He signed with Emmanuel Steward as a professional, and made his debut on November 25, 1977 at Olympia Stadium in Detroit. He defeated Jerome Hill via a second round knockout, and finished that year with two more knockouts as well.
Thomas was known as a boxer as an amateur, ‘The Motor City Cobra’, but Emmanuel turned him into a puncher as a professional. As the knockouts piled up, seventeen consecutive to start his career, he became ‘The Hit Man’ instead.
That streak ended on April 3, 1979 when Alfonso Hayman went the distance at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. He returned to his knockout ways, and finished the decade of the seventies with his eye on the welterweight title.
Thomas finally got his wish on August 2, 1980 at Cobo Arena in Detroit against the WBA champ, Pipino Cuevas. The fight was seen on closed circuit in limited areas, and I had to settle for the replay on CBS. Thomas totally walked through Cuevas’s punches, and knocked him out in spectacular fashion in the second round.
A unification bout with the WBC champ was on his mind next. That would be decided in November when Sugar Ray Leonard fought Roberto Duran in their rematch in New Orleans. The winner would get Tommy in 1981, a fight the whole boxing world was dying to see, including me.
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