After his spectacular knockout of Roberto Duran on June 15, 1984. Thomas Hearns returned to the ring on September 15 to take on Fred Hutchings in Saginaw, Michigan on CBS. For me, it was the day after the airline I was working for filed for bankruptcy, and was laid off. I really didn’t care, and figured I would collect unemployment for a while and relax.
Thomas took care of business quickly, disposing of Hutchings in three rounds. When Marvin Hagler knocked out Mustafa Hamsho the following month in Madison Square Garden, it set up the mega-fight between the two, set for the spring of 1985.
Both Hagler and Hearns went on a promotional tour in January to sell their April 15th match, which would be boxing’s biggest in years. For this one, I planned on going to the Spectrum in Philadelphia to watch it on closed circuit tv.
That Monday night, April 15, I left my house at about 9 p.m., and made the half hour drive to the Spectrum. I had a nice seat on the floor, with a clear unobstructed view of the big screen. I was definitely rooting for Tommy, but knew defeating Hagler would be a tough task.
Thomas came out in the opening round wanting to box, but Hagler jumped all over him, forcing a brawl. With no choice but to fight back, Hearns landed a stunning right to Hagler’s head, stopping him in his tracks. Both traded blows at a furious pace, and the three minutes seemed like five with all the action that took place.
In the second round, I noticed Tommy was throwing right hands in a looping fashion, not straight like he normally did. It turned out he broken his hand in the first round, and had no choice. Marvin continued to attack Hearns, and though the pace was less brisk than the first round, was still exciting.
It was obvious by the third round, that Thomas was starting to wilt. Despite opening a huge gash on Hagler’s forehead, I knew the end was near. Not long after, Marvin dropped Hearns with a combination, and that was it. Hagler was the winner by knockout.
I always felt bad when a fighter I rooted for lost, and that feeling lasted for days. Hagler was now the face of boxing, and with no Sugar Ray Leonard around, he adopted quickly to that role. He started appearing in different commercials on television, and it was obvious after years of struggle and anonymity, was enjoying his new role.
As far as Thomas, I figured he’d take some time off to regroup. At only 26 years of age, I knew he had a lot left in his tank, and would be back in the ring to prove it soon enough.
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