After his loss to Iran Barkley on March 20, 1992, Thomas Hearns took a year and a half off from boxing, had surgery on his right hand, and finally let it heal. When he returned on November 6, 1993, it was as a cruiserweight on the undercard of the Bowe-Holyfield rematch at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. He easily disposed of Andrew Maynard in one round, and it was good to see him back.
A little over two months later, Thomas was in the first fight ever at the new MGM Grand Garden Arena. He was boxing on the undercard of the Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Frankie Randall fight. I watched this on pay-per-view and Tommy knocked out his opponent Dan Ward in the first to capture the NABF cruiserweight belt. Tommy looked good at 184 lbs., and I was hoping he could capture the title in that division, too.
Hearns fought again the next month, and decisioned a guy named Freddie Delgado in Charlotte, North Carolina. After that bout however, Tommy was gone from the ring for another year, not fighting again until March 31, 1995, when he knocked out Lenny LaPaglia in the first round in Detroit.
Six months later, he won a decision against Earl Butler at the Palace at Auburn Hills, Michigan. Obviously not motivated anymore at now 37, he took another year off from the ring, and at 38, dropped down to light heavyweight again to knock out Karl Willis on November 12, 1996.
Tommy would fight only once a year for the next four years, and finally on April 8, 2000, had a fight card billed as his final fight. His opponent was the journeyman Uriah Grant, and Thomas looked great in the opening round. Unfortunately, he twisted his ankle severely in the second round, ending his night. Even though Thomas grabbed the mike and said he wanted one more fight, that essentially ended the great champion’s career. Two ridiculous fights in 2005 and 2006 don’t count to me, and at age 41, the ‘Hit Man’ was through.
Thomas remains one of all time favorite fighters, and his record speaks for itself. The just don’t make fighters like the ‘Hit Man’, and if anyone deserved his spot in Boxing’s Hall of Fame, it’s him.
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