After his draw with Sugar Ray Leonard on June 12. 1989, Thomas Hearns didn’t return to the ring again for ten months. On April 28, 1990, Thomas traveled to Atlantic City to take on Michael Olajide at the brand new Mark Etess Arena, part of the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Hotel. It was for Tommy’s WBO super middleweight belt, and I didn’t even bother to watch it. Olajide had been a budding start in the 80’s as a middleweight, but never failed to reach his potential. Hearns won a boring twelve round decision against the slick Olajide, retaining his so-called championship.
That turned out to be Tommy’s only bout of 1990, and when he did come back, it was as a light heavyweight against Kemper Morton on February 11, 1991 at the Forum in Los Angeles. Hearns stopped him in two, and in April flew to Honolulu, Hawaii to to knock out a guy named Ken Atkins in three. These two wins set up his championship bout in June with Virgil Hill.
Hill had been a solid light heavyweight champion since 1987, was a slick boxer, and had a sturdy chin. The June 3, 1991 bout from Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas was for Hill’s WBA belt, and a pay-per-view event.
I went over my brother’s house that Monday night, and was rooting hard for Tommy. He fought a great fight the whole twelve rounds, outboxing the slick Hill, and showing his experience and skills. When the twelve round decision was announced for Hearns, I was as happy as I had been for a long time with an outcome, and drove home at peace for a change.
The fighters I grew up as a boxing fan were all getting older, and the landscape of boxing was always changing. One thing I knew, I would always be there to see it.
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
LISTEN TO MY PODCAST ON SPOTIFY AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
