.After the tough loss to Hagler in April of 1985, Thomas Hearns didn’t return to the ring until nearly a year later, on March 10, 1986. He took on James Shuler for his NABF middleweight belt. The bout was on the undercard of the Hagler-Mugabi fight at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, and I went to see it on closed circuit at the Spectrum in south Philadelphia.
Tommy knocked out Shuler with a single right hand in the opening round, proving that he could put middleweights to sleep as well. Sadly, a week later, Shuler was killed in a motorcycle accident, and as a sign of respect, attended the funeral and placed the NABF belt in his casket.
Everyone expected Hearns to purse a rematch with Hagler, but in the interim he dropped back down to 154 lbs. to defend his WBC super-welterweight title against Mark Medal on June 23 in Las Vegas.
I had moved to Vegas a few months earlier, and got a chance to go to the Sports Pavilion at Caesar’s to watch a bunch of guys on that card train. Roberto Duran was one, and it was pretty cool being in Vegas where all the action was. I also ran into Barry McGuigan at the Dunes Hotel where he was staying, shook his hand and wished him well. Not long after, Tommy was standing with his trainer Emmanuel Steward looking at a picture of Elvis. To this day, I don’t know why I didn’t go up to Tommy and ask him a few questions, but I didn’t and still regret that.
I went to the top of the Dunes the night of the ‘Triple Hitter’ as it was named, and went outside on the small section where the window washers stood, just to get a glance at the outdoor arena across the street at Caesar’s. Not liking heights at all, I quickly dashed back inside, because I really wasn’t allowed out there in the first place.
As far as Tommy’s fight with Medal, it was an easy night that ended in the eighth round. There was no closed circuit or anything available that night, so I just hung around the casino,
and heard the results that way.
Hearns fought once more in 1986, on October 17, at Cobo Arena back in his hometown of Detroit. Another easy twelve round decision win over Doug DeWitt for the ‘Hit Man’, who had a new problem to face. After being in the stands watching the Hagler vs. Mugabi bout, Sugar Ray Leonard decided he wanted to come back, and challenge Hagler. After a little back and forth postering, Hagler accepted his request, and agreed to fight Leonard in the spring of 1987.
Thomas did the smartest thing he could, and honestly it was something I said he should. He set his sights on the WBC light heavyweight title owned by Dennis Andries, and figured that the best way he could finally earn that third championship in three separate divisions he wanted so desperately.
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
LISTEN TO MY PODCAST ON SPOTIFY AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
