Flashback Friday

Flashback Friday: War – Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns

There are moments in history that seem to be forever frozen in time. Many felt that the night of April 15, 1985, had a legitimate shot at truly being an extraordinary evening. Boy were they right.

Hagler vs. Hearns AP Images 3 Photo by AP Photos

There are moments in history that seem to be forever frozen in time. Many felt that the night of April 15, 1985 had a legitimate shot at truly being an extraordinary evening. Not all contests, in any sport, live up to the hype. Most do not and, in most cases, the hype surpasses the contest. It is indeed rare when the hype is exceeded by two teams or two combatants competing against one another.

April 15 was one of those nights.

Billed simply as “The Fight,” Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas “The Hit Man” Hearns forever etched their names and their fight into the memories of so many sports fans, both fringe and die hard. Their battle was so intense that promoter Bob Arum soon coined the phrase that still describes the contest to this very day. “The Fight” was now nicknamed the “The War.”

Standing 6’1”, Hearns (40-1, 30 KOs) was the reigning Super Welterweight champion. By moving up from 154 to 160 pounds to challenge the Middleweight champion, Hearns was universally recognized as the number one Middleweight contender. His only loss was a fourteenth round TKO stoppage in the Fall of 1981 to Sugar Ray Leonard. Still renowned by many as “The Motor City Cobra,” Hearns had devastating power in his right hand and had proven that he could box as well as he could punch.

At 5’9”, Hagler (60-2-2, 50 KOs) was the reigning undisputed Middleweight champion. A southpaw, he had not lost a fight in nearly 10 years. In January and March of 1976, Hagler suffered decision losses very early in his career. The answers to that trivia question are Bobby Watts and Willie Monroe. Hagler would later avenge both of those losses via TKO victories.

November of 1979 realized Hagler’s first shot at the Middleweight crown. He suffered a hotly disputed fifteen round draw against then champion Vito Antuofermo. Antuofermo subsequently lost his title to London native Alan Minter. Hagler wasted no time jumping the pond to hammer Minter inside of three rounds in his own backyard at Wembley Arena.

Now the undisputed Middleweight kingpin, Hagler would go on a five year terror ripping off ten consecutive title defenses, winning nine by knockout. The only man to go the distance with the champion was Roberto Duran.

This was the same Duran who Hearns walloped by brutal knockout in June 1984. The Hit Man landed a crushing right that impaled against the jaw of Duran sending him face first, and out cold, to the deck. Many asked whether this “common opponent” represented a look into how Monday, April 15 would play out. The short answer would be an unequivocal, no.

A sellout crowd of 15,008 would pack the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Strong winds blew the flags high atop the arena and the skirt that covered the ring canvas. After Doc Severinsen trumpeted the National Anthem, the fighters began the long walk to the ring.

First, as is tradition, the challenger made his way to the ring. Wearing red and gold representing the Kronk Gym in Detroit, the 26-year-old Hearns entered to the Michigan fight song as it blared throughout the house in Caesar’s. His face was a mask of intensity as he was led by his lifelong trainer Emanuel Steward.

After making Hearns wait several minutes, Hagler began his walk towards the ring. Wearing navy blue trimmed in white, the 30-year-old champion was escorted by his longtime trainers Pat and Goody Petronelli. The hood of his robe was pulled high over his head and partially covered his face as he bounced and shadow boxed on his way into the ring.

The fighter introductions were provided by ring announcer Chuck Hull. Referee Richard Steele then delivered the last moment instructions to both warriors at mid-ring. If looks could kill, both men would have fallen then and there as they continued their stare down that began during the National Anthem. Steele capped his remarks saying, “Let’s go.” Walking slowly backwards, both fighters returned to their corners as each continued to stare at the other.

Al Michaels and Al Bernstein sat ringside to call the action with Curt Gowdy sitting high above the ring as the evening’s host.

The bell sounded and round one quickly escalated into a toe-to-toe brawl that lasted every bit of 180 seconds. Not one of the 15,008 in attendance dare sat down. Hagler leaped at Hearns with a wild right hand. Hearns quickly countered with his money punch, the straight right hand that momentarily shook Hagler. This was the same right hand that had put Duran to sleep.

Hagler vs. Hearns - The Ring Magazine - Getty Images Photo by The Ring/Getty Images

Bernstein and Michaels couldn’t call the action fast enough. Seconds into the fight both were screaming, “Hagler is hurt! Hagler is stunned! Hearns caught him with a right uppercut! Wild first round!”

Hagler then shook off the blistering right hands and backed Hearns into the ropes and returned fire. Halfway through the round there was already swelling around Hagler’s left eye. Seconds later, blood began to flow from high on his forehead. Bernstein cried, “There is blood all over Marvin Hagler’s face!”

As the round was winding down, Hagler landed a series of power punches that drove the challenger backward against ropes. Again, Bernstein and Michaels were desperately trying to keep up with the intense firefight. “Hearns is hurt! Hearns is hurt! And Hearns got stunned!”

The bell sounded ending what many still believe is the most exiting round in boxing history. The crowd at Caesars continued to stand and cheer for the entire 60 seconds in between rounds. We would later learn that Hearns broke his right hand in the first round. He would go on to say, “I couldn’t believe how hard the man’s head was.”

Steele would also weigh in on what he witnessed as the third man in the ring, “He hit Hagler in the head and split his head with his right hand. I never have seen that before. And you know what? Hagler didn’t move at all. He just shook his head and kept coming.”

That split on Hagler’s head would later be treated with four stitches in the dressing room.

As we moved into the second round, the action picked up where it left off in the first. Hagler stepped in with a brutal left hand to start the action. The crowd was completely mesmerized by the action and moaned and groaned with almost every landed punch.

Hearns, bouncing on his toes, moved backward pumping his long left jab, occasionally launching his powerful right hand. Hagler continued to attack like a caged tiger.

The flow of blood continued from Hagler’s forehead. With 30 seconds to go in the round, Hagler again drove his challenger into the ropes with a series of rights and lefts. As Hearns backed into the ropes, he was undaunted as he continued firing back at Hagler.

As the bell sounded to end the round, both men stopped punching long enough to smile at each other before walking back to their corners.

In the corners in between rounds, Steward pleaded with his fighter to box and move and to not stand toe to toe with Hagler. In the champions corner, Hagler was told that the cut wasn’t a problem and to keep punching.

The bell sounded to begin the third and Hagler frantically pressed forward trying to keep the bout a street fight. Hearns continued to move backward trying to box by pumping his jab at Hagler. That strafing jab ripped open the cut as blood again poured down Hagler’s face. Just 30 seconds into the round, Michaels screamed in disbelief, “Again, Hagler is all bloodied. Time is called by Richard Steele to send Hagler over to the ring doctor! He’s calling the ring doctor in.”

The exchange of words between the three men remains as incredible today as it was nearly 30 years ago. As the doctor wiped the blood from the champion’s face, Hagler glared at Steele, “I’m not going to let you stop this fight because of a cut.”

The ring doctor snapped to attention and asked Hagler, “Can you see alright?” Hagler looked at the doctor like he was crazy. “I ain’t missing him, am I?”

The doctor quickly nodded his approval and the action resumed. Hagler immediately stepped in and landed a vicious right cross that wobbled the legs of Hearns who tried to shake it off and continue bouncing on his toes.

Clearly on rubbery legs, Bernstein noted, “Hearns is smiling but he’s taking shots.”

Seconds later, Michaels called the finale of the action, “Another right hand! Hearns turned his back! Takes another right! Hearns in deep trouble again! Hearns is down, Hearns is down in the third round and on his back!”

Hearns rose but was out on his feet as he leaned back against the ropes. As Steele called a halt to the drama at 2:01 of the third round, he clutched Hearns who then slipped back down to the canvas. Michaels continued, “Tommy Hearns tries to get up and he, he can’t continue! It’s Hagler, full of blood!”

Hagler vs. Hearns - AP Images Photo by AP Photos

Name your superlative. Incredible. Awesome. Sensational. Yes. Yes. And yes again. Ring magazine called the fight, “The most electrifying eight minutes ever.” It was also named the 1985 “Fight of the Year”. Hagler had landed 96 of 173 punches and Hearns 94 of 166. Again, chose your superlative.

After the fight, a joyous Hagler was lifted into the air while wiping at the stream of blood trickling down his face. He would later remark, “I told you I was going to eat him up like Pac Man.”

Not many would have believed at this moment that this great champion would fight only two more times in his career. He would knock out John Mugabi in an 11 round war in March of 1986. Then, finally, he met Leonard in April of 1987. Distraught over the controversial 12 round split-decision loss to Leonard, Hagler would retire and never again return to the ring. The outcome of that fight is still debated by boxing fans to this very day.

Hearns would go on to fight two dozen more fights and another 20 years. He would battle Iran Barkley, Virgil Hill and rematch his longtime nemesis, Leonard. He last stepped into the ring in 2006.

Both of these Hall of Fame fighters fought each other during a time where the best fought the best and champions fought champions. They sought out challenges and never ducked an adversary in route to fighting what many still call the most electrifying, sensational three rounds in the history of the sport.

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