Thomas Hearns learned the hard way in 1982 after sustaining an injury.
There’s a reason that Joe Rogan used Hearns as a reference point when praising a UFC fighter’s excellent combination of range and power.
With 48 pro wins by knockout, the finishing ability of ‘The Hitman’ is what helped him to become one of the legendary ‘four kings’ of boxing.
His first clash with one of his fellow ‘kings’ resulted in the first loss of his career, having been stopped by Sugar Ray Leonard in the 14th round.
Just the following year, he’d look to beat a historic champion that Leonard beat with a similar late stoppage back in 1979.
Terence Crawford is no longer the undisputed super middleweight champ after shockingly being stripped
Who’s your favorite of boxing’s legendary ‘four kings’?
Sugar Ray Leonard (36-3-1)
Marvin Hagler (62-3-2)
Roberto Duran (103-16)
Thomas Hearns (61-5-1)
Share your thoughts and join the discussion. Comment using the button at the bottom-left.
Comment
Like or Comment
Thomas Hearns defeated Wilfred Benitez, despite an injury which forced him to fight using only one hand
Sugar Ray Leonard said that he was pushed to his limit by Thomas Hearns, despite the fact he had been able to defeat the knockout artist for the first time.
Hearns won three straight fights after this loss to put him back in the title race for a new class of weight.
Wilfred Benitez, the youngest boxing world champion ever in history, was already the youngest champ of the three divisions in 1981.
The second time he faced Roberto Duran, he won.
2025-12-04 02:00:00
