Sports Poets Society

https://www.thefightcity.com/june-15-1984-hearns-vs-duran-thomas-hearns-roberto-duran-marvin-hagler-sugar-ray-leonard-davey-moore-four-kings/ June 15, 1984: Hearns vs  Durán June 15, 2024 Michael Carbert At the time, the story lines had not yet become vivid, the true significance of what was unfolding not yet clear. The term “The Four Kings” had yet to be coined, and Thomas Hearns, who would come to be defined by the two great defeats in his career more than anything else, was not yet a legend, but merely one of the best and most exciting fighters in the world. Since his defeat to Sugar Ray Leonard in 1981 he had rebounded to win six in a row, including a decision over Wilfred Benitez for his second world title. And with Leonard retired, talk of a Hagler vs Hearns battle, a clash between arguably the two finest champions in the game, continued to rise in volume. But while a showdown between Hearns and Hagler could have easily sold itself, the match-up lacked drama, a compelling st...

https://vault.si.com/vault/1984/06/25/there-was-no-doubting-thomas BY STOPPING ROBERTO DURAN IN TWO ROUNDS, THOMAS HEARNS RETAINED HIS CROWN AND REGAINED HIS NICKNAME PAT PUTNAM   Sports Illustrated - JUNE 25, 1984 TABLE OF CONTENTS ORIGINAL LAYOUT The horror of the moment will be engraved forever on Roberto Duran's mind. It came at 2:20 of the opening round , at a time when the cunning old warrior from Panama was feeling delighted because he thought he had neutralized the threat of WBC junior middleweight champion Thomas Hearns's head-snapping jab . "I've taken it away from him," Duran had decided happily seconds before, "and now I will get inside and take away the right." Lowering his head, Duran lunged forward and threw a right—and his eyes widened as he saw Hearns's right hand screaming toward his unprotected head. "Oh, God," Duran thought, "I have committed a brutality here and...." And a split second later he was struggling ...

https://vault.si.com/vault/1982/12/13/the-hitman-becomes-the-hit-and-run-man A RENOWNED SLUGGER TURNED BOXER, THOMAS HEARNS SEPARATED WILFRED BENITEZ FROM HIS WBC SUPER WELTERWEIGHT TITLE PAT PUTNAM Sports Illustrated - December 13, 1982 TABLE OF CONTENTS ORIGINAL LAYOUT It has been the lot of Thomas Hearns to be regarded solely as a cannon , something to be rolled into a ring to reduce an opponent to rubble. Last Friday night, against Wilfred Benitez in New Orleans' Superdome, Hearns finally showed that he brings more to boxing than a big bang. Fighting with only his left hand from the eighth round on after hurting the right on Benitez' head , Hearns outboxed the master boxer and lifted the Puerto Rican's WBC super welterweight (154-pound) championship on a majority decision. One judge ruled it a draw, the two others had Hearns the winner. "When I fight, people expect to see a knockout," said Hearns, known as The Hitman, beforehand. "Well, they're only ...