Scottish Daily Mail

THE SHOWDOWN SUGAR RAY LEONARD v THOMAS HEARNS

Caesars Palace, Las Vegas September 16, 1981

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In the latest of a 12-fight series, our Boxing Correspond­ent recalls the arrival of the multi-million dollar fight... THIS was the fight which set the gold standard for the halcyon age of epic battles in which Leonard, Hearns, Hagler and Duran fought each other without fear or hesitation. It also pushed open the door to what has become an Aladdin’s Cave of wealth for great boxers. The guarantees were believed to be huge by the financial measure of the time. With HBO buying the rights for cable television, Leonard burst through the $10million barrier and Hearns came close, banking $8m. All manner of records were broken and the 13,500 crowd boggled at $50 for the worst seats and hot-dogs at $2 apiece. The worldwide TV audience exceeded 300million. The temporary arena was constructe­d on the Caesars Palace tennis courts and John McEnroe was at ringside, in the company of actors Burt Reynolds and Jack Nicholson. The accountanc­y was forgotten as the battle lived up to all the hype. Leonard had sustained eye damage in sparring and was asked if he wanted to postpone the fight. Not with those millions beckoning. But his left eye began swelling in the fifth round. His preference for fighting skilfully at long range was compromise­d by the longer Hearns jab. Leonard gambled by going on the attack but Hearns coped well by morphing into a technical boxer, in an unexpected reversal of roles. Leonard had the better of the sixth and seventh but when Hearns won the ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th on all the cards Sugar Ray needed to conjure up a KO. In the moments before the 13th, Angelo Dundee — Leonard and Muhammad Ali’s legendary trainer — screamed at him: ‘You’re blowing it, son.’ Sugar Ray got the message. One savage combinatio­n sent Hearns crashing through the ropes. Another had him down again. The 14th began with an over-hand right which rocked Hearns once more and a dozen unanswered blows gave referee Davey Pearl no option but to call a halt. All the judges had Hearns ahead but he had lost the unanimousl­y acclaimed Fight Of The Year to one of the greatest boxers of all time. There would be a re-match but not before eight years and the first of Leonard’s three retirement­s. The pay-per-view era had arrived so their reward was trebled. At the end of a less explosive encounter it was adjudged a draw. There were jeers from the crowd, who believed Hearns had claimed his revenge. Leonard whispered in the Detroit Hitman’s ear that he was the real winner. They remain firm friends and Leonard doffs ‘that cap to Tommy almost every time we meet’.

 ?? GETTY IMAGES ?? Gold standard: Leonard takes on Hearns (right)
GETTY IMAGES Gold standard: Leonard takes on Hearns (right)

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