Our video about Roberto Duran: ua-cam.com/video/3l7_tUXbrVs/v-deo.html and Ray Leonard: ua-cam.com/video/kgMFbh8tmrw/v-deo.html In the 80s, a remarkable rivalry unfolded in the world of boxing when four outstanding champions in adjacent weight classes competed to determine the best, engaging in nine bouts among themselves. This period is now referred to as the era of the "Four Kings." One of the champions was Thomas Hearns, featured in the video. Soon, we will release separate videos about the other kings as well.
The script is brutal. Love Hearns, but couldn't get halfway through listening to that. Too much metaphor and saccharine, and also just too much talking. Maybe check out "Rich the Fight Historian" and "Rummy's Corner" to get an idea how to narrate a boxing video without ruining it.
25:35 After the fight HEARNS instructed his team not to mention his broken hand so that HAGLER's success would not be diminished. Oh man, I simply LOVE these two! True warriors and legends. RIP Marvin Hagler.
Fr. These days a top boxer fighting a fellow top boxer is rare, because they don’t wanna mess with their win/loss record. They’d rather pick fights that they know that they will win.
"The Hearns right hand is still the most precise right hand of boxing. Pinpoint precision. " And that's why he won his most prestigious (and well-deserved) title: being a legend
The era of these four boxers, to me, was the greatest of all time! The just beat the hell out of everyone and each other! These guys put on some excellent fights!
I and my disabled son that is none verbal,autism mobility problems,trying to get him to sit down next to us is a no no.until the evening times I put boxing videos on,at this time we have a connection,he sits next to me as excited as I was years ago ,these fighter’s still excite me.the era of the 4 kings.all 4 deserve the title of the G.O.A.T
Those 80's middleweights dodged no one. They wanted to fight each other to see who was best. I loved Tommy Hearns, but Hagler was the king. Despite his defeat by Ray Leonard.
The 80's era in my opinion is untouchable in so many ways, Music, boxing, cold warm, mobsters, drugs, women, television shows, Movies...etc.....what a decade..
Definitely the best era for me watching boxing like hearns v hagler.. hearns v suger Ray Leonard ... hagler v suger ray leonard and the Duran fights and ali fights before these and of course mike tyson got everyone sitting on the edge of they're seat Definitely best years for me and imo the best era of boxing anyone will ever see because boxing today all the champions and great boxers coming up are all avoiding each other for as long as they can atleast back then they would all fight each other atleast twice best v best 15 rounds nothing will ever beat that
@johninnes881 I believe you and I loved Tommy Hearns for the same reason. He never, from what I remember, trash talked his opponent. Such a likable guy, so humble of a soul. For him to attend James Shulers funeral and handing the belt to his mother speaks volumes. I didn't know anything about that until watching this documentary. It just makes me love this fighter even more.
Tommy was a class act. His opponent died in a motorcycle accident, and he gave the title belt to his mother. I grew up near Detroit, so I would always be rooting for him. He wasn't a show boat. He was always business in the ring. He gave the Motor City something to look forward to every fight.
The Motor City Cobra.... The HITMAN ...MR. HEARNS.....fans always got their moneys worth and usually a great finish that was the Golden Age of Boxing...MAN !!
I watched these guys as a kid, but I know what you mean as I watched fighters before that time, before I started watching boxing in real-time and was super impressed. Hearns was a great fighter with a real aura about him. His right hand power was such a big talking point that's it was usually glossed over the other tools which he had in his locker - movement, a great left hook, jab, hand speed, and a massive heart. Never quite seen a fighter with power who throws such fast, sharp shots with perfect form, guy was a machine and always great to watch. Had a brilliant career but if he'd had a different mentality he probably has an easier time by just using his boxing skills, but he was a legitimate Hitman who took no prisoners and sometimes ended up going out on his shield. The KO of Duran, watching it live on TV I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
I had so much fun watching these fight in the 80s....Even though my favourite fighter was Hagler, I loved Duran, Leonard and Hearns. It is truly remarkable what Hearns achieved with an average chin. What a warrior!!!
I have watched a lot of boxing bouts in my life. No one hits clinical clean shots like Thomas Hearns. In my opinion he is the most skillful boxer of all times.
Tommy was very skilled but most skilled ever? Not many would agree with you but we’re all entitled to our opinion. Skill encompasses everything, including defense. And Tommy had frequent defensive lapses. He is one of the most dangerous fighters that’s ever campaigned between 147 and 160 because of that eraser overhand right coupled with his jab and ridiculous reach. But he wasn’t a great inside fighter, his footwork wasn’t always in order, he wasn’t always defensively responsible, and there was always a question how he would react if you could touch his chin…those things are part of a fighter’s skill level. The problem many had was getting through his jab and right hand in order to take advantage of those known weaknesses.
@@richardcollins2622 Very true. In my opinion his only weakness was that he couldn’t take punches. One good punch and he is out. So yes, if you include defensive skills he may not be the most skillful but in terms of attacking skills, sharp and accurate punching, stance, poise , hand speed etc, he was just unbelievably good. He throws a punch, misses and re-hits without withdrawing the hand. That’s sheer speed. He wasn’t a clumsy round the house puncher or slugger as you would see greats like Sugar Ray Leonard, Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and even Floyd Mayweather jnr fight sometimes. He hit straight, sharp, direct, accurate, and hard punches. The only other boxers I could compare with him are Big Daddy Riddick Bowe, Mohammed Ali and Larry Homes. But honestly Hearns edges all of them in punching skills. As u said, it’s only my opinion. I have really watched a lot of boxing fights in my life but I could still be wrong. It’s just an opinion. The three fights or so Hearns lost, he really wasn’t outboxed. His opponents just got one good punch and he became dazed. They rushed and finished him off. That was his weakness.
He had explosive punching power. If Deontay Wilder learnt to box properly from a young age he could have been a heavyweight version of Hearns. Scary thought.
@Night-op7zf Man, if Wilder had Tommy's punching technique it would have been scary, if he'd have used his length and height the way Tommy did and he had a good teacher like Steward training him since he was young he could have been the hardest puncher ever.
I was born in 1970. Tommy was my favorite fighter growing up. All these fights used to be free. Saturday afternoon " Wide World of Sports". Then on HBO. God I miss those days. Boxing was incredible back then!!
You make a great point. They were free on tv so kids could watch with their families. Learning about great boxing, those people were respected. Everyone knew the fight was on, we’d all watch. Great times.
I could watch Thomas Hearns highlights all day. He is just poetry in motion. He is just a such a beautiful fighter, with his long frame and stabbing jab. Thank you for the video!
Wow! This was an era when fighters actually fought each other to find out who the best was. No silly trash talking, stalling for more money and trying to protect their 0s. They just fought and had rematches and trilogies, never-ending treats for the fans. Thanks for the memories Hitman, big love and respect to them all. ❤️🙏🏼
My dad was a big Sugar Ray Leonard fan when I was a kid but also talked up Tommy, Duran, & Hagler who were all great champs! Definitely a great time for boxing if not the best! Thank you for this for taking us back! 🤙🏾🥊
My favorite boxer ever. Those jabs that started from below to land on his opponent's face, changing a thousand angles... Style and power!! For me, no one like him.
There will NEVER BE another like Tommy "The Hitman, The Motor City Cobra" Hearns. Nuff Sed!!! ✨️🥊🥊✨️Best to ever do it with his length, height, size, power, grace, heart
@@brimcilroy9002 Yeah, it was a bit of a con job, though. He won two belts from Donny Lalonde fighting at super middleweight, but both that belt and the light heavyweight belt were on the line. So he effectively won a light heavyweight belt without ever fighting at light heavyweight.
The hitman had an ability to hit opponents with punches they didnt seen coming. Not a power puncher, a technician. A legend of boxing in the pinnacle of the sport.
"Not a power puncher?" Dude, his punches sounded like gun shots, and when he landed ... it looked like his opponent had been shot point blank with a 44.
@@combatshox i was walking past durans house in Panamá it's bit of a tourist atraction and there he was fixing his motor bike .i speak spanish i said hola don Roberto,he did not turn round then i told him i'm from Ireland and that Ive Say all his fights de Jesús ,moore ,cuevas ect ,he turned round , he talked to me for 40 minutos about his trip to Ireland ,i got photos too ...When i met Marvin it was a at a dinner where he would talk and ask questions ,most people in audience where drunk asking questions about Tyson. ,i asked him was it a slip against Roldán ..he answered later on he invited me to his table ..great memories .
@@jota55581 Good moments. Yeah, that knockdown Hagler suffered against Roldan was a joke. He was leaning in and Roldan hit him with a swinging right hand round the back of the head, which caused him to fall over. I couldn't believe the ref started counting. Hagler looked disgusted. Smashed the game Roldan for the rest of the fight.
@@jota55581 Yeah, that's right, I remember that now. Good guy Hagler. Always gave off this mean mofo image in the ring but came off differently in real life.
That right hand on Duran is still one of the greatest punches of all time. It was so perfect and so hard that Duran’s head snapped so fast that you almost couldn’t see it. Devastating
I grew watching all these guys climb to the top. I never had a favorite fighter but the one fighter I ended up always pulling for, inevitably, was Tommy Hearns. Always liked his competitiveness, determination & he never let me down, even in the fights he lost. It was great to pull for him. Never heard anything bad about him & he was not a big talker & a honest competitor. I always pulled for him. Against Sugar Ray, all of them.
This video on Hitman is amazing. Props to you guys putting this together. That right hand was dynamite! The 80's had some of the best boxers in the history of the sport.
Marvin Hagler said that if Tommy didn't have a glass jaw he would have been the best out of all of us. That's a tribute. Great video of the Detroit Hit man.
I wouldn’t say Hearns had a glass jaw. For the most part his chin held up against big punchers. His chin was never really questioned but his problem was that he had a kill or be killed mentality. And would get knocked out cold while walking into a massive punch, or while he was sitting down on his punches trying to knock someone’s block off. So no, The Hitman didn’t have a granite chin like Sugar or a titanium chin like The Marvelous One. But he definitely can’t be labeled as glass jawed. In my humble opinion, if I had to rank Duran, Hagler, Hearns, and Leonard, 1 thru 4 as the most complete fighter of their era. I would have to say; #1 Leonard #2 Hagler #3 Hearns #4 Duran Leonard was physically smaller, and probably wasn’t as strong as Hearns and Hagler. But his speed, skills, IQ, grit, heart, determination, and his in-fight ability to adapt his fighting style to negate what his opponent was doing well, more than made up for the attributes Hearns and Hagler had over Leonard. Sugar wasn’t the biggest puncher but he most certainly could bang hard enough that his opponents didn’t want to trade with him. He wasn’t the tallest fighter but he still knew how to use his jab to box your head off.
Tommy was an incredible fighter, he had brilliant boxing skills, that were often overshadowed by his devastating right hand. Total respect to a legend that has stood the test of time. I salute you. 🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏✊✊✊
The very definition of CAPTIVATING. What an amazing videography of Mr. Thomas "the Hitman" Hearns. This was absolutely a stellar story of a victorious man in multiple arenas. Just breathtaking. The achievements made by one warrior in colliseum after colliseum. Even in the face of an ocassional loss, not only did he get right back up, he never knew how to feel knocked down. This man just kept on standing up.
All sports have been diminished these days. Corruption has officially taken front and center in football baseball basketball boxing even those gritty MMA guys are taking dives. Its over, literally. Maybe time to get into little league sports lol
@@gusgatzonis9607sports as a whole def went downhill and it’s sad. The money ruined it all. Especially with football, baseball and basketball. They literally changed the rules to allow more offense and it truly changes the integrity of the game. It’s sad.
Loved watching 'The Motor City Cobra' as a kid back in the 80s! His speed & reach looked so Awesome and the stiffness and power in his punches incredible! The knockout of Roberto Duran was a favourite, absolutely devastating right hand dropped him where he stood! 🥊💥 Thanks for this showreel! 👌🏻
I’ll never forget the drama of Hearns vs SRL 1981. It was one of the greatest fights of all time. But for me it was the drama of the SRL loss to Duran in 1980 and his subsequent comeback to avenge the defeat just before the Hearns fight that signalled the start of a golden age in Welter to Middleweight boxing and the fantastic 4 of the 1980s- Hearns, SRL, Duran and Hagler. What a time, I feel so privileged to have enjoyed that for free on U.K. TV throughout the 1980s.
@@johnniea4684 We didn’t know it at the time but we were spoiled rotten even though in the U.K. we only had 3 TV channels for folks to play with. It was the quality of TV that counts though, and I still believe we got better quality TV across many genres in the 70s and 80s than the ‘penny a dozen’ drivel we get now across a 100 channels that charge subscription. Even many of those new channels show golden oldies from that because they can’t make better programs than they did then. Now we we’ve got the crooked ppv merchants scamming folks left right and centre just to watch a domestic tear up at Bethnall Green between 2 local has beens 😂
I have now seen all 4 documentaries. My all time boxer any weight class has been Hagler for the last 40+years. Duran is my 2nd fave followed by Larry Holmes( heavyweight). Thanks for bringing back my youth. Many many Fiday and Saturday nights spent watching these guys with my stepdad(RIP). Using his amatuer boxing experience to explain what I was seeing. Learning boxing lessons from the greatest of that era was a true joy. I would also recomend the documentaries on Holmes, Alexis Arguello, Riddick Bowe, and Evander Holyfield. Looking forward to more of the Golden Age of Professional Boxing.
What happened to sugar Ray eye was the same thing happened to Ariel Spencer eye I would never fight again if it was me but these guys are something special to keep boxing 🥊🥊
All you young guns take note , THIS is how we did it back in the day , not many could hang with the greats these days , , and I've been watching since the 60s.
This documentry is by far one of the best, that I have ever seen...The narrator absolutely killed it ..His way of words and his way of documenting the Hitman's boxing career is absolutely genious...The brilliancy of his vocabulary and his flow of timely, well executed description of Hearns play by play actions in and out of the ring just amazed me and kept me attentive throughout the entire segment.. well done narrator...In my opinion...this narrator is the best that I have ever heard...This is the best sports documentary that I have seen...All because of the way this narrator made it...
This channel has top quality documentaries. Lots of work must go into these. Great to have this account of one of the most exciting fighters in boxing, from one of boxing's truly golden ages.
What a great showcase of a true legendary warrior. I'm amazed by the technique of his body hooks and uppercuts, just perfect and so fast. Truly born to fight. Great content 🤙🏻
I became a pro boxing fan in 1980 when joining the military at 18, in 2010 I never imagined I’d shake hands with Thomas and Roberto Duran whilst they were touring the UK, it was a great day and have a photo of the event.
But a heart of gold. That moment he beat his opponent and showed up to his funeral a week later giving his mother the belt was solid. What a wholesome guy.
@JudahsAwakening No, idiot. The kid died in a motorcycle accident just a week after his loss to Hearns. 19 years old and with a bright future, all taken, just like that.
I met Tommy Hearns in 2006 at Comerica Park. Really personable guy. I told him that I thought his right against Duran is the hardest I've ever seen someone get hit. He smiles at me and said "I barely remember, but I'm sure I've hit people harder than that!" Coolest interaction I've ever had with a "famous person". It's almost as if he doesn't really think he's famous or something.
That overhand right just put a smile on my face every time I saw him doi t, and other people who try to do it like him! It's so beautiful to see! Hearns was out of this world!!
Our video about Roberto Duran: ua-cam.com/video/3l7_tUXbrVs/v-deo.html
and Ray Leonard: ua-cam.com/video/kgMFbh8tmrw/v-deo.html
In the 80s, a remarkable rivalry unfolded in the world of boxing when four outstanding champions in adjacent weight classes competed to determine the best, engaging in nine bouts among themselves. This period is now referred to as the era of the "Four Kings." One of the champions was Thomas Hearns, featured in the video. Soon, we will release separate videos about the other kings as well.
Sugar Ray knocked all these guy down!
I would also suggest a chronological "battle of kings." Where you take each interaction in turn.
@@Blivot Hagler was better than Sugar Ray
@@Blivotnot Duran. Not Hagler. And Hearns knocked him down twice and detached a retina. SRL = weakest of the four kings.
The script is brutal. Love Hearns, but couldn't get halfway through listening to that. Too much metaphor and saccharine, and also just too much talking.
Maybe check out "Rich the Fight Historian" and "Rummy's Corner" to get an idea how to narrate a boxing video without ruining it.
Hearns/Duran/Hagler/Leonard will NEVER be repeated. The absolute golden age of boxing.
Ali/Frazier/Foreman/Sphinx
Ffs wise up you@@certifiedtech30
Come out the past we did love them guys but this was 30 plus years ago 🤦🏽♂️ guys now days are much stronger
Hell yeah!
the 4 kings!
25:35 After the fight HEARNS instructed his team not to mention his broken hand so that HAGLER's success would not be diminished. Oh man, I simply LOVE these two! True warriors and legends. RIP Marvin Hagler.
Hagler was awesome! ❤
So was the Hitman! ❤
Warriors.
@@stuartdamon3610 along with Sugar Ray ( Robinson and Leonard ) + Duran the best ever.
@@stuartdamon3610not warriors, fighters
A warrior is a man who is going to war knowing that he can't return alive.
@@speeddemon9555SRL paid off judges
They remained friends right until Marvelous passed away…😢🙏🏾🙏🏼
This was a great time in boxing. So many talented boxers. Thank you for this tribute.
Absolutely.
A real golden age of the glove.
My thought exactly @@DinnerForkTongue
The GREATEST TIMES IN BOXING HISTORY
Fr. These days a top boxer fighting a fellow top boxer is rare, because they don’t wanna mess with their win/loss record. They’d rather pick fights that they know that they will win.
Know what I loved most about these guys? The respect they had 4 each other. Absolutely golden era and solid gold warriors.
thats is why they are legends!
Also I like benitez, the radar
4 different styles too
Tommy Hearns. Simply just brilliant.
*for one another
The Hearns right hand is still the most precise right hand of boxing. Pinpoint precision.
That Duran knockout was insane
Like a tranquilizer!
I like how the narrator describes it a sniper
😄
"The Hearns right hand is still the most precise right hand of boxing. Pinpoint precision. "
And that's why he won his most prestigious (and well-deserved) title: being a legend
The era of these four boxers, to me, was the greatest of all time! The just beat the hell out of everyone and each other! These guys put on some excellent fights!
I and my disabled son that is none verbal,autism mobility problems,trying to get him to sit down next to us is a no no.until the evening times I put boxing videos on,at this time we have a connection,he sits next to me as excited as I was years ago ,these fighter’s still excite me.the era of the 4 kings.all 4 deserve the title of the G.O.A.T
they really did.but we can still watch .and enjoy.👍👍
You are so right. Just Hitman's fight with Sugar alone was a huge showcase of grit, twitch and power. I went "jesus" so many times.
Yes, this was the golden age of boxing. Unlikely we will see this level ever again. Talents, money and interest have moved onto MMA
Herns, Leonard, Hagler, Durant.
4kings
Possibly the greatest era of boxing ever. And that Hearns/Hagler first round stands as the greatest and wildest round of boxing EVER!!!
As I was watching the first round I was thinking it's over for hearns
They were fighting for they life 😂
Who won that round?… we the fans!
Those 80's middleweights dodged no one. They wanted to fight each other to see who was best. I loved Tommy Hearns, but Hagler was the king. Despite his defeat by Ray Leonard.
It was the greatest era of boxing
The 80's era in my opinion is untouchable in so many ways, Music, boxing, cold warm, mobsters, drugs, women, television shows, Movies...etc.....what a decade..
Heck yeah!!
Definitely the best era for me watching boxing like hearns v hagler.. hearns v suger Ray Leonard ... hagler v suger ray leonard and the Duran fights and ali fights before these and of course mike tyson got everyone sitting on the edge of they're seat Definitely best years for me and imo the best era of boxing anyone will ever see because boxing today all the champions and great boxers coming up are all avoiding each other for as long as they can atleast back then they would all fight each other atleast twice best v best 15 rounds nothing will ever beat that
best era
I agree totally. It was a decade with a difference indeed.
Without a doubt! 👍🤣😂
Hearns and Duran were my grandfather's favorite boxers to watch. I'm in my 50's now and see why. Amazing!
Tommy the hitman hearns. What an unbelievable fighter who ducked nobody, he took on the world and won the hearts of the planet. Love ye tommy ❤
Tommy Hearn is my favorite fighter of all time. What an awesome documentary. Thank you for putting this together.
He was built for Boxing, long, lean and wicked quick.
And mine 👍.
@@richardselby1711 Have I spotted a fellow New Englander?
And mine too an absolute gem and a maniac legend so humble so likable so brilliant to watch he was ALWAYS SMILING NO MATTER WHAT.❤❤❤
@johninnes881 I believe you and I loved Tommy Hearns for the same reason. He never, from what I remember, trash talked his opponent. Such a likable guy, so humble of a soul. For him to attend James Shulers funeral and handing the belt to his mother speaks volumes. I didn't know anything about that until watching this documentary. It just makes me love this fighter even more.
Tommy was a class act. His opponent died in a motorcycle accident, and he gave the title belt to his mother. I grew up near Detroit, so I would always be rooting for him. He wasn't a show boat. He was always business in the ring. He gave the Motor City something to look forward to every fight.
James Shuler, killed in March, 1986.
He was robbed in a few big fights too.
they didn't call him the hit man for nothing
@@m.scottreeder Yes, such a shame and very soon after his fight with Tommy.
that was legendary iconic beautiful classy af 🛐🛐🛐
One of the most exciting fighters ever!!! I cant remember one boring fight of The Hitman. Legend
Emanual Stewart believed a professional fighter should be an exciting fighter. He trained a lot of KO specialists but Hearns was the best of them all.
Hearns was the best and a pure sportsman
Hit Man was a beast inside the square ring! And You did an incredible job memorializing
Thomas Hearns dominant career.
Thanks!!!😊😊😊
The Motor City Cobra.... The HITMAN ...MR. HEARNS.....fans always got their moneys worth and usually a great finish that was the Golden Age of Boxing...MAN !!
Great post sir!
My favorite and I’m 30 years old , I watched all these old classics on UA-cam. Hearns just took me. 💯
Hearns took you? Whoaaaaa PAUSE LIKE SHIT MY Boy!!!! lol how you let him TAKE YOU???? You ain’t atleast fight for your manhood 😂
@Casteeyo...sugar ray=goat
I watched these guys as a kid, but I know what you mean as I watched fighters before that time, before I started watching boxing in real-time and was super impressed. Hearns was a great fighter with a real aura about him. His right hand power was such a big talking point that's it was usually glossed over the other tools which he had in his locker - movement, a great left hook, jab, hand speed, and a massive heart. Never quite seen a fighter with power who throws such fast, sharp shots with perfect form, guy was a machine and always great to watch. Had a brilliant career but if he'd had a different mentality he probably has an easier time by just using his boxing skills, but he was a legitimate Hitman who took no prisoners and sometimes ended up going out on his shield. The KO of Duran, watching it live on TV I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
@@johnniea4684 SUGAR RAY WAS THE GOAT,HAGLER KOED HEARNS RAY BEAT THEM BOTH ,HEARNS AND RAYS 2ND FIGHT SUGAR WAS RING RUSTY,SO RAY SNEAKED IT
good for you kid this the golden age .....now go watch Jake Paul.......John.....George ....Ringo....LOL.....Just funning the best of times
The overhand right to Durans face.
Oh My Lord.
A collosal punch.
Perhaps pound for pound the hardest punch thrown in boxing history!!
@@carlodonn8983
Yes…it looked like a Tomahawk missile.
It was scary how loud that came through over that crowd noise
The most WTF punch I’ve EVER witnessed, CHILLS!!!!!!!!!
How that didn’t break his jaw and/or cheekbone is a miracle. What a punch
Tommy was one of my favorite boxers, I even got to take a picture with him when I was a kid, the hitman was legendary and will always be remembered.💪🏿
I had so much fun watching these fight in the 80s....Even though my favourite fighter was Hagler, I loved Duran, Leonard and Hearns. It is truly remarkable what Hearns achieved with an average chin. What a warrior!!!
I have watched a lot of boxing bouts in my life. No one hits clinical clean shots like Thomas Hearns. In my opinion he is the most skillful boxer of all times.
You forgot Roy Jones Jr?
Tommy was very skilled but most skilled ever? Not many would agree with you but we’re all entitled to our opinion. Skill encompasses everything, including defense. And Tommy had frequent defensive lapses. He is one of the most dangerous fighters that’s ever campaigned between 147 and 160 because of that eraser overhand right coupled with his jab and ridiculous reach. But he wasn’t a great inside fighter, his footwork wasn’t always in order, he wasn’t always defensively responsible, and there was always a question how he would react if you could touch his chin…those things are part of a fighter’s skill level. The problem many had was getting through his jab and right hand in order to take advantage of those known weaknesses.
@@richardcollins2622 Very true. In my opinion his only weakness was that he couldn’t take punches. One good punch and he is out. So yes, if you include defensive skills he may not be the most skillful but in terms of attacking skills, sharp and accurate punching, stance, poise , hand speed etc, he was just unbelievably good. He throws a punch, misses and re-hits without withdrawing the hand. That’s sheer speed. He wasn’t a clumsy round the house puncher or slugger as you would see greats like Sugar Ray Leonard, Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, George Foreman and even Floyd Mayweather jnr fight sometimes. He hit straight, sharp, direct, accurate, and hard punches. The only other boxers I could compare with him are Big Daddy Riddick Bowe, Mohammed Ali and Larry Homes. But honestly Hearns edges all of them in punching skills. As u said, it’s only my opinion. I have really watched a lot of boxing fights in my life but I could still be wrong. It’s just an opinion.
The three fights or so Hearns lost, he really wasn’t outboxed. His opponents just got one good punch and he became dazed. They rushed and finished him off. That was his weakness.
If he had GGG's or Hagler's chin, he'd be the best ever. But he'd get hit and his legs would get rubbery. @@richardcollins2622
@@kendaddi5857barkley le quito el titulo 160 y el titulo de las 175 libraz su verdugo
The body work Tommy employed was devastating. Sometimes overlooked. What a GREAT era of boxing!
Rr
Dc.
The left hook to the body defied physics, it was like a whip
He had explosive punching power. If Deontay Wilder learnt to box properly from a young age he could have been a heavyweight version of Hearns. Scary thought.
@Night-op7zf Man, if Wilder had Tommy's punching technique it would have been scary, if he'd have used his length and height the way Tommy did and he had a good teacher like Steward training him since he was young he could have been the hardest puncher ever.
Thomas Hearns was one of the most dangerous fighters I've ever seen in boxing... a true Legend in the best era of boxing no question.
A true champion: humble in victory, gracious in defeat, truly grounded, never backing down from a challenge. Legend
This was a great era to be alive in...for those who missed it...I wish I could give you the feeling. Straight up.
That was the golden age of boxing for me. Marvelous, Sugar Ray, The Hit Man, Durant, Barkley and many others. So much talent and so many rivalries
I was born in 1970. Tommy was my favorite fighter growing up. All these fights used to be free. Saturday afternoon " Wide World of Sports". Then on HBO. God I miss those days. Boxing was incredible back then!!
That weight class in the 80’s was legendary.
Yeah, they were also free, live on TV in the UK too. That's when boxing was at its height. Pay-per-view ruined boxing IMO.
You make a great point. They were free on tv so kids could watch with their families. Learning about great boxing, those people were respected. Everyone knew the fight was on, we’d all watch. Great times.
All kinds of great sports every Sunday on The Wide World of Sports. Damn I miss the old days.
so true! these guys deserve much more love than theyve gotten
I could watch Thomas Hearns highlights all day. He is just poetry in motion. He is just a such a beautiful fighter, with his long frame and stabbing jab. Thank you for the video!
Wow! This was an era when fighters actually fought each other to find out who the best was. No silly trash talking, stalling for more money and trying to protect their 0s. They just fought and had rematches and trilogies, never-ending treats for the fans. Thanks for the memories Hitman, big love and respect to them all. ❤️🙏🏼
Great tribute Hearns and the other 3 kings. We will never see 4 rivals like that again fighting in the same era.
My dad was a big Sugar Ray Leonard fan when I was a kid but also talked up Tommy, Duran, & Hagler who were all great champs! Definitely a great time for boxing if not the best! Thank you for this for taking us back! 🤙🏾🥊
Agree with that
Tommy Hearns is an absolute legend. Great video on the Hitman. 👊
agreed.
Too bad he lost to Tyson
He was and still is my favorite boxer.
El mío, también.
The 80s was like a garden of roses in full bloom...sport, music, blockbuster movies, sitcoms...an unforgettable decade
What memories growing up watch The Hit Man and all of these warriors. Thank you for sharing this.
My favorite boxer ever.
Those jabs that started from below to land on his opponent's face, changing a thousand angles...
Style and power!! For me, no one like him.
There will NEVER BE another like Tommy "The Hitman, The Motor City Cobra" Hearns. Nuff Sed!!! ✨️🥊🥊✨️Best to ever do it with his length, height, size, power, grace, heart
ABSOLUTE LEGEND. My all time favorite fighter.
Big deal
Hitman hearns was the first to win world titles at 5 different weight not 4,one of the true all time greats.
Yeah I actually asked about that before reading this. First one with 4 different weight classes titles was Duran
Duran didn't do that until 89 against Barkley, Hearn did it In 87... So Hearn was definitely the first for both 4 belts and 5 belts.
@@cr4zyj4m1e87 sugar Ray leonard also became a 5weight w, champ not to long after the hitman so he done before Roberto Duran aswell if I'm correct.
@@brimcilroy9002 Yeah, it was a bit of a con job, though. He won two belts from Donny Lalonde fighting at super middleweight, but both that belt and the light heavyweight belt were on the line. So he effectively won a light heavyweight belt without ever fighting at light heavyweight.
We were blessed
The hitman had an ability to hit opponents with punches they didnt seen coming. Not a power puncher, a technician. A legend of boxing in the pinnacle of the sport.
"Not a power puncher?" Dude, his punches sounded like gun shots, and when he landed ... it looked like his opponent had been shot point blank with a 44.
I watched these fights as a kid... man oh man... this was beautifully narrated... 🍻
I met both Marvin and Duran both greats gave me their time and talked about fights ..TRUE greats and humble .
lucky guy .iam jealous.
@@combatshox i was walking past durans house in Panamá it's bit of a tourist atraction and there he was fixing his motor bike .i speak spanish i said hola don Roberto,he did not turn round then i told him i'm from Ireland and that Ive Say all his fights de Jesús ,moore ,cuevas ect ,he turned round , he talked to me for 40 minutos about his trip to Ireland ,i got photos too ...When i met Marvin it was a at a dinner where he would talk and ask questions ,most people in audience where drunk asking questions about Tyson. ,i asked him was it a slip against Roldán ..he answered later on he invited me to his table ..great memories .
@@jota55581 Good moments. Yeah, that knockdown Hagler suffered against Roldan was a joke. He was leaning in and Roldan hit him with a swinging right hand round the back of the head, which caused him to fall over. I couldn't believe the ref started counting. Hagler looked disgusted. Smashed the game Roldan for the rest of the fight.
@@johnniea4684 hey brother hope your well ,thats whats Hagler said ,he said the the shot round back of Hed caused his back leg to slip .
@@jota55581 Yeah, that's right, I remember that now. Good guy Hagler. Always gave off this mean mofo image in the ring but came off differently in real life.
Thanks for this video. It was great to see the real 4 kings of boxing. Not the garbage of today's boxing.
That right hand on Duran is still one of the greatest punches of all time. It was so perfect and so hard that Duran’s head snapped so fast that you almost couldn’t see it. Devastating
Even in slow motion it was fast as hell
I grew watching all these guys climb to the top. I never had a favorite fighter but the one fighter I ended up always pulling for, inevitably, was Tommy Hearns. Always liked his competitiveness, determination & he never let me down, even in the fights he lost. It was great to pull for him. Never heard anything bad about him & he was not a big talker & a honest competitor. I always pulled for him. Against Sugar Ray, all of them.
This video on Hitman is amazing. Props to you guys putting this together. That right hand was dynamite! The 80's had some of the best boxers in the history of the sport.
Very well done video. THANK YOU!!! Wish Boxing was still the way that these guys fought. They are the dinosaurs of Boxing and the best of the field!!!
Marvin Hagler said that if Tommy didn't have a glass jaw he would have been the best out of all of us. That's a tribute. Great video of the Detroit Hit man.
Crazy thing is that he didn't have a glass jaw, it just wasn't made out of titanium like Sugar Ray's or Haglers.
@@TechieTardvery true 😂
There seemed to be a spot on Tommy. Iran Barkley hit it too. Same reaction as when Hagler hit him.
I wouldn’t say Hearns had a glass jaw. For the most part his chin held up against big punchers. His chin was never really questioned but his problem was that he had a kill or be killed mentality. And would get knocked out cold while walking into a massive punch, or while he was sitting down on his punches trying to knock someone’s block off.
So no, The Hitman didn’t have a granite chin like Sugar or a titanium chin like The Marvelous One. But he definitely can’t be labeled as glass jawed.
In my humble opinion, if I had to rank Duran, Hagler, Hearns, and Leonard, 1 thru 4 as the most complete fighter of their era. I would have to say;
#1 Leonard
#2 Hagler
#3 Hearns
#4 Duran
Leonard was physically smaller, and probably wasn’t as strong as Hearns and Hagler. But his speed, skills, IQ, grit, heart, determination, and his in-fight ability to adapt his fighting style to negate what his opponent was doing well, more than made up for the attributes Hearns and Hagler had over Leonard.
Sugar wasn’t the biggest puncher but he most certainly could bang hard enough that his opponents didn’t want to trade with him. He wasn’t the tallest fighter but he still knew how to use his jab to box your head off.
Tommy was an incredible fighter, he had brilliant boxing skills, that were often overshadowed by his devastating right hand.
Total respect to a legend that has stood the test of time.
I salute you.
🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏✊✊✊
The very definition of CAPTIVATING. What an amazing videography of Mr. Thomas "the Hitman" Hearns. This was absolutely a stellar story of a victorious man in multiple arenas. Just breathtaking. The achievements made by one warrior in colliseum after colliseum. Even in the face of an ocassional loss, not only did he get right back up, he never knew how to feel knocked down. This man just kept on standing up.
80s boxers have so much class compared to the punks of today's boxers.
The Fact they got to fighting in the 1st round in those days is priceless. 😊
Best time in boxing ever. I grew up watching these great boxers. Now boxing is barely mentioned by anyone anymore as a big thing.
All sports have been diminished these days. Corruption has officially taken front and center in football baseball basketball boxing even those gritty MMA guys are taking dives. Its over, literally. Maybe time to get into little league sports lol
@@gusgatzonis9607sports as a whole def went downhill and it’s sad. The money ruined it all. Especially with football, baseball and basketball. They literally changed the rules to allow more offense and it truly changes the integrity of the game. It’s sad.
Boxing is still very popular over in England. Having English heavyweight champions helps.
This was gold. The 4 kings remain my favourites to this day 🥊🥊
THOMAS HEARNS= ONE OF THE GOATS!
these were the best years of boxing 80s-90s
I'd say 70s through 90s.
i would agree with you@@siegfriedo
@@ginahardee4891I agree aswell
@@JudahsAwakening same here
Where have these kind of fighters gone.hard as nails.
Very few fighting champions like Hearns these days.
@@HansCast By "few", I assume you mean "zero"
@@h0rk3dInoue?
And so they were.
They got old, and the new gens are too soft.
This kind of documentary is priceless.
Hey yep this one of the best documentaries i've ever seen. Wow, the fights were just so incredibly exiting in that era.
Loved watching 'The Motor City Cobra' as a kid back in the 80s!
His speed & reach looked so Awesome and the stiffness and power in his punches incredible!
The knockout of Roberto Duran was a favourite, absolutely devastating right hand dropped him where he stood!
🥊💥
Thanks for this showreel! 👌🏻
These guys were true warriors,& gave you everything you came to see,& also RESPECTED their Opponents. R.I.P Champ
Hitman Hearns is an all time great
But he lost against Hagler and found his Master in Marvellous.
@@walterkiebart9728 That's only after he went up way beyond his natural weight class and he still put up an excellent performance.
@@walterkiebart9728 sugar rat bear hagler,so ray=goat
He sure was like a Mohamad ali
This was a well put together film..spanning lifetimes of champions...THANK YOU...
The 2nd Hearns/Leonard fight was by the best fight in the history of boxing. Simply amazing.
First was better
No, Douglas-Tyson was the best in history.
@user-sg8kq7ii3y nah, you cant name just one fight..
Loved watching Hearns back in the day. Not only power but precision that man could throw leather with the best of them.
He was very quick and crisp with his punches and extremely accurate! He was a great, great fighter!
I’ll never forget the drama of Hearns vs SRL 1981. It was one of the greatest fights of all time. But for me it was the drama of the SRL loss to Duran in 1980 and his subsequent comeback to avenge the defeat just before the Hearns fight that signalled the start of a golden age in Welter to Middleweight boxing and the fantastic 4 of the 1980s- Hearns, SRL, Duran and Hagler. What a time, I feel so privileged to have enjoyed that for free on U.K. TV throughout the 1980s.
Yup, nuts to think now that these fights were on free TV in the good old UK.
@@johnniea4684 We didn’t know it at the time but we were spoiled rotten even though in the U.K. we only had 3 TV channels for folks to play with. It was the quality of TV that counts though, and I still believe we got better quality TV across many genres in the 70s and 80s than the ‘penny a dozen’ drivel we get now across a 100 channels that charge subscription. Even many of those new channels show golden oldies from that because they can’t make better programs than they did then. Now we we’ve got the crooked ppv merchants scamming folks left right and centre just to watch a domestic tear up at Bethnall Green between 2 local has beens 😂
Yeah
I have now seen all 4 documentaries. My all time boxer any weight class has been Hagler for the last 40+years. Duran is my 2nd fave followed by Larry Holmes( heavyweight). Thanks for bringing back my youth. Many many Fiday and Saturday nights spent watching these guys with my stepdad(RIP). Using his amatuer boxing experience to explain what I was seeing. Learning boxing lessons from the greatest of that era was a true joy. I would also recomend the documentaries on Holmes, Alexis Arguello, Riddick Bowe, and Evander Holyfield. Looking forward to more of the Golden Age of Professional Boxing.
Hearns was truly a class act. You could see his good nature and clean sportsmanship shine through, in even the most brutal and barbaric matches.
Duran, Hearns, Robinson. The glory years told only as you can. Thank you so much for your amazing, gripping videos.
Hagler too. He was the best of the 4.
Hagler was the best
Hey, Great work on this tribute. Tommy was a machine in the ring, a machine with heart.
YESSSSS I suggested this man months ago I’m
Glad you did him he was a amazing fighter
What happened to sugar Ray eye was the same thing happened to Ariel Spencer eye I would never fight again if it was me but these guys are something special to keep boxing 🥊🥊
All love to Tommy Hearns. A great fighter from Detroit, Michigan!
Absolutely great!
Thomas "Hitman" Hearns,... one legend boxer of the 80's never forget...
All you young guns take note , THIS is how we did it back in the day , not many could hang with the greats these days , , and I've been watching since the 60s.
Not much then 😊
Tommy Hearns unparalleled proficiency ranks among the greatest within all classes.
That stare would knock out opponents souls before physically knocking them out
This documentry is by far one of the best, that I have ever seen...The narrator absolutely killed it ..His way of words and his way of documenting the Hitman's boxing career is absolutely genious...The brilliancy of his vocabulary and his flow of timely, well executed description of Hearns play by play actions in and out of the ring just amazed me and kept me attentive throughout the entire segment.. well done narrator...In my opinion...this narrator is the best that I have ever heard...This is the best sports documentary that I have seen...All because of the way this narrator made it...
The KO of Duran is one of the best punches ever thrown, that was disturbingly loud
Imagine how it felt for Duran to get hit by it.
@@Scott-fy7fmJames Schuler and Pepino Cuevas were a couple more that tasted that righthand.
@@icewaterslim7260 thanks I'll check those out
Hearns’ jab is criminally underrated. Probably because that straight right was so vicious.
Puond for pound Hearns’ jab is quite a bit better than Larry Holmes’
absolutly fantastic to see all the greatest fighters. alot of them i never heard before...just a few years too young
never too young.after watching these vids .what do you think of jake paul,tommy furyless,john and tyson furyless.
Holy crap boxing has to be the hardest way to make a living the power from one of those punches would detach my head from my body.
Right!
А ты не подставляй свою тупую голову и всё нормально будет 😂
Legends of the80's💪💯💪💯
This channel has top quality documentaries. Lots of work must go into these. Great to have this account of one of the most exciting fighters in boxing, from one of boxing's truly golden ages.
What a great showcase of a true legendary warrior. I'm amazed by the technique of his body hooks and uppercuts, just perfect and so fast. Truly born to fight. Great content 🤙🏻
Tommy has always been my favorite fighter, watched him train here in Phoenix, he was one of the best fighters of all time.
*One of the greatest ever KO kings of boxing! Respect to this excellent video of this phenom and his skills. Superb video*
Hearns is a spectacular and admirable champion.
Never saw anyone do that to Roberto Duran. What an era of boxing, something l'll never see again-except here!Great video.
Thanks for this great video. Must have been hard reuniting all these old tapes.
I became a pro boxing fan in 1980 when joining the military at 18, in 2010 I never imagined I’d shake hands with Thomas and Roberto Duran whilst they were touring the UK, it was a great day and have a photo of the event.
I will see
Hitman's right cross has the speed of light. Amazing.
lol
Absolutely Amazing. My favorite was the one on Cuevas in that WBA title bout. That was a thing of beauty. It looked a harpoon.
WHACK!!!!
It was great of Sugar Ray Leonard to admit that Tommy Hearns won their second match. Good dude.
This guy is scary, he is a freak of nature.
But a heart of gold. That moment he beat his opponent and showed up to his funeral a week later giving his mother the belt was solid. What a wholesome guy.
But he possessed such great sportsmanship.
@@JohnBoyJoyhearns killed a man in a ring???
@JudahsAwakening No, idiot. The kid died in a motorcycle accident just a week after his loss to Hearns. 19 years old and with a bright future, all taken, just like that.
@@JudahsAwakening no, I'm talking about his opponent that died in the motorcycle accident one week later after he beat him
That reach is ridiculous, shots coming from nowhere, it's not normal. Tommy seems like a pretty cool guy, humble and likeable.
Fighting him must have been so frustrating. Super long reach with super speed...deadly.
@@mikea5205Add to that the power in both hands
I met Tommy Hearns in 2006 at Comerica Park. Really personable guy. I told him that I thought his right against Duran is the hardest I've ever seen someone get hit. He smiles at me and said "I barely remember, but I'm sure I've hit people harder than that!" Coolest interaction I've ever had with a "famous person". It's almost as if he doesn't really think he's famous or something.
Loved watching the Hitman back in the day...
I started watching this with no plan to finish it but i just couldnt stop. Its so well done, the commentary is great!!
That overhand right just put a smile on my face every time I saw him doi t, and other people who try to do it like him! It's so beautiful to see! Hearns was out of this world!!
Your content is absolutely first class. Many thanks for these TV quality videos
And yet he's like the nicest dude