This Saturday night in Riyadh, the new world capital of boxing, a fight takes place that promises to revive the golden era of the ring.
The 1980s, when the Four Kings continued to fight each other (and the best of the rest) instead of protecting their records by beating up the hopeless.
The decade in which Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler relived the glory of the toughest game of the anticlimactic depression that followed Muhammad Ali’s heavyweight era by engaging in nine epic battles against each other to decide who He was the greatest of his time.
The nostalgia reflex is being triggered by the imminent clash between two undefeated Russian titans for the undisputed world light heavyweight title.
These are Artur Beterbiev, who proudly carries a perfect record of 20 knockouts in his 20 fights, and the also undefeated Dmitry Bivol, who brings with him to the Arabian desert the distinction of having recently defeated Mexican legend Canelo Álvarez while making his way in boxing up to 23. victories.
Marvin Hagler (pictured) reigned victorious on boxing’s most brutal night in Las Vegas
Hagler (right) and Thomas Hearns (left) went head to head for the undisputed middleweight title.
Expectations are high, but these two Russians have a lot to live up to compared to the momentous Wars of the Kings, the four most historically significant of which we’re recounting now, in chronological sequence, not in order of merit.
On Wednesday we brought you the night Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Roberto Durán, and Thursday is the fight considered by many to be the most brutal ever seen in a ring…
FIGHT TWO
April 15, 1985 – Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, USA
Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns
Undisputed World Middleweight Championship
It was announced beforehand as The War between two of the most powerful punchers in middleweight history.
It was hailed as one of the greatest fights of all time as soon as it reached its bloody conclusion, and then recognized beyond dispute as The Fight of 1985. Despite its brevity.
Since then, they have been heralded over the decades as the most phenomenal three rounds in the annals of the ring, with the first enshrined in perpetuity as the greatest three minutes of all time.
Hagler’s hand is finally raised after emerging victorious after three brutal rounds of boxing.
Hearns struggles to his feet after being brutally knocked out in the third round by Hagler.
Marvelous Marvin vs Hitman Hearns headlines in Boxing News as Eight Minutes of Chaos
The Marvelous Marvin vs. Hitman Hearns would appear on Boxing News as Eight Minutes of Chaos. If it had lasted much longer, Agatha Christie could have titled it Death in the Desert.
For millions of viewers around the world, here was electrifying proof that in this particular golden age of boxing, none of its Four Kings thought for a second about avoiding the other.
Hagler, who had been avoided by some previous champions for almost five years, would have been mortified if he had done so. Especially given that he had vented all that frustration on the night of September 27, 1980 in London, when he won the middleweight crown by beating our own Alan Minter so badly (over three rounds) that the Wembley Arena crowd erupted into laughter. a scream infamous massive fight, littered with bottles thrown into the ring.
For five years, Hagler swept all comers, including his partner “Rey” Roberto Durán. Then came Hearns, a two-division world champion now moving up from light middleweight to challenge the most feared middleweight of his era. And he continues to knock out almost everyone on the way to his epic night on the Las Vegas Strip.
Hagler saw the threat coming. Although he was notoriously slow to start, he burst out of his corner at the opening bell to land the first of what would be almost too brutal blows to count.
In doing so, he was exposed to a huge right hand from Hearns, which buckled his knees and left him fighting for life. The slug party was on, and it didn’t let up until its dramatic end. Head-to-toe punches in which Hearns broke his right hand and Hagler suffered a horrific cut to his forehead.
Two judges, one of whom was renowned Brit Harry Gibbs, gave the first round to Hagler. The other scored for Hearns. It probably should have been scored the same, but judging undecided was even more frowned upon then than it is today.
Emanuel Steward, Hearns’ master trainer among many champions at his legendary Kronk gym in Detroit, including Lennox Lewis and Vladimir Klitschko, was worried about what might happen after such a fierce first round. To his anger, he discovered that his Hitman had asked for a massage before the fight. Steward feared that this could sap some of his forces.
Each boxer exchanged heavy blows in what is widely considered the best three rounds in boxing.
Hearns falls again as Hagler’s power proves too much inside a roaring Caesars Palace
Thus it appeared with Hearns staggering as he continued to throw punches, while trying to evade another attack from Hagler. Sugar Ray Leonard, commentating for television from the ring, said: “I don’t like the way Tommy moves: with the rubber legs.”
Again, two to one in favor of Hagler. Hearns finished that punishing second round against the ropes under another flurry of right hands and would later admit: ‘My legs were gone. Weak even before the fight.
Still, Hitman came out for the third looking for a knockout, and a right hand deepened the gash in Hagler’s forehead into an open wound. When the flow of blood became a torrent, referee Richard Steele called a doctor to examine the damage and was told: “His eyesight is not bothered.” Let him continue.
Hagler, fearful that he would still be stopped with the cuts, went into full attack mode. A huge left hand surprised Hearns, pinning him against the ropes. Hagler kept him there with a barrage of rights that ended with two monstrous uppercuts that dropped him to the canvas, face-first. Leonard shouted: ‘He’s gone. Missing.’
Hearns lies soaked in his own blood on the canvas in the third round before the fight ends.
It all ends when referee Richard Steele steps in to stop the fight with Hearns beaten and bloodied.
As good as, but not quite. The heroic Hearns somehow lurched to his feet at the count of nine, but Steele, who was holding him upright, had no choice but to mercifully stop. Barely conscious, Hearns was helped to his corner.
Even as Hagler was carried on his shoulders around the ring in tribute to the most wonderful of all his victories, his blood splashed onto everyone around him and some in the ring, then oozed onto his fellow gladiator as he headed to the opposite corner. to check how he was. Hearn’s condition. For both, more memorable wars were to come.