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head as he pressured Hearns. Then, with about 20 seconds gone, Hearns bounced off the ropes to the right of his corner. Hagler then forced him to the ropes on the other side of his corner. “NOW, TOMMY! NOW!” Steward yelled from the corner. Hearns must have heard him. He pulled the trigger on a volley of blows – right uppercuts, overhand rights and
trained and cornered Hagler – was also known as one of the best cutmen in the sport. He was in the ring before the champion was ready to sit on his corner stool. As he worked on the cut, Goody told Hagler, “It’s not bad, not bad at all. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Keep working him up and down. He can’t withstand this pace.” In the opposite corner, Steward told Hearns: “Sharpshoot him with the jab, then use your one-twos.
ago, I will include them here: ROUND 3: Hagler comes out boxing as a righty, looking like he wants to end it … he can’t find the range and after about :30 switches to southpaw … lunges in a few times with a right hook … Hearns, on steady legs, pops several hard jabs into Hagler’s bloodied face ... Action continues with Hearns moving and Hagler pressing … Hagler looking like he is willing to take a shot in order to land one … Hearns keeps moving and jabbing. “BEAUTIFUL!” shouts Steward. “KEEP DOING THAT!”
left hooks found Hagler’s face and head. The first right cross seemed to shake him up. Hagler took a deep breath, then fired back, mainly aiming at Hearns’ body. The crowd was in a frenzy at the blistering start. Little did anybody know what they were in for. “KEEP THROWING!” Steward yelled. I heard him. Hearns probably did, too, and he responded. A hard right to the head by Hearns backed the champion up – but just for a moment. After missing badly with his southpaw left, Hagler switched to the orthodox stance, but only for a moment. Hagler laid on heavy pressure, but Hearns was fighting successfully on his own terms. Hearns moved left and right, and his faster hands and longer reach were giving him the edge. But for every step Hearns took backward, Hagler took two forward. Any time Hearns found himself with his back to the ropes, he punched his way off of them, but before he
“Nobody has ever hit him the way Tommy is gonna hit him. There’s only one Thomas Hearns right hand! We are coming out fast and making him taste Tommy’s power early.”
Hearns doing nice on the move behind a steady jab. They tie up in a neutral corner with around 1:15 gone. Steele calls “TIME!” He wants the doctor to check Hagler’s cut. The doctor allows the fight to continue.
An inspired Hearns slams two jabs and a right against Hagler’s face. Hagler comes back with a right hook. Hearns steadily moving to his right, aiming for the cut. Hagler pounds Hearns’ body on the ropes. Hearns dances away from the ropes but is dropping his hands to his waist after each punch. A long right to Hearns’ face turns his legs rubbery. He staggers badly. Hagler runs across the ring … Tommy backs to the ropes. A pair of right hands to the head drops Hearns onto his back. He rolls over … gets up groggy at “9” and falls into referee Steele’s arms, who waves it over at 1:52 of the round. O n the plane ride home, with many of the same guys I flew out with, there was no food fight. There was only talk of the greatest middleweight championship fight any of us had ever seen.
You’ve got this!” On the surface, it seemed that way. In reality, though, what none of us in the press section, in the packed stadium or watching on HBO PPV knew, was that Hearns had badly injured – even broken – his right hand in one of those exchanges in the first round. He was determined not to quit. In addition, he was spurred on by the cut on Hagler’s forehead. Round 2 was more of the same action, with both giving and both taking. As they returned to their respective corners, all the concern was on Hagler’s cut. “WORK THAT CUT! FINISH HIM!” yelled Steward. In Round 3, with blood streaming down his face, Hagler knew he needed to force the action. As I found my notes from the third and final round of that night 40 years
could do much more than take a deep breath, Hagler was on his chest again. Suddenly, during one of the exchanges, Hagler stepped away with a deep cut on his forehead, close to his right eyebrow. Blood poured from the wound. As the bell rang, ending the round, both fighters returned quickly to their corners. Goody Petronelli – who, along with his brother Pat, managed,
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