Sugar Ray LEONARD vsThomas HEARNS 14th Round
Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns are considered to be two of the best boxers of all-time. They fought twice, with Leonard winning in 1981 and a draw in 1989. Both fights are considered to be classics.
In round fourteen, after staggering Hearns with an overhand right, Leonard pinned Hearns against the ropes, where he unleashed another furious combination, prompting referee Davey Pearl to stop the contest and award Sugar Ray Leonard the unified world welterweight championship. Hearns was leading by scores of 124-122, 125-122, and 125-121. At the time, especially in title fights, it was highly unusual to stop a fight unless one fighter was receiving much more punishment than Hearns was, and fighters had been seen to come back from worse again especially after slow motion review of the final flurry by Leonard showed a high per centage of the punches thrown either didn't land or were partially blocked.