More Boxing

There was a boxer from Detroit in the late 70's and early 80's named Tommy Hearns. His nickname was "Hitman Hearns," but the forces of political correctness tried to rename him "The Motor City Cobra." It didn't work. He was always "The Hitman." He fought in the lower weights -- that maze of words used to describe weights under "Heavyweight."

Anyway, in 1985 he fought Marvin Hagler in what is considered by many to be one of the greatest fights of all time. And Round 1 is widely considered the best round of boxing ever. It was not boxing at its purest. It was boxing at its most raw. One web author wrote:

The first round is the greatest opening round of a boxing match ever captured on film. It is as startling to watch today as it was twenty years ago. As one writer correctly said, there was more action in the first round alone than in the full twelve rounds of many fights.

Being from Detroit I had an interest in the fight. Hearns lost in the 3rd round, and never quite came back to any real prominence. But that was in the days when many middle-weight boxers of considerable skill were competing against one another -- Roberto Duran, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard ... Tommy Hearns.