Thomas Hearns vs. Roberto Durán: Reliving the Knockout of the Decade

On June 15, 1984, outside at Caesars Palace, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Durán met in a junior middleweight clash for Hearns Ring and WBC titles. It was a memorable bout that resulted in a devastating KO win for “The Hitman.” Big Fight Weekend are taking you back to that memorable night in Las Vegas.

Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns Defeats Roberto Duran by Knockout

Thomas Hearns vs. Roberto Duran Recap

Hearns used his height and reach advantage from the beginning of the fight, using his excellent jab. He was controlling the distance with his left jab before landing a beautifully timed left counter, which cut Durán’s eye. The dominance in the opening round was magnified when “The Hitman” landed a big right hand, dropping his opponent with thirty seconds left. Wow, what a start for Hearns. The first-round punishment for Durán was not over, as a vicious barrage of punches and a thudding body shot from the Detroit fighter knocked “El Cholo” once again. A badly hurt Durán had to be guided back – to his corner at the end of the round.

Round two began in the same fashion – with Hearns immediately on the attack, firing off several combinations. A huge right cross brought about the end for the fighter from Panama, leaving him knocked out flat on the canvas, ensuring a successful title defence for “The Hitman.”

What Came Next?

After his memorable win against Durán, Hearns defeated Fred Hutchings by third-round TKO. Following this victory, “The Hitman” suffered only his second career defeat as he took on Marvin Hagler in what was, in some people’s eyes, the greatest three rounds in boxing history.

Hearns finished his career with an incredible record of (61-5-1, 48 KOs). He will be remembered for his memorable fights against Juan Roldán, Iran Barkley x2 and Sugar Ray Leonard x2.