Former world champion ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard is considered an icon of boxing and is one of the greatest to ever step in the ring.
Famous for his ‘No Mas’ fight with Roberto Duran, which is a rumor that Leonard later debunked, ‘Sugar’ was in many great wars over the years, making him a fan favorite.
With 25 knockouts out of his 36 wins, Leonard was renowned for his elite finishing ability. From Duran to Wilfred Benitez, even the best were not able to reach the final bell with Leonard.
In what was one of his greatest-ever performances, Leonard was not able to just put on one of the best fights of all time, but one of the most impressive stoppages boxing has seen.
Sugar Ray Leonard had one of boxing’s greatest knockouts
In 1981, the year after he got revenge on Duran, Leonard would take on rival Thomas Hearns for the first time for the WBC World Welterweight title.
Hearns was getting his first title opportunity as the then-22-year-old went into the bout with a perfect 32-0 record. As for Leonard, his record was 30-1 following his loss to Duran.
The pair would meet in Caesar’s Palace’s outdoor arena in September of 1981.
In what was a tetchy and tense fight, Hearns was performing well in the earlier proceedings of the fight.
Both men had success throughout the fight, however, it was the challenger who was ahead on the scorecards as the fight entered the 13th round.
A right hand would sting the challenger when Leonard landed a huge shot. In survival mode, Hearns would cover up and try to weather the storm, however, would be sent crashing through the ropes with over a minute to go.
The referee did not count the fall as a knockdown. However, Hearns was clearly still hurt as he returned to his feet.
Leonard poured the pressure on. Hearns was also able to land a couple of significant punches as the two started to brawl it out.
Hearns was knocked down at the end of the round before the bell rang to conclude the standing count.
Despite surviving the 13th, the 14th round would be the latest of the fight. Leonard began to celebrate as he landed a swooping right hand on Hearns, who stumbled away from the shot.
Relentlessly, Leonard poured on the pressure, landing huge shot after huge shot before the referee waved off the fight. Down on the scorecards, the incredible finish saved Leonard from suffering the second defeat of his career.
The brawl was awarded Ring Magazine’s ‘Fight of the Year’ award for 1981.
Sugar Ray Leonard would rematch Thomas Hearns in 1989
Eight years after their first meeting, Leonard and Hearns would meet once again.
Fighting for the second time in the same venue, their sequel bout had a less conclusive ending.
Despite going down in the 3rd and 11th rounds, Leonard would walk away from the bout with his WBO and WBC World Super Middleweight titles. However, he did not win the bout.
The rematch would end in a split draw, as each fighter was given the nod by one judge before the third scored it even.
Although their sequel ended without a winner, Leonard and Hearns would not have a third bout as ‘Sugar’ retired two years later. However, Leonard and Hearns almost fought on Mike Tyson’s podcast when they were reunited.