On This Date in Sports September 16, 1981: Sugar Rush
In collaboration with the Sportsecyclopedia.com
Down on the judges' scorecards through 12 rounds, Sugar Ray Leonard is told by manager Angelo Dundee that he was "blowing it" in his fight against Thomas Hearns in Las Vegas. Leonard comes out and stages a furious rally in the 13th round; continuing the momentum he gets Hearns backed into the corner and unleashes a series of punches that force referee Davey Pearl to stop the fight, as Sugar Ray Leonard wins the World Welterweight Championship by TKO.
Sugar Ray Leonard, at the time, was considered the best fighter pound for pound. Leonard was born on May 17, 1956, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Raised in Palmer Park, Maryland, near Washington D.C., he learned to box at a local rec center. Sugar Ray Leonard became a golden gloves champion and won the Gold Medal as a light welterweight at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. After the games, Leonard turned professional and quickly rose up the ranks, winning the welterweight title by beating Wilfred Benitez on November 30, 1979, in Las Vegas. After losing the title to Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard regained the title five months later in a rematch, forcing Duran to cry out "No Mas."
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After his fights with Duran, Leonard moved up in weight class and took the Light Heavyweight title from Ayub Kulube, opening the door for Thomas Hearns. Hearns was born on October 18, 1958, in Grand Junction, Tennesee. He was raised in Detroit, where he learned how to fight, becoming a Golden Gloves Champion. Thomas Hearns turned professional in 1977 and showed the ability to thrill from the start as he won his first 17 fights by knockout. This earned him the nickname "Hitman." The Hitman claimed the Welterweight title in 1980 and sought to unify with the WBC title held by Sugar Ray Leonard.
Promoted as "The Showdown," Thomas Hearns at 32-0 with 30 knockouts proved to be a challenge for Sugar Ray Leonard, who entered the fight 30-1. Leonard tried to avoid the knockout and kept away from Hearns in the early rounds. However, The Hitman had a significant reach advantage and proved to be the aggressor at Cesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Thomas Hearns was unable to knockout Leonard, but he caused significant swelling on his eye as he continued to score a big advantage on the scorecards.
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Angelo Dundee who served as Sugar Ray Leonard's trainer and had been in the corner for most of Muhammad Ali's career knew the scorecards were not in Leonard's favor. Before the start of the 13th round, Dundee was heard saying, "You're Blowing it, son". This would inspire Leonard to come out and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat as he turned the fight by unleashing a furious combination that sent Hearns through the ropes. Later in the round, Leonard put Thomas Hearns on the canvas again, as the fight and suddenly turned. The 14th round saw Sugar Ray Leonard continue his assault as Hearns was pinned in the corner taking shot after shot before Davey Pearl stopped it, awarding Leonard a victory by TKO.
The two would fight again in 1989, with the fight ending in a draw.