It was the only fight of the calendar year for both "The Hit Man" and "Hands of Stone." The two of them, along with Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler, made the 1980s a golden age for sub-heavyweight boxing.
The referee was Carlos Padilla, who also officiated at Ali-Frazier III, "The Thrilla In Manila."
Hearns, 38-1 going into the fight, was 6-foot-1. Durán, 77-5 and coming off a loss to Hagler, was only 5-foot-7 1/2. Durán was not used to losing at all. Unlike Leonard, who taunted him (as if Durán hadn't done the taunting in their 1st fight), Durán wasn't getting taunted this time: Hearns was all business, and the Detroiter absolutely clobbered the Panamanian, using his big height advantage.
The 1st half of the 1st round was quiet, but then Hearns took control, opened a cut over Durán's left eye, and floored him late in the round. Durán got up at the count of 5, but got knocked down again with 8 seconds left in the round. With 2:01 left in the 2nd round, a vicious right hand practically spun Durán's head, and he fell face-first on the canvas. The fight was immediately stopped.
Durán never sought a rematch with Hearns. That was probably for the best.
There were 4 truly great welterweight and middleweight fighters in the 1980s: Hearns, Durán, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Durán split 2 fights with Leonard, before Leonard won another late in both men's career, and had already lost to Hagler. Leonard won a very tough decision over Hearns, and won a controversial decision over Hagler. Hagler knocked Hearns out in the 3rd round, surviving a furious fusillade, in one of the greatest short fights ever.
Left to right: Durán, Leonard, Hagler.
I found a photo of Leonard, Durán and Hearns together,
but not one of all 4 of them together.
Despite the various controversies between them, the 4 of them became friends after their careers, as boxers tend to do. There usually is a healthy respect between worthy opponents. Hagler died of a heart attack in 2021, at the age of 66. As of November 25, 2022, the other 3 are still alive.
UPDATE: In 2026, Ronald Hearns, also a boxer, places his father Thomas under conservatorship, as he has begun to show signs of boxing-related dementia. Hagler is not suspected of having had it. Nor is Leonard or Durán.
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June 15, 1984 was a Friday. The NBA season had ended 3 days earlier, when the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the title. The NHL season had ended 26 days earlier, when the Edmonton Oilers beat the New York Islanders for the Stanley Cup.
The NFL was out of season, but there were 4 games played in the United States Football League:
* The Philadelphia Stars beat the Washington Federals, 31-8 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia.
* The Jacksonville Bulls beat the New Orleans Breakers, 20-17 in overtime at the Superdome in New Orleans.
* The Arizona Wranglers beat the Chicago Blitz, 36-0 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
* And the Los Angeles Express beat the Oakland Invaders, 24-19 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
And these Major League Baseball games were played:
* The New York Yankees lost to the Baltimore Orioles, 2-1 at Yankee Stadium. Mike Boddicker outpitched Bob Shirley. Roy Smalley hit a home run, but the Yankees only got 3 other hits.
* The New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-0 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Walt Terrell pitched 7 innings, Jesse Orosco 2, to pitch a 4-hit shutout. Keith Hernandez and Hubie Brooks hit home runs.
* The Montreal Expos beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 1-0 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Dan Schatzeder (7 innings) and Bob James combined on a 7-hit shutout.
* The Atlanta Braves beat the Cincinnati Reds, 6-1 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
* The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Boston Red Sox, 4-3 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto. Rance Mulliniks singled Willie Upshaw home with the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning.
* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Chicago Cubs, 5-2 at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Mike Schmidt went 1-for-5 with an RBI.
* The Detroit Tigers beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-2 at Milwaukee County Stadium. Robin Yount went 0-for-4. Paul Molitor did not play.
* The Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals, 3-0 at Royals Stadium (now Kauffman Stadium) in Kansas City. John Butcher pitched a 3-hit shutout. George Brett got 1 of those hits.
* The Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2 at the Astrodome in Houston.
* The San Diego Padres beat the San Francisco Giants, 3-2 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. Graig Nettles hit a home run, and Tony Gwynn went 2-for-4.
* The California Angels beat the Cleveland Indians, 5-2 at Anaheim Stadium (now Angel Stadium of Anaheim). Neither Reggie Jackson nor Rod Carew played.
* The Oakland Athletics beat the Chicago White Sox, 2-1 at the Oakland Coliseum. Rickey Henderson went 0-for-4.
* And the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers, 4-3 at the Kingdome in Seattle. Al Cowens singled Jack Perconte home with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning.
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