i remember when so many thought the fight with oscar and felix was going to be like ray and tommy but...no.

people forget what a great great match that fight in 1081 was. right?

Leonard and Hearns both beat Oscar and Trinidad. AND the fight itself pisses on Oscar-Tito.

Oscar ran the last couple of rounds to lose the fight, SRL pressured Tommy in the later rounds and pummeled him the 13th and 14th rounds to get a stoppage win. Leonard-Hearns was a REAL fight, the other one was embarrasing.

If Oscar would have come to fight, it would have been a memorable night. Oscar at worst would have been KO'd but he wouldn't have been killed. But at BEST, he could have KO'd Tito and it would have been the greatest night of his career. Oscar pissed it all away. And its a shame because he did it all out of fear, and nothing else. Fear of getting knocked out is what caused him to lose.

I wasnt alive in 1081 the fight in 1981 was a classic, However regarding the delahoya trinidad fight, that fight alone has brought more hate on De La Hoya than anything else in his career, those last three or four rounds pretty much sealed Oscars fate and he has tried to stand in there and fight ever since but it hasnt helped him one bit those people have made up their minds.

Yep, it's like the curse hangs over Oscar's head, that he is really only as high in the record books of boxing because of the money he brought in...not 'cause he really gave his all for his desire to be a great champion, when argument is drawn that he really did try in ways to redeem himself. And people are gonna always hold that in the back of their minds when thinking of his place in history -- just a bad decision he says his former team made -- a decision that I will most likely always believe somewhat cost him his reputation.

It was a dull fight-was supposed to be a showdown, but these two brought out the worst in each other.

On Countdown, I noticed Taylor & Manny were watching Leonard/Hearns I during training.

Am I the only one who didnt like the fight? Or more specifically, how the fight ended...

SRL fought for no more then 4-5 rounds out of the 13 (i think) it went. He simply hit the jackpot in that he was in with someone who couldnt take a hit. He didnt even have to land solidly or often, Hearns just couldnt take ANYTHING thrown at him. I know Leonard had power but damn, it was pathetic almost... Im disapointed that the fight was decided because someone couldnt take a hit.

Man, come on. Leonard fought the whole fight..he worked his way inside. That takes time and technique. And Hearns got hurt every time he got hit/ You give Hitman a bad rap there, my man. Tommy fought a great fight, just got worn down from presure, fatigue, body shots.

Nah man, thats not how it went down, sorry bro. First of all, the commentary was spot on for this fight, they kept saying Leonard wasnt consistent with anything. Going to the body was a good idea but Leonard wasnt consistent with it at all, he did it for 2-3 rounds maybe, and thats not what broke down Hearns.

Every time Leonard connected, Hearns would get wobbly, watch the fight again, the same shots he get Hearns on, he hit Duran with hella more and he didnt budge a bit. Leonard just hit jackpot when he realized Hearns couldnt take his punch. Hearns was dominating because Leonard wasnt doing anything other then circle and throw an irrelevant jab. Leonard didnt solve Hearns or break him down, or outwork and certainly not outbox or outfox him, he just swung for the fences when he realized Hearns couldnt take it.

Im not trying to give Hearns a bad rep, he already is known for having the best offensive package of his era but no chin. It all started with this fight.

Agreed with Maxy.

I thought Leonard-Hearns I was good but not great. The first 5 rounds not much happened, The 6th round, Leonard hurt Hearns, and the momentum seemed to slightly favor Hearns early, than Leonard in the middle, Hearns slightly ahead in the 12th and Leonard stopping Hearns in the 14th. But I think that for action Duran-Leonard I was a better fight. Leonard-Hearns I is slightly over-rated because of Leonard's involvement in it, and Dundee's "You're blowing it kid, your blowing it son." and somehow because of that, we are supposed to equate this to Corrales-Castillo I? Leonard-Hearns I was certainlly memorable for its changing in momentum and it's great ending, but not for pure adrenaline action. If you say Corrales-Castillo I wasn't a historically big enough fight, I'll give you its closest equivalent that WAS historic, Pryor-Arguello I.

On Trinidad-Delahoya, which is another 50/50 split on who won depending on whom you talk to and the reports you read, blame Delahoya for giving away the last few rounds. (I still thought he took enough of the early rounds for a 116-113 or 7-4-1 win.) But NOBODY blames his training Gil Clancy for giving Delahoya the advice to coast in those last rounds? Why does NOBODY shit on Clancy for Delahoya doing what he did? If Gil had told Oscar to close the show, he might have done so with a big 12th round like against Quartey. (A hard to score fight that I thought Oscar lost by a point.) Clancy is to blame just as much as Oscar for giving a close fight, with a Don King promoted champion and opponent away on the cards.

Jack