There are certain fights that are etched so deeply into your memory that you'll never forget. The incredible amount of passion, pride and fortitude displayed by the individuals involved will stay with you forever.  That's the best way that I can describe Hagler-Hearns. The year was 1985.  The date…April 15th. It was my second year of college. 
 
The build-up to this match was unforgettable.  Hagler was the dominant middleweight champion.  His destruction of contenders like Mustafa Hamsho and Fulgencio Obelmejias showed that he was a force to be reckoned with in the boxing community.  He was a man who sugarcoated nothing.  The animosity that Hagler had for his opponents was matched equally by a furious body attack.  Very few opponents survived to hear the final bell. Caveman Lee, who fought an electrifying seesaw battle with Johnny Locicero, found that fact out all too well when he was dispatched inside of one round. Hagler just needed a superstar opponent to make the word take notice of him.

In June of 1983, The legendary "Hands of Stone" Roberto Duran, who had already achieved success in the lightweight division and greater acclaim by winning a 15-round decision over "Sugar" Ray Leonard to capture the WBC welterweight title only to lose it in the infamous "No Mas" rematch, destroyed Davey Moore in eight brutal rounds to win the WBA jr. middleweight title. Always up for a challenge, Duran wanted the middleweight title as well and on November 10, 1983, he and Hagler would meet.  Hagler would win a 15-round decision and hold on to his title, but the fight did not turn into the brawl that many had anticipated. Shortly after, Duran would move back down in weight to challenge WBC jr. middleweight champion Tommy Hearns. In June of 1984, the boxing world was shocked when Hearns brutally knocked out Duran in the second round. While Duran had lost some decisions and fights in the past, with his rematch with Leonard being the only fight he did not finish because he quit, no one had ever destroyed Duran in the manner that Hearns did. 
 
The stage was set for war.  The hype was huge for its time, comparable to that of Frazier-Ali I back on March 8, 1971.  Opinions were evenly divided about who would win.  Comparisons were drawn to Hagler's tough 15-round decision over Duran compared to Hearns' two round butchering.  Some agreed that Hagler was slipping a bit.  Both fighters promised that there would be no feeling out process.  Hagler hyped the fight by saying, "Hearns says I'm a confused man, well I am a confused man because I don't know if I am going to knock him out in the first round or third round.  Hearns says he's going to knock me out in the third round?  Impossible! Poor Tommy can't count to three."  Hearns fired back, "I just hope your handlers don't put any more grease on your head because it's too shiny as it is.  I'll start by coming out so fast, throwing punches so often, he won't even have time to think about coming at me!"
 
On April 15, 1985 the world stopped for the biggest fight of the time.  I viewed the fight on closed circuit and the incredible wall of sound was something that I had never experienced before. When the bell rang to start the first round, fans cheered in unison.  Both fighters took turns ripping each other apart, throwing more bombs in one round than are often seen in distance fights (especially in today's fights).  Hearns hurt his opponent badly about 30 seconds into the fight with a right hand that buckled Hagler's knees, but Marvin was not to be denied and came back harder, stunning Hearns with his own punches as the live crowd and the millions watching around the world filled the air with a deafening roar.  "Hagler's hurt!  Hearns comes back!  Hagler is cut!  Hagler is cut!"  All both fighters did for those three minutes was exchange vicious power shots.  At the bell, the fans erupted into a screaming and standing ovation.  Al Michaels, who along with Al Bernstein was doing the closed circuit commentary, said, "That was an entire fight accomplished in three minutes!"
 
The second round was much tamer compared to the bombs that were thrown and landed in the 1st session. The legs of Hearns appeared to be unsteady from the damage he took in round one so he opted to box more, which his corner, especially trainer Manny Steward, was pleading for him to do.  "You've got to jab and box him.  Just get a second wind and relax like you've got a new opponent now.  Jab and then move out to one side or the other."  Tommy tried, but his legs were betraying him and Hagler was completely recovered from the first round war.
 
In round three, there was another twist to the drama.  With Hagler in control, a jab from Hearns widened a cut on Hagler's forehead that he had initially received in the first round. Blood came pouring down the champion's face.  Time was called by referee Richard Steele to allow the doctor to examine the wound. There was a moment of concern that this war might be stopped, but the doctor told Steele, There's nothing wrong with his sight, let him go."  And back to war Hagler went!  About 30 seconds later, he landed a solid right hand!  Hearns turned his back to move away with a smile on his face and Hagler landed another crushing right hand! Hearns slumped to the canvas, flat on his back. Amazingly, Hearns got up at the count of 9, but Richard Steele looked into his unresponsive eyes and his limp body and decided that the war was over.
 
What a fight and what a night! While I have seen longer fights of greater intensity, it is difficult to remember a shorter fight where the combatants put so much give-and-take energy into an electrifying round like the first. Off the top of my head, there are perhaps four other fights with rounds like that: round one of Pryor-Arguello I, round nine of Ward-Gatti I,  round five of Lee-Locicero and round ten of Corrales-Castillo I.  But even out of all those fights, few will ever forget that they witnessed something truly special on that wonderful April night. The world saw an unforgettable fight that they will remember forever; for their time and for all time.