Hearns

[the_swami]

Hearns fought during a time when the top 5 fighters in his weight class were legends.  Are any of todays guys like Cotto are going to be talked about in the same light 20 years from now? You won't even know there names.  Hearns, Hagler, Leonard, and Duran will go down in history of the sport.  Hearns got beat but it was against some of the greatest boxers of all time.  He had an incredible punching power.  There was never such a thing as a boring Hearns fight.  Even when he lost he pounded the other with severe power shots. 

QFT!!

[Sarcastic Deity]

No I was too young.  I really didn't get into boxing till I was the Guest of Honor at the 1987 Boxing Hall of Fame Dinner where Ali, LaMotta, Ortiz and Eder Joffre were inducted in LA.  My old business partner ran the boxing at the Forum in Inglewood so I went there every Tuesday.  My uncle got free tickets to every fight in Vegas.  So I started going with him.  Sat 5th row will all the hotel owners at the Tyson/Bruno fight.  that was fun as heck.  We promoted a fight in Ft. Myers, FL once.  Trevor Berbick fought (1st fight after loss to Tyson), Hector Commacho's cousin fought as did Joe Fraziers kid.  The day before the fight though I ended having to leave to go to San Diego to work on a film called Dangerous Curves with Leslie Nielson so I didn't even get to see the fight.  I did see Larry Holmes fight in Hawaii during his comeback.  That was hilarious.  He got yelled at after the fight and then jumped into the crowd from the ring.  It was funny as hell.

keith...hope you see the thread again this weekend before it dies out...i'd like to know how ali's condition was in 87.  was he still sharp or had he degraded noticeably by then

[onlyme]

keith...hope you see the thread again this weekend before it dies out...i'd like to know how ali's condition was in 87.  was he still sharp or had he degraded noticeably by then

Well at dinner I helped him cut his steak cause I saw he was having a little trouble.  There were several times when people came up to him to ask for his autograph during dinner too.  It got annoying and I actually told them later.  Cause at the end of the night we went up on stage (their were tables) and sat down while the whole room passed by in front and we signed their program books.  My ex was with me and had to stand at the side with Ali's wife and Lamotta daughter.  She was really annoyed at the whole thing.  Up to that point it was the most autographs I had signed at one time ever.

I remember when we got a photo of her getting kissed by Ali in the mail she was surprised cause she didn't remember it happening.  He talked very low and moved slow but not anything like now.  The most awesome part of the whole evening was when he went up to accept his induction.  Jimmy Lennon introduced him and the place went crazy for a good 5 minutes straight.  you couldn't hear yourself yell it was so loud.  Finally he started talking.  And I swear to god if you closed your eyes and just listened to him talk you thought you were in 1965.  He started going off and I remember these words forever (his first words during his speech)  "NONE OF YOU PEOPLE THOUGHT THIS guy WOULD BE ANYTHING DID YOU"!!!!!  The place went crazy again and then he just started talking just like he did way back during press conferences.  It was unreal and absolutely something i will never forget.  He is easily the person I have met that made the most impact on me in regards to being in "awe".  He is just unreal.  And the even neatest part is that he remembered me 3 months later when I saw him in Miami.  And his wife telling me he talked about me.  She said when Ali was playing with me outside it was some of the most fun she had seen him have in a long time.  I have more pics somewhere of this.  He was very solid too.  I mean I was rolling with Ali in tuxedos in a parking lot at midnight.  How cool is that?

[Hedgehog]

keith

howd you get invited to the Boxing hall of fame event?

looks like a great nite

you are dwarfing Mike hercules Weaver- that guy had a helluva KO punch and physique

his fight with Larry holmes was a WAR

Am I the only one who notices the double-chin on onlyme here?

Onlyme, are you sure you were in shape back then?

This weight problem of yours, are you sure it's something that is only related to the spider accident and not to eating disorders or perhaps... thyroid problems?

[johnny1]

Hearns fought during a time when the top 5 fighters in his weight class were legends.  Are any of todays guys like Cotto are going to be talked about in the same light 20 years from now? You won't even know there names.  Hearns, Hagler, Leonard, and Duran will go down in history of the sport.  Hearns got beat but it was against some of the greatest boxers of all time.  He had an incredible punching power.  There was never such a thing as a boring Hearns fight.  Even when he lost he pounded the other with severe power shots. 

Yip thats right oldtimer Hearns had incredible punching power, his right hand in particular was devastating, the right hand he nailed Duran with was one of the most devastating knockouts of the 1980s.

[johnny1]

Well at dinner I helped him cut his steak cause I saw he was having a little trouble.  There were several times when people came up to him to ask for his autograph during dinner too.  It got annoying and I actually told them later.  Cause at the end of the night we went up on stage (their were tables) and sat down while the whole room passed by in front and we signed their program books.  My ex was with me and had to stand at the side with Ali's wife and Lamotta daughter.  She was really annoyed at the whole thing.  Up to that point it was the most autographs I had signed at one time ever.

I remember when we got a photo of her getting kissed by Ali in the mail she was surprised cause she didn't remember it happening.  He talked very low and moved slow but not anything like now.  The most awesome part of the whole evening was when he went up to accept his induction.  Jimmy Lennon introduced him and the place went crazy for a good 5 minutes straight.  you couldn't hear yourself yell it was so loud.  Finally he started talking.  And I swear to god if you closed your eyes and just listened to him talk you thought you were in 1965.  He started going off and I remember these words forever (his first words during his speech)  "NONE OF YOU PEOPLE THOUGHT THIS guy WOULD BE ANYTHING DID YOU"!!!!!  The place went crazy again and then he just started talking just like he did way back during press conferences.  It was unreal and absolutely something i will never forget.  He is easily the person I have met that made the most impact on me in regards to being in "awe".  He is just unreal.  And the even neatest part is that he remembered me 3 months later when I saw him in Miami.  And his wife telling me he talked about me.  She said when Ali was playing with me outside it was some of the most fun she had seen him have in a long time.  I have more pics somewhere of this.  He was very solid too.  I mean I was rolling with Ali in tuxedos in a parking lot at midnight.  How cool is that?

Great story Keith, what a honer to be @ the same dinner table with the Greatest, absolutley AWESOME!

[onlyme]

you were an armwrestler?? well was there any money in that?

Prize money was not all that good.  $1000 for 1st was really good.  I made most of my money from sponsorships.

Am I the only one who notices the double-chin on onlyme here?

Onlyme, are you sure you were in shape back then?

This weight problem of yours, are you sure it's something that is only related to the spider accident and not to eating disorders or perhaps... thyroid problems?

Nice try Hedge.  Like always I feel sorry for people like you.  I'll just enjoy what I have done and you can sit back just dreaming.  Remember thats all you will ever be able to do.

[BDsauce]

Good stuff onlyme.

What other big fights did you attend? Chavez/Taylor??

[K-1]

Without Sugar and Hagler of his generation...how would Hearns fair against this generation of 147-154lbers?   FMW, Cotto, Hatton and Pac are all sub-5'8" guys, and Marg would leave his chin open like Duran for his one shot power.  Paul Willians at 73 ins would be interesting  Of course Hearns did have a glass chin at 160lbs but i dont think the above guys could beat sugar or hag in their prime.

Hearns was nice. Those fights against "the blade" Iran Barkley were brutal.

[Sarcastic Deity]

Well at dinner I helped him cut his steak cause I saw he was having a little trouble.  There were several times when people came up to him to ask for his autograph during dinner too.  It got annoying and I actually told them later.  Cause at the end of the night we went up on stage (their were tables) and sat down while the whole room passed by in front and we signed their program books.  My ex was with me and had to stand at the side with Ali's wife and Lamotta daughter.  She was really annoyed at the whole thing.  Up to that point it was the most autographs I had signed at one time ever.

I remember when we got a photo of her getting kissed by Ali in the mail she was surprised cause she didn't remember it happening.  He talked very low and moved slow but not anything like now.  The most awesome part of the whole evening was when he went up to accept his induction.  Jimmy Lennon introduced him and the place went crazy for a good 5 minutes straight.  you couldn't hear yourself yell it was so loud.  Finally he started talking.  And I swear to god if you closed your eyes and just listened to him talk you thought you were in 1965.  He started going off and I remember these words forever (his first words during his speech)  "NONE OF YOU PEOPLE THOUGHT THIS guy WOULD BE ANYTHING DID YOU"!!!!!  The place went crazy again and then he just started talking just like he did way back during press conferences.  It was unreal and absolutely something i will never forget.  He is easily the person I have met that made the most impact on me in regards to being in "awe".  He is just unreal.  And the even neatest part is that he remembered me 3 months later when I saw him in Miami.  And his wife telling me he talked about me.  She said when Ali was playing with me outside it was some of the most fun she had seen him have in a long time.  I have more pics somewhere of this.  He was very solid too.  I mean I was rolling with Ali in tuxedos in a parking lot at midnight.  How cool is that?

excellent, excellent. 

despite his fried appearance, he's said to be sharp as a tack and one simply needs to know how to understand him.  he would probably remember you to this day and be very happy to see you. 

i wonder how much of ali's current condition is directly attributable to the (((shudder))) '81 fight