The inaugural installment of our column, in which we’ll analyze the most likely dynamics of many fantasy fights between great champions of boxing from different eras, is dedicated to an imaginary showdown between the immense Floyd Mayweather Jr, capable of retiring undefeated after dominating the world stage for over twenty years, and the legendary “Motor City Cobra” Thomas Hearns, a devastating puncher who reached his peak in the 1980s, sowing panic between the ropes with his long reach and lethal blows. How would it end if it were magically possible to bring them back to the age when they were both boxing
titans and make them fight against each other?
Floyd Mayweather Jr: Sci-fi technique supported by a granite chin
All boxing connoisseurs, including his fiercest detractors, recognize “Pretty Boy Floyd’s” immense technical qualities. Endowed with prodigious defensive skills, Mayweather exasperated even the most determined sluggers by constantly moving with agility and dexterity, evading their punches with millimetric slips. However, not everyone is aware of the crucial role that Mayweather’s ability to absorb punches has played in allowing him to remain undefeated. Over almost twenty-one years of professionalism, although rarely, PBF has taken some extremely violent blows that would have brought down many valid champions, from DeMarcus Corley’s loaded left hand to Shane Mosley’s lethal rights, Zab Judah and Manny Pacquiao’s lightning-fast lefts, to Marcos Maidana’s deadly hooks. On such occasions, Floyd was shaken, but each time he quickly regained composure, landing the victory. On the offensive side, timing, precision, and execution speed allowed Mayweather to accumulate many KOs in the lower weight classes; logically, as he moved up in weight, the American became less lethal, also due to chronic hand problems, but not to the point of allowing his opponents to attack him without due caution.
Thomas Hearns: Come forward if you dare!
In various sports disciplines, including boxing, there’s a saying, “The best defense is offense.” The Cincinnati Cobra, especially in the early part of his career, made this his own, minimizing the risks posed by his opponents thanks to his ability to neutralize them with his long arms and tremendous blows even before they got close enough to hurt him. Agile and elegant in moving with his long, tapered legs, Hearns almost always had a considerable height and reach advantage in the welterweight division, making him look like a giant among children. The physiological weight increase due to the maturation of his physique over the years led him to fight against progressively tougher and more resilient opponents, exposing some of his limitations in defending against those who could force him into close combat. A flaw exacerbated by a not particularly solid chin, which certainly played a role in his four career losses inside the distance. Among Hearns’ positive qualities, it’s worth mentioning his excellent ability to “cut off the ring,” closing off any escape routes for mobile and elusive opponents and forcing them to defend against his formidable combinations after trapping them against the ropes or in a corner.
Mayweather Jr vs Hearns: the fantasy fight!
Weight class: Welterweight. Rounds expected: 12.
Taking into account the technical characteristics, physical structure, and style of the two boxers, it’s easy to hypothesize that Thomas Hearns would immediately take control of the center ring while Mayweather would move around him. On the one hand, Floyd never faced a rival in his career who even remotely resembled the Cobra; on the other hand, Hearns faced opponents equipped, if not with PBF’s style, at least with mobility, elusiveness, and top-notch defense. The two names that immediately come to mind are Sugar Ray Leonard and Wilfred Benitez, two authentic greats who, albeit in different ways, often proved sensational in playing the role of counter-punchers, leaving the initiative to the opponent before punishing them in return. However, neither of them had an easy time keeping Hearns at bay from long range. On the contrary, the Cincinnati puncher dominated both occasions’ early stages, masterfully exploiting his long reach to control the situation and making the ring seem tiny when he decided to advance, closing off every escape route. There are no valid reasons to believe that Mayweather would have fared better than his illustrious predecessors, so it’s highly probable that by the midpoint, he would have found himself trailing on the judges’ scorecards. However, as the minutes passed, Hearns’ power, while still extremely formidable, diminished slightly compared to the early rounds. Therefore, it became less prohibitive to enter his range of action, and it’s plausible that Mayweather, seeing himself at a disadvantage, would have adopted a more courageous conduct than his usual standards. However, if the great Leonard gradually and with great effort managed to reverse the fight’s fortunes and prevail by TKO, it was also thanks to his notorious explosive power that he could unleash with both arms. Benitez, on the other hand, failed to accomplish a similar feat; although he brought the fight back to a balanced state after a difficult start, he proved unable to neutralize the Cobra’s venom. Mayweather, with his class and boxing intelligence, would have won rounds and occasionally surprised Hearns with his first intention shots, but in doing so, given the physical gap, he would have expended too much energy to complete the comeback. Another detail that would have played against the athlete from Grand Rapids: the so-called “shoulder roll,” the famous defensive technique that Mayweather used countless times with great success to deflect punches directed at his face with his shoulder, would have been an invitation for Hearns’ straight rights, who with his 12-centimeter height advantage and his long arms would have had excellent chances of hitting above Mayweather’s shoulder.
Fantasy Prediction: Thomas Hearns would have taken a significant advantage early on, would have undergone a partial comeback from Mayweather in the second half of the fight, but would have finished strongly, even scoring a knockdown. Result: Thomas Hearns winner by Unanimous Decision.