Thomas Hearns Wins After Five-Year Layoff
Thomas Hearns scored an eighth-round knockout of John Long on Saturday night in his first fight following a five-year layoff.
Long, a 35-year-old St. Louis native who last fought in June 2004, was game for eight rounds but was unable to answer the bell in the ninth at a half-filled Cobo Arena.
Hearns, a seven-time world champion, was ahead 79-72 on all three judges' cards when the referee ended the cruiserweight fight on the recommendation of Long's corner.
After the decision was announced, the 46-year-old Hearns knelt and prayed in his corner, then said, "This is just a start. I'm planning to fight a long time."
Hearns (60-5-1, 47 KOs) scored a knockdown in the fifth round, using a right jab to set up a left cross that sent Long to his knees. In the sixth, Hearns opened a cut over Long's left eye.
The shorter and beefier Long (19-7-1) charged at Hearns for the majority of the fight and scored some early shots to Hearns' head along the ropes, but he appeared to tire after the fifth-round knockdown.
Hearns, whose white shorts were specked with Long's blood, dominated after that point, bringing the partisan Detroit crowd to its feet with chants of "Tomm-y, Tomm-y."
"I feel like I went eight rounds," Hearns said in his dressing room. "I didn't know how long the fight was going to go. I thought John might try to go 10."
Bloody saddens me all this sort of thing , great boxers coming out of retirement trying to shine again....
His son ( a middle weight ) fought on the same bill.
Should there be an age limit on boxing ? .....I think so before Bugner ( who he ) makes a comeback.
Another boxing freak show ?
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