34 years ago

Date: 12th June 1989

Venue: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Title: WBC & WBO World Super-middleweight Titles

Promoter: Top Rank

Tv: HBO

Ray Leonard
( 35 - 1 - 0 )
Weight: 160 lbs

Thomas Hearns
( 46 - 3 - 0 )
Weight: 162½ lbs

The long-awaited rematch between Leonard and Hearns took place on June 12th, 1989 at the iconic Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. With the WBC & WBO World Super-Middleweight Titles on the line, both fighters entered the ring with impressive records. Leonard had a record of 35-1-0, while Hearns was 46-3-0. The bout was promoted by Top Rank and refereed by Richard Steele.

The fight lived up to its hype, as both Leonard and Hearns put on a show for the capacity crowd of 15,300 in attendance. Despite Leonard being a 3 to 1-favorite, Hearns came out strong and dominated the early rounds. In the 3rd round, Leonard was knocked down, but he regained his footing and continued to battle. The back-and-forth battle between the two fighters was exciting, and both fighters landed heavy shots throughout the fight.

In the 11th round, Leonard was knocked down again, but he once again showed his resilience and fought back. The 12th and final round was a thrilling conclusion to an unforgettable fight. When the final bell rang, both fighters had given it their all, and the crowd erupted in applause.

After 12 rounds of intense action, the judges declared the fight a split decision draw. The result was met with mixed reactions, but both Leonard and Hearns had earned the respect of boxing fans all over the world. Despite the controversy surrounding the result, there was no denying that both fighters had left everything in the ring.