40 years ago

Date: 15th June 1984

Venue: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada

Title: WBC World Super-welterweight Title

Promoter: Shelly Saltman, Walter Alvarez, and Golden Circle Productions

Tv: HBO

Thomas Hearns
( 38 - 1 - 0 )
Weight: 153 1/4 lbs

Roberto Duran
( 77 - 5 - 0 )
Weight: 154 lbs

The Thomas Hearns vs Roberto Duran WBC World Super-welterweight Title fight was one of the most anticipated bouts of the year, and it did not disappoint. The fight took place on June 15th, 1984, at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, and was promoted by Shelly Saltman, Walter Alvarez, and Golden Circle Productions. The referee for the bout was Carlos Padilla.

Going into the fight, Thomas Hearns had a record of 38-1-0, while Roberto Duran's record was 77-5-0. Both fighters weighed in at 153¼ lbs for Hearns and 154 lbs for Duran. Despite Duran's impressive record, Hearns was a 2 to 1 favourite, but the two fighters were both guaranteed $1.85 million for their participation in the bout.

The fight was scheduled to take place in the Bahamas but was moved to Las Vegas due to a shortage of hotel rooms. It was shown on closed-circuit television in over 200 locations and on pay-per-view in up to 2.1 million homes. The crowd at Caesars Palace numbered 14,824, and they were not disappointed by what they saw.

In the first round, Hearns dropped Duran twice with a devastating right to the jaw. At the end of the round, Duran seemed confused, and one of his handlers had to go get him. In the second round, Hearns stepped back and, after nailing Duran with another devastating right, Duran fell face-first to the canvas. The fight was over, and Hearns was still the WBC World Super-welterweight champion.