Sugar Ray Leonard has picked Thomas 'Hitman' Hearns as the best fighter he ever faced. The boxing legend made this choice after stepping into the ring with some of the sport's biggest names.
Leonard's career kicked off with a bang when he won Olympic gold in Montreal in 1976. He turned pro the next year and quickly climbed the ranks. In 1979, he got his first world title shot against Wilfred Benitez for the WBC welterweight belt in Las Vegas. Leonard won by stoppage in the final round.
His unbeaten run came to an end when he lost to Roberto Duran by unanimous decision after 15 tough rounds. But Leonard didn't stay down for long. He got his revenge just five months later, beating Duran in a rematch that's still talked about today.
Leonard faced off against some of boxing's biggest stars, including Roberto Duran and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. But when asked about his toughest opponent, Leonard didn't hesitate:
"It was Tommy [Hearns]. I don't think anything matches our first fight."
Leonard and Hearns first met in September 1981 in a fight that boxing fans still rave about. They unified the WBC and WBA welterweight titles, with Leonard stopping Hearns in the 14th round.
Four years later, they went at it again. This time, Leonard's WBC super-middleweight title was on the line. After 12 rounds, the judges couldn't split them, and the fight ended in a draw.
There was talk of a third fight before both men hung up their gloves, but it never happened. Even so, their two battles were enough for Leonard to crown Hearns as the best he ever faced.
Leonard's choice of Hearns shows just how tough and skilled the 'Hitman' was. It's a big compliment coming from a fighter who shared the ring with so many legends.
