Was Hearns Near Unstoppable? (At Welterweight)?

Question

Think about it, AT WELTERWEIGHT, can you really see anyone beating Hearns ever whose name is not Sugar Ray Robinson (whom I still have doubts of him beating Hearns clearly)?

The thing with Hearns is, even if you try to close the distance, it would just be too much of a gap to close and whether Hearns lands a punch on your face or on your glove, you would surely feel it.
Hearns was P4P one of the top hardest punching welterweights ever.

Hearns was truly a physical freak of nature. It is completely astounding to think how a man could weigh 147 pounds and have a near 80 inch reach and height of over 6 feet.

Not saying that his legacy compares to that of other ATGs, but p4p you have to admit that no one could have stopped him at welterweight.

? · Accepted Answer

I disagree. But if you go 7 lbs north to 154 lbs then I would agree that he was near unstoppable.

At welterweight he was an inexperienced 22 year old who clearly had problems making weight, as mentioned he gassed out against Leonard in a fight he was winning, in this fight he weighed in at 145.5 which may not sound significant but with a tall frame like Hearns every lb counts especially considering it was same day weigh ins unlike now where fighters have 24 hours to rehydrate.

By the time he moved up to 154 lbs he was now this 25 year old and what I consider his absolute prime, still absurdly tall for the weight despite moving up yet had an extra 7 lbs he didn't have to cut off, mentally and physically I think this was a big factor. I don't think I would pick anyone at 154 to beat him, not even Ray Rob.

Sean G · Answer

By todays standards, no one beats Hearns at 147. He had skills, the brain of an all time great trainer (Emanuel Stewart), one punch power and freakish reach. In my opinion, he was beating Leonard...if it was a 12 round fight (like today) he would have won. He ran out of gas in the 14th I believe. No one wanted to fight him when everybody fought everybody.

lestermount · Answer

Hearns was great at 147, but he would not beat Robinson who had a bigger punch than Leonard and better skills too.
Back in the day all championship fights were 15 rounds and Hearns has demonstrated he did not have the stamina to go 15 hard rounds.

? · Answer

As Sean said; in a 12 rounder he would likely have beaten Leonard. 
 
Still; if the great Benitez could give Hearns trouble i think several other great welterweights could. 
 
Emile Griffith was a beast at welterweight. He would have roughed Hearns up but i doubt he would have taken a decision. 
 
Jose Napoles is one of the best welterweights ever, only loosing a tko due to a cut. Napoles easily surpasses Hearns & Leonard in title defenses in this division alone. Napoles was a phenomena in his day. I think he could have cut off the ring & exposed Hearns chin early. 
 
Hearns only hope to beat Napoles work rate is to cut him. Napoles only had 3 early stoppages, 2 were from cuts [1 at old age] and his other stoppage loss was against middleweight king Monzon [hearns simply wasn't at his level].  
 
Henry Armstrong; another underrated welterweight. Armstrong fought beasts. I think Armstrong could have stayed shoulder to shoulder with Hearns and have taken a decision on volume punching [only if the ref didn't break them up in the inside]. If the ref breaks them up every time they clinch than Hearns would take a decision. An old Armstrong took the best punches prime Robinson could dish at him in welterweight. Monster punching middleweights could not ko an old Armstrong because of how awkward he fought. As i said; the only problem i would see Armstrong having is the ref.

Was Hearns Near Unstoppable? (At Welterweight)?

4 Answers