It was March 20, 1992, and most boxing people thought there was no way Iran Barkley could repeat his 1988 upset victory over all-time great Thomas Hearns in an anticipated rematch at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Afterall, it was "The Blade" who caught lightning in a bottle in '88 - catching Hearns with a booming right hand after being dominated for 2 1/2 rounds. Some considered it a bit of a lucky punch. This time, even though Barkley was on a roll with a victory over Darrin Van Horn for the IBF super middleweight title, he was again a big underdog.
But Barkley used his superior physical strength to bully Hearns, who seemed to age before our very eyes. "The Hitman" couldn't get enough room to properly utilize his big right hand and, when he did, Barkley's concrete chin held up well.
This time, there was no doubt and no one was calling Barkley lucky, as he won a unanimous 12-round decision.
Other notable fight dates from March:
March 1- Roy Jones W 12 John Ruiz (1993)
March 3- Virgil Hill W 12 David Vedder (1990)
March 5- Sumbu Kalambay W 12 Mike McCallum (1988)
March 6- Pernell Whitaker W 12 Buddy McGirt (1993)
March 7 - Julio Cesar Chavez D 12 Miguel Angel Gonzalez (1998)
March 10- Marvin Hagler KO 11 John Mugabi (1986)
March 13- Michael Carbajal KO 7 Humberto Gonzalez (1993)
March 14- Milton McCrory W 12 Pedro Villela (1984)
March 15- Manny Pacquiao W 12 Juan Manuel Marquez (2008)
March 16- Mike Tyson KO 3 Frank Bruno (1996)
March 17- Julio Cesar Chavez KO 12 Meldrick Taylor (1990)
March 18- Mike Tyson KO 7 Razor Ruddock (1991)
March 19- Erik Morales W 12 Manny Pacquiao (2005)
March 21- Mike Tyson KO 2 Tony Tubbs (1988)
March 25- Michael Nunn KO 1 Sumbu Kalambay (1989)
March 30- Marvin Hagler KO 10 Juan Roldan (1984)
March 31- Mike Weaver KO 15 John Tate (1979)
"The Hitman" couldn't get enough room to properly utilize his big right hand and, when he did, Barkley's concrete chin held up well.
Posted by: Engagement Ring Styles | 07/31/2012 at 02:22 AM