The super welterweight division witnessed one of its finest chapters with Terry Norris at the top. 🇺🇸 A WBC champion whose achievements earned him a place among the standout fighters of his era, his impact continues to be remembered today. Happy Birthday, Terry Norris! 🎂

WBC Super Welterweight Champion Thomas "Hitman" Hearns, sometimes unfairly defined by his memorable defeats; losses to Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Iran "Blade" Barkley, scores one of the defining KO wins of his career, and one of the most memorable Ko's in boxing history, with a 2nd round knockout of Roberto Duran, on June 15, 1984, at Caesar's Palace. Since his defeat to Leonard in 1981 Hearns had rebounded to win six in a row, including a decision over Wilfred Benitez for his second world title. And with Leonard retired, talk of a Hagler-Hearns battle, a clash between arguably the two finest champions in the game, was on the minds of virtually all boxing fans. Without this stunning KO of Duran, the anticipation for Hagler vs Hearns would never have captured the public’s imagination. Duran's showing against Hagler the previous November, which made his match with Hearns viable, also began to put thoughts in the minds of more than a few that the marvelous one was nearing the end of his dominat reign. A huge underdog, the 32-year-old Duran had become the first of Hagler’s challengers to hear the final bell, while giving the marvelous one a surprisingly competitive fight. If Hagler took the win over the savvy veteran and all-time great lightweight, the victory did nothing to enhance his stature. It was that rare instance where the loser of a high-profile match may have come out looking better than the winner. ---------------------------------------------------------- From The Fight City: Once Duran’s big paycheck from the Hagler fight had landed in his bank account, Roberto the party animal re-emerged with a vengeance. In a mood to celebrate after months of training and restraint, Duran hired his own personal orchestra to tour with him around Latin America so he could dance and sing and carouse night after night. The adulation of his fans, made more ardent for his having been lost and now found, went to his head, and all the whiskey and filet mignon to his belly. Reportedly, Duran entered training camp for the Hearns fight most reluctantly, and once there had to focus on losing weight more than anything else. In stark contrast, Hearns had perhaps the most intense and productive camp of his entire career. Indeed, Emanuel Steward ranked it as such years later. “We had the best preparation in the world,” he told author Pete Hamill. That year Steward was involved in helping to prepare the national amateur team for the Olympics and so Hearns found himself working with such elite talents as Mark Breland, Pernell Whitaker and Frank Tate, along with world champions Milton McCrory and Mike McCallum. “It must have been one of the best camps in boxing history,” said Steward. Thus, in retrospect, what transpired on that June night in Las Vegas isn’t so shocking. But at the time, it was, for one simple fact: no one, not even a deadly puncher like “The Hit Man,” knocks out Roberto Duran. It had never been done and no one expected it to happen now. The Panamanian they called “El Cholo” was renowned for his toughness, had never been stopped, and there was little reason to think Hearns might do serious damage to the same chin that Hagler couldn’t dent. But then again, Duran had never faced a boxer with the unique gifts of Thomas Hearns, who knew how to make the most of his lanky frame and the leverage it could provide. Despite having scored just two stoppage wins in six contests since his defeat to Leonard in 1981, Hearns appeared extraordinarily confident in the days leading up to the match, and in fact, at one of the final press conferences, he openly predicted he would knock out the great “Manos de Piedra” in the second round. And so he did, in large part because Hearns and Duran were at diametrically opposed positions on the arcs of their respective careers. Duran, at 33, came into the ring past his peak and something less than highly motivated, while Hearns, just 25, was primed and never sharper. From the opening bell, “The Hitman” took control, backing up the smaller man with aggressive footwork and a hard left jab, making excellent use of his twelve inch reach advantage. Generally a slow starter, Duran looked to take his time and find his rhythm but the taller, stronger, more assertive Hearns never gave him a chance. With a minute left in the opener Hearns struck with two hard rights and chased Duran into the ropes. While the clearly uncomfortable Panamanian smiled and mugged, Hearns stalked and threw heavy punches with abandon, opening a cut over Roberto’s left eye. All in all, it was a disheartening opening round for Roberto and his fans, but it was about to get much worse. Forcing Duran to retreat, Hearns got home a hard right to the head followed by a left to the body, and the combination clearly shook the smiling Panamanian. A jab to the belly landed flush and a second one brought Roberto’s hands down to parry it. Anticipating the opening, Hearns instantly smashed Duran on the jaw with a vicious straight right that floored the former lightweight terror for only the third time in his long career. Duran beat the count but his body language and facial expression betrayed the fact he was in deep trouble. His legs looked to be gone, a fact confirmed when he tumbled to the canvas a second time as Hearns threw a relentless torrent of punches. Duran rose and, saved from further punishment by the bell, provided a comic image as he waved defiantly at Hearns while marching on unsteady pins to the wrong corner. Round two saw the fulfillment of Hearns’ prediction. Give Roberto credit: he bravely stood his ground with his bigger, stronger and more powerful foe, even throwing a few right hands with bad intentions in an attempt to turn things around. But in addition to heart and courage, Duran was known for his defensive skill and against Hearns, this was absent. Instead of protecting his chin and using upper body and head movement, Duran stood straight up, his jaw a target Tommy couldn’t miss. Thirty seconds into the round and the Panamanian legend was being swarmed by “The Hit Man” who, with his greater size and complete lack of respect, looked like a teenage bully sadistically tormenting a kid from grade school. Another right hand buckled Roberto’s legs and pinned him to the ropes and when he tried to force Hearns back, he found himself eating more leather. Dazed and looking to avoid punishment, Duran briefly clinched before backing into perfect punching range. What followed was one of the single most devastating right hand missiles ever thrown by “The Motor City Cobra.” It detonated on the side of Roberto’s jaw, snapping his head like it was a speed bag, and the triple-crown champion, who had never come close to being stopped in his entire career, instantly went limp and collapsed to the canvas. The feared warrior who had defeated Sugar Ray Leonard and battled Marvelous Marvin for fifteen back-and-forth rounds had been rendered helpless by Thomas Hearns in just four minutes, left face down in the resin dust, a sight few had imagined they might ever behold. The shocking victory instantly revitalized Hearns’ faded aura of menace, his past image as “The Hitman,” a deadly knockout artist. It also transformed a prospective Thomas Hearns vs Marvelous Marvin Hagler contest from a major attraction to the fight absolutely everyone wanted to see, and all involved had one man to thank. It was Roberto Duran who made the Hagler vs Hearns match supremely viable and profitable. As his handlers worked to revive him in his corner, and as the scribes on press row composed their obituaries for the legendary career of “Manos de Piedra,” the drums were already beating in earnest for boxing’s next big superfight. And Hearns wasted no time in throwing down the gauntlet. “I challenge Marvin Hagler,” said Tommy at the post-fight press conference. “I can see him in my mind now, shaking like a leaf on a tree.”

Who Wins: Inoue or Rodriguez?

Corporal, and Heavyweight Champion, Joe Louis fights an exhibition bout with his sparring partner George Nicholson (left), on June 14, 1942, at The Polo Grounds in New York. The two fighters did their bit in the all-sports carnival which benefited the Army Emergency Fund and the Navy Relief Society. From the June, 1946 issue of The Ring on Nicholson: Joe Louis chief sparring partner for several years. He garnered reams of copy for his gameness and ability to match the great champion punch for punch in their training sessions. It is estimated that Louis and Nicholson boxed 1000 rounds against each other in training camps and Army exhibitions, yet Louis has floored George but once. George Nicholson went 8-8-1 in his 6-year career (1934-40) with his most notable opponent being one-time Louis challenger Abe Simon. He'd lose two fights to Simon (L6 and TKO by 2).

With the President of the United States @realDonaldTrump in the Oval Office!

59 years ago, Vicente Saldívar defeated Howard Winstone by PTS15 to retain the undisputed featherweight championship. A fantastic fight.

British Boxing Heritage 🇬🇧🏆🇬🇧 Nigel Benn - Hall of Fame 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣ He always came in on smoke 💨 Warrior & had the minerals too 🦾 WARs vs. Barkley, McClellan, Eubank❗️ Used to see him out & about all the time • Involved in London music scene 🎧 • Raving in Ministry of Sound 🪩💊 Proper fucking fighter fam 😄💪🏾 Congrats Nigel 🥂 U deserve it bro 👑 Great day.. we don’t get many HOF 🇬🇧

Born in Panama #OnThisDay in 1951 - the legendary Roberto Duran.

Max Baer floored "The Ambling Alp" Primo Carnera multiple times before becoming the new World Heavyweight Champion with a Round 11 TKO at the Madison Square Garden Bowl in New York #OnThisDay in 1934.

Bam Rodriguez at just 26-years-old has an exceptional resume: 📋 24-0 (17 KO) 🥊 The Ring #4 pound-for-pound 👑 Three-division champion

On National Flag Day & Puerto Rican Pride Parade in N. Y. , I wanted to honor Wilfredo Benitez, a Great W. Champion that I had privilege of training for a fight. 🙏👑❤️💥 🇵🇷 🇺🇸

🚨The MOMENT sugar Ray Leonard showed hisGREATNESS from Being put down to Making sure his opponent was DOWN what a turn of EVENTS‼️😮‍💨

A dapper Joe Frazier arrives at Heathrow Airport for his upcoming fight with Joe Bugner at Earls Court in July 1973. Trainer Yancey Durham in the background.

Bam Rodriguez is now a 3-division world champ after ending Vargas night with one punch in round 6. He’s got so many tools.

Jesse BAM-ba-claart Rodriguez 💥🥊 #BamVargas

Big stacks

Jake LaMotta speaks to reporters after his thrilling 1950 win over Laurent Dauthuille in Detroit 🎤 Sign up and access 100 years of boxing coverage with The Ring Archive FREE ➡️ bit.ly/RingArchive

Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez knocking out Fernando Martinez in Round 10 to unify the WBA, WBC, WBO, and Ring Magazine Super Flyweight Titles Bam's last fight at 115lbs

On the undercard to the Camacho-Rosario WBC Lightweight Championship bout, held on June 13, 1986, undefeated (21-0) and 4th-ranked Mike Tyson TKO's Reggie Gross in the 1st round at Madison Square Garden. Tyson knocked down Gross (18-4-0 coming in) twice and stopped him the first round of a scheduled 10-round fight at Madison Square Garden. Tyson and Gross were in the center of the ring and Gross threw a barrage of power shots, a couple of which landed to Tyson's head. Then, as Gross paused, Tyson connected with a single left hook that put Gross down. Gross struggled up at seven and was quickly put down again by two left hooks. Gross made it to his feet at the count of eight, but referee Johnny LoBianco stopped the fight at 2:36. Gross was unhappy with the stoppage and shoved the referee away from him. Tyson had been forced to go the distance in his two previous bouts, against Mitch Green and James "Quick" Tillis, in his first fight with Don King as the promoter. Gross came in off of an 8-round decision loss to (8-0 at the time) Henry Tillman. His biggest win had been an 8th round TKO of Bert Cooper, in January of 1986, prior to his losses to Tillman and Tyson. Reggie Gross would quickly fade out of contention, losing fights to Frank Bruno and Razor Ruddock by stoppages, and his life would soon spiral downwards as well, as in 1989 he was arrested and, in 1989, pleaded guilty to three murders that occurred in September of 1986 while working as an enforcer for one of Baltimore's most violent drug gangs. Federal prosecutors accused him of serving as a paid assassin for a heroin dealer who waged bloody war to control drug commerce in and around a West Baltimore housing project. He received two consecutive life sentences and went to prison. Under guidelines that existed at the time of his crimes, his sentence is viewed as 60 years by the U.S. Parole Commission. In September of 2019, Gross petitioned the US Court of Appeals as he believed that he was eligible for mandatory release after thirty years, as his crimes occurred before the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 came into effect. The Court found in favor of the Bureau of Prisons, who argued that because he is serving two consecutive life sentences, he would in fact need to serve thirty years on each of his two life sentences before being eligible for mandatory parole. As of 2023 Gross was incarcerated at MCFP Springfield in Missouri with a release date of November 1, 2048.

Marvin Hagler retained the WBC and WBA world middleweight titles #OnThisDay in 1981 when a badly cut Vito Antuofermo retired after four rounds of their bout at Boston Garden.