Thomas Hearns vs. Iran Barkley

Knockout Nite

Date	June 6, 1988
Venue	Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.
Title(s) on the line	WBC middleweight title
Tale of the tape
Boxer Thomas Hearns Iran Barkley Nickname The Hitman The Blade Hometown Detroit, Michigan, U.S. The Bronx, New York, U.S. Purse $1,500,000 $250,000 Pre-fight record 45–2 (38 KO) 24–4 (15 KO) Age 29 years, 7 months 28 years, 1 month Height 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) Weight 160 lb (73 kg) 160 lb (73 kg) Style Orthodox Orthodox Recognition WBC Middleweight Champion The Ring No. 1 Ranked Middleweight[1] 4-division world champion WBC No. 2 Ranked Middleweight The Ring No. 6 Ranked Middleweight
Result
Barkley wins via 3rd-round KO

Thomas Hearns vs. Iran Barkley, billed as Knockout Nite, was a professional boxing match contested on June 6, 1988, for the WBC middleweight title.[2]

Background

In his previous fight on October 29, 1987, Thomas Hearns had captured the middleweight title after knocking out Juan Roldán becoming the first four-division world champion in boxing history.[3]

Then on March 6, 1988, Iran Barkley beat Michael Olajide by technical knockout, becoming a top contender to WBC middleweight champion Thomas Hearns in the process.[4] Two weeks after Barkley's victory, the fight between Hearns and Barkley became official.[5] Having had only one title fight before his fight with Hearns, Barkley came into the fight as a 4–1 underdog.[6]

The fight

Hearns controlled the first two rounds, landing punches almost at will and winning both rounds on all three scorecards. Midway through the first round, Hearns had opened up a cut above Barkley's left eye, and by the end of the second Barkley had a cut above both his right eye and lower lip. In round three, Barkley got off to a quick start, but Hearns took control and hammered Barkley with body shots throughout the round. However, in the final minute of the round, Hearns threw a left jab and then briefly dropped his hands as he attempted to move to his left when Barkley caught him flush with a powerful right hand and then landed another as Hearns fell to the canvas. Clearly hurt from the exchange, Hearns struggled to get back up and barely answered the referee's 10-count. Hearns was allowed to continue, but was immediately met with a barrage from Barkley which sent him through the ropes. Referee Richard Steele would step in and stop the fight giving Barkley the victory at 2:39 of the round.[7]

Aftermath

The Ring magazine named the fight their Upset of the Year for 1988.[8]

Fight card

Confirmed bouts:[9]

Weight Class	Weight		vs.		Method	Round	Notes
Middleweight	160 lb	Iran Barkley	def.	Thomas Hearns (c)	KO	3/12	^Note 1
Super Lightweight	140 lb	Roger Mayweather (c)	def.	Harold Brazier	SD	12/12
Light Heavyweight	175 lb	Virgil Hill (c)	def.	Ramzi Hassan	UD	12/12
Super Bantamweight	122 lb	Fabrice Benichou	def.	Efren Chavez	UD	8/8
Light Heavyweight	175 lb	Michael Moorer	def.	Keith McMurray	TKO	2/4

^Note 1 For WBC Middleweight title
^Note 2 For WBC Super Lightweight title
^Note 3 For WBA Light Heavyweight title

Broadcasting

Country	Broadcaster
United Kingdom	ITV
United States	Showtime

References

1. "The Ring magazine boxing ratings through June 3 1988". The Spokesman-Review. New York: The Ring Magazine. Associated Press. 4 June 1988. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
2. "Thomas Hearns vs. Iran Barkley (1st meeting)". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
3. Hearns Is First To Take 4 Titles, NY Times article, 1987-10-30, Retrieved on 2020-04-26
4. Olajide Is Stopped By Barkley in Fifth, NY Times article, 1988-03-07, Retrieved on 2020-04-26
5. Thomas Hearns will defend his World Boxing..., LA Times article, 1988-03-23, Retrieved on 2020-04-26
6. Barkley May Need Sister’s Protection When He Fights Hearns, LA Times article, 1988-05-31, Retrieved on 2020-04-26
7. Barkley Stuns Hearns in 3d, NY Times article, 1988-06-07, Retrieved on 2020-04-28
8. FROM THE ARCHIVE: ON THIS DAY: IRAN BARKLEY UPSETS THOMAS HEARNS FOR WBC MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE, The Ring TV, 2019-06-06, Retrieved on 2020-04-28
9. "BoxRec - event".

Preceded by vs. Juan Roldán	Thomas Hearns's bouts 6 June 1988	Succeeded by vs. James Kinchen
Preceded by vs. Michael Olajide	Iran Barkley's bouts 6 June 1988	Succeeded by vs. Roberto Durán
Awards
Preceded by Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard	The Ring Upset of the Year 1989	Succeeded by Donald Curry vs. René Jacquot