Hit Man - Brian Hughes [59]
When the bell signalled an opening to the hostilities, both men flew from their corners like dogs let loose from a leash. They eschewed any “feeling out” period and instead unloaded on each other with a wild abandon rarely seen in a boxing ring before. Hagler, usually the more cautious starter, opened hostilities with a looping southpaw right that Hearns ducked. They threw punches at each other as if they had only been granted a few seconds to do so and the dull thud of leather could be heard as the punches slammed into head and body. The crowd, initially awed into silence by the level of menace and commitment, exploded in a frenzy of undiluted excitement, as each fighter took turns to rock the other.
Emanuel Steward was similarly rocked by the level of intensity. He implored Hearns, “Just box him. Stick and move. Don’t fight with him” but his pleas were in vain. Midway through this opening salvo, Hagler sustained a deep cut on his forehead, just above his right eye which caused blood to flow down his face like a running tap. The injury, which eventually required four stitches, was caused when he smashed into Hearns’s shoulder in his eagerness to attack Hearns. The crowd’s bloodlust was heightened further and their noise made it impossible for both men to hear the bell chiming to signal the end of what The Ring later termed “the greatest round in boxing history.” HBO commentator Barry Tompkins declared, “This may be the most brutal, even round you’ve ever seen in boxing.”
The fight doctor, Donald Romeo, went straight to Hagler’s corner to examine the cut and the bruising which had started to swell beneath his eye. Goody Petronelli assured him that the cut could be dealt with and he returned to his seat. The real drama, however, was taking place opposite him. When Hearns retreated to his stool, he said, “My hand’s gone. It’s broken.” This would not be mentioned by either the fighter or his camp in the aftermath. Instead, Steward attempted to calm him and beseeched him to remember their game plan of frustrating Hagler from long range. Goody Petronelli, meanwhile was imploring his own charge not to change a thing apart from keeping his hands a little higher. “Don’t worry about the cut,” he assured him. “Just keep the pressure up.”
Before the spectators had time to get their breath back, the bell sounded. Hearns was already off his stool and met Hagler two-thirds of the way across the ring. Hagler again threw the first shot, a left cross, before Hearns started moving and spearing his opponent with his long left lead. Rather than quell the level of ferocity, the minute-long break had served to stoke it further and they greeted each other with an immediate exchange of heavy punches. Hagler, bleeding profusely, caught Hearns with a terrific right hand and Hearns replied with an equally venomous left, causing the blood to splash into his own face. Hearns appeared to sense that a stoppage was imminent and upped the tempo further still, catching the champion with a series of vicious punches. One scything left ripped open a second cut under Hagler’s right eye and made his face resemble a grotesque mask.
Hagler knew that his hard-earned crown was beginning to slip. He responded with a primal, untamed fury and made no pretence of finesse or trying to set his man up. Instead he threw a tidal wave of punches at Hearns in a bid to overwhelm him. Hearns refused to yield and fired back to Hagler’s head and body but Hagler just ploughed through and continued to beat away. The ferocity of the encounter threatened to overshadow the sheer range and quality of punches which were delivered by both men. Richard Steele continued to look closely at the injuries which turned Hagler’s face scarlet and ringside commentators began to speculate that they would force him to terminate the