Reliving History: Thomas ‘The Hitman’ Hearns vs. Randy Shields For WBA Title

On April 25, 1981, Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns defeated Randy Shields, successfully defending his WBA title for the second time. The fight took place at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix. This was another fight – that reminded us just how dominant “The Hitman” was. Big Fight Weekend are taking you back to fight night to relieve another impressive Hearns performance, which saw him extend his 100% record.

Thomas Hearns Defeats Randy Shields

Thomas Hearns vs. Randy Shields Revisited

Hearns was cut in the first round from an accidental headbutt, but aside from that, he was in control throughout, using his reach and heavy hands to keep the North Hollywood native backed up and under pressure. Shields was ranked number five and was known for his strong chin having never been knocked out in his career. 

The accuracy and spite in everything that Hearns threw began to mark up his opponent, who was bleeding from both eyes from the eighth round on, the fight was stopped for 25 seconds in the following round for the ringside doctors to examine Shields and rule he was ok to continue. 

Hearn’s left jab was on point all night, snapping Shield’s head back. “The Hitman” was a master at controlling the tempo of fights, and this bout was no different. The one-sided nature of the contest led the referee to call the contest off, with both fighters awaiting the bell for round 13, with Hearns becoming the first man to stop the durable Shields.

What Came Next?

After defeating Shields, Hearns successfully defended his WBA strap against Pablo Baez by fourth-round TKO. Following this win, Hearns went up against Sugar Ray Leonard and was defeated for the first time in his professional career by 14th-round TKO.

Leonard was behind on all scorecards but hurt Hearns in the 13th round, putting him through the ropes. Leonard continued his attack in the next round, hurting Hearns with an overhand right before unloading a telling combination, forcing referee Davey Pearl to stop the fight.