On November 19, 2005, Floyd Mayweather Jr. fought his first welterweight fight. Four months later, he would win his first championship belt in the division. But in that duration, on February 4, 2006, an era came to an end. One of the greatest boxers in history, Thomas Hearns, finally hung up his gloves.
Mayweather Jr. retired nearly a decade later. But many can’t help but pose an intriguing question. Towards the twilight years of his career, Hearns fought in the cruiserweight and lightweight divisions. However, he commenced his career as a welterweight. So what would have happened if the two greats had collided as 147-pounders? Who would have won? A former champion seems certain of the route this gripping square-off would have taken.
“Floyd Mayweather versus Tommy ‘The Hitman’ Hearns at 147. Who’s gonna take that one?” Now that’s a million-dollar question. But who would risk the answer? Both are boxing greats and living legends. Where one excelled as a defensive genius, the other relished pummeling opponents with a relentless attack. After spending nearly 20 years inside the ring, Mayweather Jr. retired with an unbeaten record.
“It is what it is, y’all. ‘Hitman’ takes that. It is what it is.” He said this during the interview. He shared that he had gone through ‘The Hitman’s career right from his amateur days. Hence, according to Porter, he had never been as skilled as many expected him to be, despite all the boxing he had been doing since a young age.