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Hit Man: The Thomas Hearns Story
Thomas Hearns is one of the greatest fighters of all time. From his explosion onto the pro boxing scene with seventeen straight knockouts, he struck fear into opponents and awe into spectators. He featured in some of the most thrilling bouts ever and became the first champion to win six titles at different weights. He will forever be known by his chilling Hit Man. Growing up in the urban wasteland of inner-city Detroit, Hearns learned to defend himself at the notorious Kronk gym. There he came under the tutelage of master trainer Emanuel Steward, who turned him into the deadliest puncher in the game. From his destruction of Pipino Cuevas to his now-legendary fights with fellow greats Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran, Hearns carved out a reputation for skill, courage, and stunning power. His epic 1985 challenge against middleweight champion Marvin Hagler, billed as "The War," has gone down as the most exciting three rounds in boxing history. Defeats only seemed to make Hearns stronger, and he achieved the extraordinary feat of winning titles in every weight category, from welterweight to cruiserweight. Lately he has devoted his energies to his promotions company, Hearns Entertainment, yet he still toys with the idea of winning "one more belt." Hit Man delves inside this complex, charismatic character to present a compelling portrait of a modern sports legend. Brian Hughes is a boxing trainer and the author of numerous boxing biographies. His son, Damian Hughes , is a leadership consultant. Both live in Manchester, England.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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About the author
Brian Hughes
95 books2 followersThere is more than one author with this name in the database. Not all books on this profile necessarily belong to the same person.
Born in Dublin, Brian Hughes studied in NUI Maynooth and Trinity College Dublin
Born in Dublin, Brian Hughes studied in NUI Maynooth and Trinity College Dublin
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 7, 2020
A fantastic insight to the life and career of Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns. It explains his humble beginnings and his iconic meeting with the late, legendary trainer Emanuel Steward.
The author goes into great detail of Hearns’s big and lesser known opponents. A must read for any boxing fan. Highly recommended.
The author goes into great detail of Hearns’s big and lesser known opponents. A must read for any boxing fan. Highly recommended.
October 4, 2018
In terms of pure excitement, Hearns was probably the best of the "Four Kings" group from the 1980s that included Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Out of those four fighters, I have to say that Hearns was probably my favorite even though I can't say that he was the best.
As you'd expect, it tells the story of his upbringing, his connecting with the Kronk gym and soon to be legendary trainer Emmanuel Steward, and focuses heavily on his championship years. Perhaps unfairly, Hearns is mainly remembered today for his loss to Hagler, who surely must have had one of the best chins in the history of the sport. Arguably he was Leonard's toughest opponent with the exception of the first Duran fight. Whether or not you think Leonard beat Hagler, he was never in the kind of predicament in that fight that he found himself in during both Hearns fights. He could not attempt to elude Hearns and hope to win a decision the way he did with Hagler and Duran. Nevertheless, Hearns is known for losing what were arguably his two biggest fights, the war with Hagler as well as the first Leonard fight.
Some may not remember that Hearns parted company with Steward at a critical juncture in his career, and that Steward was not in his corner when Hearns won his last significant title against Virgil Hill in 1991. That is recounted here, although some of the things they said about each other at the time are omitted, such as Steward's statement that you could see a decline in Hearns' performances after his sensational 1st round KO of middleweight contender James Shuler in 1986, which was his comeback fight following the loss to Hagler. That being said, Hearns certainly performed better in the rematch with Leonard than Leonard and trainer Angelo Dundee expected or hoped. After his first retirement, Leonard was criticized for cherry picking his opponents. That worked spectacularly against Hagler who was past his prime and reportedly somewhat ambivalent about continuing his career after 1985. Some thought Hearns was shot by 1989 after some lackluster performances, but Leonard could not obtain the victory.
Hearns was a great fighter who hung on too long, feeling that he never got the credit that he was due for winning titles in multiple divisions. To an extent, it is hard to blame him until the mid 1990s, (by which time he had resumed working with Steward) and while the authors note that writers were calling for Hearns to retire in the mid 80s, I think they may somewhat underplay how poor Hearns looked from the 2nd Iran Barkley fight onward. For example, knowing how great he had been in the past, it is very difficult to watch his 1994 fight with Freddie Delgado, which effectively marked the end of his time as a contender for major titles. (It is difficult to watch his rematch with Barkley as well, where he also spent much of the fight on the ropes, but he had the excuse of having broken his hand in that case.)
In general this is a sober reflection on Hearns' career, and it concludes with lengthy appraisals of his legacy by several boxing writers and historians. One of them notes, I believe correctly, that "the real Hearns legacy lies" in his spectacular knockout of Duran, especially if you are looking to point people to one fight. Some have noted their disappointment that there isn't more about Hearns' personal life in the book. But in fairness Hearns didn't make headlines the way Duran and Leonard did in that regard, at least as I recall it. I haven't read George Kimball's "Four Kings" but this is a good place to start if you want an introduction to Hearns.
As you'd expect, it tells the story of his upbringing, his connecting with the Kronk gym and soon to be legendary trainer Emmanuel Steward, and focuses heavily on his championship years. Perhaps unfairly, Hearns is mainly remembered today for his loss to Hagler, who surely must have had one of the best chins in the history of the sport. Arguably he was Leonard's toughest opponent with the exception of the first Duran fight. Whether or not you think Leonard beat Hagler, he was never in the kind of predicament in that fight that he found himself in during both Hearns fights. He could not attempt to elude Hearns and hope to win a decision the way he did with Hagler and Duran. Nevertheless, Hearns is known for losing what were arguably his two biggest fights, the war with Hagler as well as the first Leonard fight.
Some may not remember that Hearns parted company with Steward at a critical juncture in his career, and that Steward was not in his corner when Hearns won his last significant title against Virgil Hill in 1991. That is recounted here, although some of the things they said about each other at the time are omitted, such as Steward's statement that you could see a decline in Hearns' performances after his sensational 1st round KO of middleweight contender James Shuler in 1986, which was his comeback fight following the loss to Hagler. That being said, Hearns certainly performed better in the rematch with Leonard than Leonard and trainer Angelo Dundee expected or hoped. After his first retirement, Leonard was criticized for cherry picking his opponents. That worked spectacularly against Hagler who was past his prime and reportedly somewhat ambivalent about continuing his career after 1985. Some thought Hearns was shot by 1989 after some lackluster performances, but Leonard could not obtain the victory.
Hearns was a great fighter who hung on too long, feeling that he never got the credit that he was due for winning titles in multiple divisions. To an extent, it is hard to blame him until the mid 1990s, (by which time he had resumed working with Steward) and while the authors note that writers were calling for Hearns to retire in the mid 80s, I think they may somewhat underplay how poor Hearns looked from the 2nd Iran Barkley fight onward. For example, knowing how great he had been in the past, it is very difficult to watch his 1994 fight with Freddie Delgado, which effectively marked the end of his time as a contender for major titles. (It is difficult to watch his rematch with Barkley as well, where he also spent much of the fight on the ropes, but he had the excuse of having broken his hand in that case.)
In general this is a sober reflection on Hearns' career, and it concludes with lengthy appraisals of his legacy by several boxing writers and historians. One of them notes, I believe correctly, that "the real Hearns legacy lies" in his spectacular knockout of Duran, especially if you are looking to point people to one fight. Some have noted their disappointment that there isn't more about Hearns' personal life in the book. But in fairness Hearns didn't make headlines the way Duran and Leonard did in that regard, at least as I recall it. I haven't read George Kimball's "Four Kings" but this is a good place to start if you want an introduction to Hearns.
March 5, 2019
If you are a boxing fan, you gotta read “Hit Man”!
Tommy Hearns is one of the big 4 (Hagler, Duran, and Leonard) in a great era of boxing.
I personally think he was robbed in the 2nd Sugar Ray fight, and his WAR with Hagler needs no words. Read this book, you won’t be disappointed!
Tommy Hearns is one of the big 4 (Hagler, Duran, and Leonard) in a great era of boxing.
I personally think he was robbed in the 2nd Sugar Ray fight, and his WAR with Hagler needs no words. Read this book, you won’t be disappointed!
September 4, 2018
What a great read! This book gives us a good look into the life of the hit man, I highly recommend this to all boxing fans!
November 3, 2018
A sound, well-researched biography of the Hitman. Focuses mainly on his professional career, as you’d expect. I’d like to have seen some more information on his personal life though.
December 14, 2022
the hit man
It’s all there! Always found him to be enigmatic. I’ve always wanted to know the full story of Tommy Hearns,
It’s all there! Always found him to be enigmatic. I’ve always wanted to know the full story of Tommy Hearns,
September 22, 2025
A really good book and biography on Hearns. Very well written.
June 10, 2013
Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review
Thomas (Tommy) Hearns was considered one of the most ferocious punchers during the heyday of great welterweight fighters in the 1980’s. This biography of his life and his career, which focuses more heavily on the “career” portion, is detailed and well researched. Some of his more epic fights are described in rich detail.
One of those which I thoroughly enjoyed, both as a fan of Hearns during his career and as a reader of this book, is the epic 1985 fight with Marvelous Marvin Hagler that was billed as simply “The War.” While it lasted only eight minutes with Hagler knocking out Hearns, it is still remembered as “the most electrifying eight minutes of mayhem ever seen in a ring.” Both men were punching with fearless abandon and no thoughts of defense. Hagler landed the knockout blow despite having his vision seriously impaired by the blood flowing from his cuts. Hearns was impaired by his opponent’s power and will, but it was the fight that defined his legacy, even more than his accomplishment of winning the championship in five different weight classes.
While this was the fight with the most description and best remembered in Hearns’ career, the other major fights, including all of those which resulted in a new championship, are documented well in this book. Hearns’ drive for fighting certain opponents such as Sugar Ray Leonard and Hagler is a constant source of motivation. The relationship between the boxer and his trainer/promoter, which was an on/off/on love affair, is also well written with viewpoints from both men’s point of view.
Overall, this was a very good book and should be read by anyone who enjoyed boxing’s golden years of the 1980’s or is a fan of the boxer.
Did I skim?
No, with one exception. In the chapter describing Hearns’s 1983 bout against Roberto Duran, much of the information the Hughes brothers cited came from Christian Guidance’s biography on Duran, which I had previously read. Therefore, I skimmed that part until the recap of the actual fight started.
Did I learn something new?
A few things I already knew were explained in more detail than I already knew such as Hearns’s falling out with his longtime trainer Emmanuel Steward. This and other aspects of Hearns’s life and career are told in good detail.
One very interesting fact that I did not know is that Hearns wanted to be known as the “Motor City Cobra” instead of “Hit Man”, because he was sensitive about the latter tag when Detroit had the highest murder rate in the United States.
Pace of the book:
Good for the most part. I did feel it dragged at times with the stories of Steward and Kronk gym, and also at times I felt that some of the important bouts in Hearns’s career were skimmed too quickly.
Positives:
The research was well-done for the most part and the reader is in for a treat if he or she was a fan of Tommy Hearns. His psyche and his will to battle in the ring, no matter how badly his hand was hurting, were legendary and this book illustrates that desire. I also appreciated how the book focused more on his boxing career and did not delve too deeply into the other aspects of his life. Many people do like that in biographies, but I always prefer to read more about the career of an athlete and this book did that.
Negatives:
There were some editing errors for both punctuation and grammar in the ebook version. Also, another reviewer at Amazon.com pointed out an error in the date and TV network of a fight early in Hearns’ career. Upon researching this claim, it was noted that the reviewer was correct. This error, along with the editing, was the only major problems with this book. They are not a reason to avoid the book, nor were they grave enough to keep me from enjoying it.
Do I recommend?
Yes, for fans of Tommy Hearns or boxing, especially during the 1980’s.
Book Format Read:
Ebook (Kindle)
Author links:
www.brianhughesbooks.bravehost.com (Brian Hughes)
www.liquidthinker.com (Damian Hughes)
4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review
Thomas (Tommy) Hearns was considered one of the most ferocious punchers during the heyday of great welterweight fighters in the 1980’s. This biography of his life and his career, which focuses more heavily on the “career” portion, is detailed and well researched. Some of his more epic fights are described in rich detail.
One of those which I thoroughly enjoyed, both as a fan of Hearns during his career and as a reader of this book, is the epic 1985 fight with Marvelous Marvin Hagler that was billed as simply “The War.” While it lasted only eight minutes with Hagler knocking out Hearns, it is still remembered as “the most electrifying eight minutes of mayhem ever seen in a ring.” Both men were punching with fearless abandon and no thoughts of defense. Hagler landed the knockout blow despite having his vision seriously impaired by the blood flowing from his cuts. Hearns was impaired by his opponent’s power and will, but it was the fight that defined his legacy, even more than his accomplishment of winning the championship in five different weight classes.
While this was the fight with the most description and best remembered in Hearns’ career, the other major fights, including all of those which resulted in a new championship, are documented well in this book. Hearns’ drive for fighting certain opponents such as Sugar Ray Leonard and Hagler is a constant source of motivation. The relationship between the boxer and his trainer/promoter, which was an on/off/on love affair, is also well written with viewpoints from both men’s point of view.
Overall, this was a very good book and should be read by anyone who enjoyed boxing’s golden years of the 1980’s or is a fan of the boxer.
Did I skim?
No, with one exception. In the chapter describing Hearns’s 1983 bout against Roberto Duran, much of the information the Hughes brothers cited came from Christian Guidance’s biography on Duran, which I had previously read. Therefore, I skimmed that part until the recap of the actual fight started.
Did I learn something new?
A few things I already knew were explained in more detail than I already knew such as Hearns’s falling out with his longtime trainer Emmanuel Steward. This and other aspects of Hearns’s life and career are told in good detail.
One very interesting fact that I did not know is that Hearns wanted to be known as the “Motor City Cobra” instead of “Hit Man”, because he was sensitive about the latter tag when Detroit had the highest murder rate in the United States.
Pace of the book:
Good for the most part. I did feel it dragged at times with the stories of Steward and Kronk gym, and also at times I felt that some of the important bouts in Hearns’s career were skimmed too quickly.
Positives:
The research was well-done for the most part and the reader is in for a treat if he or she was a fan of Tommy Hearns. His psyche and his will to battle in the ring, no matter how badly his hand was hurting, were legendary and this book illustrates that desire. I also appreciated how the book focused more on his boxing career and did not delve too deeply into the other aspects of his life. Many people do like that in biographies, but I always prefer to read more about the career of an athlete and this book did that.
Negatives:
There were some editing errors for both punctuation and grammar in the ebook version. Also, another reviewer at Amazon.com pointed out an error in the date and TV network of a fight early in Hearns’ career. Upon researching this claim, it was noted that the reviewer was correct. This error, along with the editing, was the only major problems with this book. They are not a reason to avoid the book, nor were they grave enough to keep me from enjoying it.
Do I recommend?
Yes, for fans of Tommy Hearns or boxing, especially during the 1980’s.
Book Format Read:
Ebook (Kindle)
Author links:
www.brianhughesbooks.bravehost.com (Brian Hughes)
www.liquidthinker.com (Damian Hughes)
March 1, 2017
A quick and easy read.
This covers Hearns' boxing career and key fights in some detail.
If you are wanting anything for his background or life outside the ring you won't find it here.
For that reason alone I can't give 5 stars.
Still really enjoyable and brings back lots of memories.
This covers Hearns' boxing career and key fights in some detail.
If you are wanting anything for his background or life outside the ring you won't find it here.
For that reason alone I can't give 5 stars.
Still really enjoyable and brings back lots of memories.
May 3, 2015
I wanted to like this book, but unfortunately despite the author's obvious enthusiasm for his subject I was ultimately disappointed. The book is a good enough introduction to Hearns but there's not much here that hasn't been told elsewhere already. Would recommend 'Four Kings' by George Kimball as a better alternative to this.
August 7, 2016
More of a look at his career than a biography. Interesting to read but lacking in detail of the Man and his time outside the ring.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews