Regional Boxing History (Charlotte): Thomas Hearns vs. Freddie Delgado (1994)

Nineteen years ago the City of Charlotte was host to a Showtime Network boxing event headlined by Thomas “Hitman” Hearns.  On February 19, 1994 Hearns entered the Charlotte Coliseum ring as a cruiserweight, weighing 184 pounds, to face a tough club-fighting journeyman from Puerto Rico named Freddie Delgado who hadn’t fought in over 2 years. By this time Hearns was a six-time world champion in five weight divisions, and in his Charlotte fight against Delgado he was defending the NABF cruiserweight title for the first time after obtaining the vacant belt with a first-round TKO win over Dan Ward a month before in Vegas.

Even before the Ward fight, the boxing media had already appeared besieged with reporters and fans calling for Hearns to retire, not wanting him to further taint his legendary status. He was 35 years old when he fought Delgado and had already endured numerous brutal wars during his career. But Hearns disregarded the outcry, and with his long-time Kronk Gym trainer by his side, Emanuel Steward, the fight in ’94 went on.

On that night, following introductions from ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr., and with boxing promoter Don King standing by, Charlotte Coliseum spectators in attendance and Showtime television viewers around the country saw Hearns connect with a perfectly-timed right hand in the first round that dropped Delgado to the canvas. But Delgado was up quickly and the tables turned in the second with him putting Hearns down once. Throughout the remainder of the bout Hearns was often with his back against the ropes taking a pounding and then coming off the ropes momentarily to fight back in spurts. Not a great performance, but enough to give The Hitman a 12-round unanimous decision win with the three judges, all from Charlotte, scoring the bout for him.

P. Rivera, GAR1680 Boxing Talk
Twitter: @GAR1680

In this 4-minute, 45-second video is shown brief segments of the introductions, the Delgado knockdown in 1st round, Hearns knockdown in 2nd round, and final moments of the fight.