Thomas Hearns announced himself as boxing’s newest force on August 2, 1980, blasting out WBA welterweight champion Pipino Cuevas in two rounds before a roaring hometown crowd at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. The emphatic stoppage handed the 21-year-old his first world title and signaled the arrival of a future Hall of Famer.
Promoted as World War II, the bout came less than two months after Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Roberto Durán in Montreal. The welterweight division featured stars such as Leonard, Durán, Wilfred Benítez and Carlos Palomino, yet Cuevas entered as one of its most intimidating champions. His crushing left hook carried him
