Boxing is a professional sport where the athlete is on the big stage every time they walk down the aisle. From the moment the spotlight hits them as they come out of the locker room until they leave the arena, they are surrounded by more lights than can be found on the set of most movies. With the abundance of lights shining from every angle possible onto the fighter, how, oh how then, can there be any shadows?
The shadows of a professional boxer are not noticed on the walls that they spar with. Nor are they located in the arenas that they fight in. The shadows of a professional boxer are cast upon them by the fans and media when they are compared to others in the sport—especially family members pursuing the same, ultimate goal of a world championship.
By no stretch of my imagination can I name all of the shadows that have been scattered throughout boxing’s rich history. I have compiled a list of four examples (with some honorable mentions) that are popular in the sport still to this day.
#4 “Neon Leon” versus “The Jinx”
Leon Spinks, 26-17-3, 14 KO’s, is the older brother of Michael “The Jinx” Spinks and turned to the life of a professional boxer in January of 1977. The twenty- three-year old Leon entered into the premiere division of the sport during the seventies—the heavyweight. Going 6-0-1, 5 KO’s, in his first seven fights, it was the eighth fight of his young career that launched Leon into stardom. In what turned out to be the 1978 Fight of the Year by Ring magazine, Leon became the unified (WBA, WBC) Heavyweight Champion of the World by earning a fifteen round split decision of Muhammad Ali. “Neon Leon” would lose the neon glow shortly afterwards in his first defense as Ali would regain the WBA Heavyweight crown (Spinks had been stripped of the WBC). Leon would vie for two major titles again in his career—the WBC Heavyweight crown (1981) and the WBA Cruiserweight (1986)—losing both by referee stoppage. Leon would fight nine more years inside the ropes with his last four contests being only eight round affairs.
Michael Spinks, 31-1, 21 KO’s, turned professional as a twenty-one year old in April of 1977. It took Michael three years and nine more fights than Leon to challenge for his first world title, but “The Jinx” made good on his opportunity by upending Eddie Mustafa Muhammad by unanimous decision to claim the WBA Light Heavyweight Title in 1981. Unlike his brother, Michael was able to dominate the division that he was co-ruler of. He defended his WBA title five times before unifying with the WBC Light Heavyweight title with a decision win over Dwight Braxton (1983). In 1984, Michael became the sole ruler of the Light Heavyweight division when he added the IBF Light Heavyweight title to his collection.
Defending his claim to supremacy of the division two times, Michael moved up to heavyweight to challenge undefeated IBF Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes—who also held a third round technical knockout over big brother Leon. In the 1985 Upset of the Year by Ring Magazine, “The Jinx” cast a hoax on the “Easton Assassin” and became the new IBF Heavyweight Champion. The hoax continued as Michael won the rematch with Holmes and two additional fights before he stepped away from the ring for a year. In his comeback fight, Michael would challenge undisputed Heavyweight king “Iron” Mike Tyson and took his only loss by way of a first round knockout.
#3 “The Gladiator” versus “The Executioner”
Demetrius Hopkins, 24-0-1, 10 KO’s, is the nephew of Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins and turned professional in 2000. He has established himself as a boxer, but is developing his power. In his first six years as a professional, the undefeated prospect has claimed the vacant USBA Light Welterweight championship.
Bernard Hopkins, 47-4-1, 32 KO’s, turned professional in 1988. In four short years as a professional, Bernard was able to claim the vacant USBA Middleweight title. “The Executioner” has since went on to make history in the middleweight division and the sport of boxing itself. In 1995, Bernard claimed the vacant IBF Middleweight crown. He would defend that belt for six years before he unified the division (2001). In April, Bernard added the WBC Middleweight crown to his IBF version. Still on a mission, September of the same year showed Bernard adding the WBA version with a technical knockout of Felix “Tito” Trinidad.
Bernard would hold and defend those three titles for three years before entering the ring in the biggest fight of his career in 2004. It was not his opponent, Oscar De La Hoya, that made the contest so huge, but the fact that De La Hoya ante’d up the WBO Middleweight crown and the winner would have sole ruler ship of the middleweight division. Bernard would place a perfect left hook to the body of Oscar sending him down and unable to beat the count. Now holding all four crowns of the major sanctioning bodies, Bernard would hold that position for a year before handing his titles over to the middleweight heir Jermain Taylor in back to back losses.
Bernard would further cement his Hall of Fame candidacy by moving up two weight classes and challenging IBO and Ring Magazine Light Heavyweight Champion Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver. Purely dominating Tarver from the onset of the opening bell, Bernard would become the new Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.
#2 “The Motor City Cobra” versus “The Hitman”
Ronald Hearns, 9-0, 7 KO’s, is the son of Thomas “The Hitman” Hearns and turned professional as a boxer in 2004. As a two-year professional, both of his decision wins came via unanimous scorecards in four round contests back in 2004. He is red-hot in the middleweight division and coming off of an impressive outing against Hector Hernandez.
Thomas Hearns, 61-5-1, 48 KO’s, turned professional in 1977 and was also 9-0 in his first nine outings. The championship run of “The Hitman” began in 1980; two years after Ronald was born. His first championship was a fourth round technical knockout to claim the vacant USBA Welterweight Title. Rounding out the year, Thomas would also win the WBA Welterweight Title with a second round technical knockout of Pipino Cuevas. He would defend the title three times before losing in a bid to add the WBC Welterweight title. In the Ring Magazine Fight of the Year for 1981, Sugar Ray Leonard would score a fourteenth round knockout of Hearns.
Thomas would wear gold again in 1982 earning the WBC Light Middleweight title by scoring a majority decision over Wilfred Benitez. During this reign as champion, Hearns would earn a technical knockout of Roberto “Hands of Stone” Duran in round two. In 1984, Thomas would move up to middleweight to challenge longtime kingpin “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler for the undisputed championship of the division. Unable to withstand the pressure of Hagler, “The Hitman” would suffer a third round technical knockout.
In 1986, Thomas would win the WBC Light Middleweight title before claiming the vacant WBC Middleweight title in 1987. In 1988, Hearns was on the losing end of the Upset of the Year by Ring Magazine losing to Iran Barkley. In the same year, Thomas moved up to super middleweight to claim the vacant WBO title for the division. In 1991, Hearns claimed a title in his fifth weight class by capturing the WBA Light Heavyweight championship with a unanimous decision over Virgil “Quicksilver” Hill. In 2000, Thomas stepped away from the ring for five years. In 2005 he returned to the ring in pursuit of his fiftieth knockout win scoring a technical knockout win as well as earning another technical knockout victory in 2006.
#1 “The Sniper” versus “Pacman”
Bobby Pacquiao is the younger brother of Manny “The Destroyer” Pacquiao and turned to professional prize fighting in 1997. It took him seven years as a professional to make his first fight outside of the Philippines. In 2005 Bobby gained some credibility with a seventh round knockout of Carlos Navarro to win the WBC Continental America’s Super Featherweight title and further solidified his claim to legitimacy with a fourth round knockout of former featherweight champion Kevin “Flushing Flash” Kelley in 2006.
Manny Pacquiao, 42-3-2, 33 KO’s, broke into the world of professional boxing in 1995 at the age of seventeen. Fighting mainly in the Philippines for the first few years, Manny broke into boxing’s mainstream in 1998 when he was a late substitute opponent for defending champion Chatchai Sasakul. With an eighth round knockout victory, Manny became the new WBC Flyweight champion. Three years later, Manny had moved up two weight divisions and secured the IBF Super bantamweight Title.
Manny Pacquiao has risen to prominence while engaging in war with three of the Mexican superstars. The first destruction of a legend came in 2003 when Manny took the fight to Marco Antonio Barrera resulting in an eleventh round technical knockout. Following that up, Manny dropped some big straight left hands on Juan Manuel Marquez in the first round earning him a draw against the technically sound Marquez. Manny would not stop there as he would go on to take down another Mexican superstar in Erik Morales by way of a tenth round technical knockout in 2006. Manny continued his one man assault on Mexican warriors with a twelve round unanimous decision over former WBC Super Bantamweight champion Oscar Larios.
Just as the original Pacman video game rose to prominence, you could change the name, the characters, and the boards, but you could never help but think of the original game. Will these fighters be able to break the mold of tradition and rise to fame and prominence on their own? Or will their fighting relatives be mentioned every time the pugilist steps into the ring? Bobby Pacquiao is no Manny, and Ronald Hearns may not be Thomas, but does that change the reality that they can be successful in the same sport? Will their names carry them along through the ranks faster simply because being a good fighter is in their bloodlines? We can only hope as boxing fans, that a fighter will be looked at for their goals, ambitions, and accomplishments rather than that of their kin folk. If Demetrius Hopkins or Ronald Hearns earns a title shot, let us hope that it is based upon their ability inside the ring and not the “weight” that a name can hold in politics of a sport.
Some favorable mentions for this article were:
Wladimir Klitschko, 46-3, 41 KO’s, versus brother Vitali Klitschko, 35-2, 24 KO’s. Muhammad Ali, 56-5, 37 KO’s versus daughter Laila Ali, 22-0, 19 KO’s Timur Ibragimov, 21-1-1, 13 KO’s versus cousin Sultan Ibrigamov, 19-0-1, 16 KO’s Gene Fullmer, 55-6-3, 24 KO’s, versus brother Don Fullmer, 54-20-5, 14 KO’s Frankie Baltazar, 40-3-1, 27 KO’s versus brother Tony Baltazar, 38-7-1, 30 KO’s
