In the ninth round, Leonard mounted his attack, and a five-punch combination (along with a little help from a confused referee) gave Sugar Ray his second professional title.
When Leonard and Hearns meet on September 16, Ray will be lighter, and presumably his usual fast self. Foot speed won't be enough, though, and Hearns should dominate the fight.
The most telling factor will be Hearns's reach advantage. Leonard has a 70-inch reach, which is normal for welterweights. Hearns's reach is an incredible 78 inches. Those extra eight inches will give Leonard fits, because he's boxer, not a brawler. It's not his style to bob and weave to get inside--the way Joe Frazier had to against Ali to offset a four-inch reach disadvantage. And even if Leonard did bob and weave. Hearns is an expert at throwing his left jab to keep an opponent at bay.
To win, Leonard will have to get inside and score inside. He has no chance there either, because Hearns is the better inside fighter, as he proved in beating Cuevas for the title.
Leonard's other problem is that he can be hit with a good right hand. He has tagged about a dozen times by Duran's right lead in their Montreal fight, and two of these rights almost put Leonard down. And last Thursday Kalule connected repeatedly with his right jab. Hearns's right hand is a middleweight's right. When it connects it invariably stuns. Leonard can be hurt, and he won't be able to avoid the Hearns right for more than a few rounds.
As Hearns lands his powerful rights, another Leonard flaw will come to the surface. When Sugar Ray fought Duran that first time, it became apparent that not only was Leonard losing, but he was intimidated, even scared. Now Leonard is no Kenny Norton--he won't buckle at the first hard body shot--but he does seem to lose heart when things don't go his way. When he sees that he's having trouble reaching Hearns, and when Thomas starts slamming left hooks to the liver, Sugar Ray will wilt.
It should end around the seventh or eighth round, and I'll be surprised if Leonard takes even a single round up to that point. Sugar Ray is a good fighter, but Hearns is a great one. What will happen after the fight is heard to say. Maybe, as the Globe says, Leonard will challenge Marvin Hagler. Maybe, as the Post claims, Leonard will retire. But Leonard climbing into the ring for a second or third Hearns fight? After what will happen on September 16, I seriously doubt it.