Interesting fight. It's a rough ticket for any counter-puncher to go up against Hearns, particularly anywhere between 147-160lbs, where Hearns was in his pomp. You need a good, dependable work-rate, an iron jaw, & plenty of endurance. The 160lb, Toney exhibited these qualities to varying degrees (his simply fantastic beard foremost among them), but is he really going to close the gap consistently enough against a retreating Hearns to win a decision? Will he really force the issue enough for the stoppage? I see the latter scenario as more likely, but thinking about it, this feels like Hearns' fight to win or lose. I'll give it to him on points, relatively convincingly. Something like 8-4 sounds about right.
Interesting fight indeed. Sly's in sterling MM form. I must say I see Toney landing what he needs to to get the job done at some point during the 12. Hearns' chin was better than a few would have you believe but Toney at the lower weights was an exceptionally accurate, damaging puncher and if he could track down & trap Nunn I suspect he could do the same to a 160lb Hearns. I'm not even sure it'd take as long, Im thinking Toney in 7 or 8. Toney-Hagler has always been my favourite Middleweight MM to think about/recreate on fightnight, I think that would be a Holy-Fuck of a fight.
