Exclusive Boxing Interview: Ronald Hearns

ByGerald Rice

Crossing the Buffer Zone

This past Friday night at Joseph Donofrio’s “Boxing Under the Stars” at Meadow Brook Music Festival in Rochester Hills, MI saw several good fights, including the victory of light welterweight Lanardo “Pain Server” Tyner, whom SaddoBoxing interviewed a few days earlier, over Marteze Logan.

There were a sprinkling of local celebrities there, including Jackie Kallen, Tommy “Hitman” Hearns and his son Ronald “The Motor City Cobra” Hearns. My wife and I were seated in the media section, enjoying the night’s activities when Ronald Hearns and his wife sat by us, with the mandatory “buffer” seat between.

Several people came and went, talking to Hearns throughout the night. I let several opportunities pass before I eventually scooted over to speak with him.

I’ve been interviewing fighters for about a year now but I still get a little starstruck. His style of dress is much more relaxed than his father’s traditional tailored suit; wearing a baseball cap, long yellow shirt past his waist, baggy blue jeans and square-toed black shoes. His watch was huge and much too expensive-looking for me to be able to determine the maker, but as I slid over and introduced myself, he easily extended the hand accompanying the watch for me to shake. It’s firm and over after a quick pump.

I reintroduced myself, having interviewed him a few months back and asked him about his upcoming bout against Robert Kamya on the Pavlik-Taylor undercard on September 29 in Atlantic City.

“How long were you in camp for this bout?” I asked over his shoulder.

“About a month,” he responded, looking over the crowd at the fighters in the ring.

I felt my wife grimace behind me as super featherweight “Pistol” Pete Cantu smacked Reggie “Two Gun” Nash with another hard shot.

“When do you leave for Atlantic City?” I asked.

“On Wednesday the 26th,” came the reply.

I wrote quickly while he waited patiently for the next question.

“What are your plans for 2008?” I asked the six-foot, three incher, feeling the butterflies melt in my stomach.

“Fight on HBO for a shot at the title,” he said.

Hearns, who has a flawless 15-0 record with 12 KOs, informed SaddoBoxing in January that he can fight at either 154 or 160. “At what weight class?” I asked.

“Junior middle,” Hearns replied.

“Which title would you like to go after?” I asked, thinking of Corey Spinks and his recent loss to Jermain Taylor. Hearns is even taller and more physically imposing than Taylor, with a ripped physique that is very reminiscent of his father’s in Tommy’s heyday.

“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “Whoever I can get first.”

Thinking of Taylor, I ask him about the headline fight. “Pavlik or Taylor?”

“Jermain Taylor,” said Hearns. “It’s gonna be a tough, grueling fight. Pavlik will bring it to him, but it will bring out the best in Jermain.”

I thanked the Motor City Cobra for his time, wishing him luck before we shook hands again and I went back to my wife’s side.

Not long after, Cantu sent Nash hurtling between the ropes where he hung like a tossed-aside marionette. But Two Gun rose before the count and went on to get knocked down two more times before the referee called the bout seconds before the close of the fifth round.

There was a light tap on my arm. I looked over and Ronald Hearns leaned over to me and asked, “Who do you think is going to win?”

“Jermain Taylor,” I responded with a “but of course” tone. “Even though Taylor hasn’t knocked out his last few opponents, you have to look at who he’s been in with. Hopkins and Wright are too good defensively and Spinks is too slick. Taylor is going to be able to open up a lot more with Pavlik because he [Pavlik] is the kind of fighter who will stand there and duke it out.”

Hearns nodded and then the invisible wall between the two couples splits us up again. The butterflies returned, but it felt more like a pat on the back this time.