overhand left to the head drove Hearns back to the ropes and dizzied him. Hearns backed away, smiling so as to suggest the punch had not hurt him. Hagler landed a hard right hook high on Hearns' head. The blow staggered Hearns, who awkwardly stumbled backwards into the ropes, Hagler running after him in hot pursuit. The champion smashed a vicious right hand to Hearns' chin. Hearns went limp and fell forward, as Hagler landed two uppercuts. As Hearns fell face first to the canvas, Sugar Ray Leonard yelled into his microphone "He's gone...he's gone!" Hearns staggered to his feet at the count of nine, but he was unable to continue. Referee Steele stopped the bout as he held Hearns upright. The image of a blood-soaked Hagler being carried around the ring in victory by his handlers and Hearns being carried back to his corner in semi-consciousness remains to this day a graphic testimony of the intensity of "The War." It was widely regarded as the pinnacle of Marvin Hagler's career and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest middleweights of all time. At the time of the stoppage, judges Herb Santos and Harry Gibbs had Hagler ahead 20–18 while judge Dick Young had Hearns ahead 20–18. In the immediate aftermath of the fight, Donald Curry (who was working for British television) was highly critical of the loser. He said "Tommy fought the wrong fight. He should have started cautiously, lose the first couple of rounds. Don't get into a dogfight, but that's what he did. He got into a dogfight with Marvin and he lost." British fight publication Boxing News called it "eight minutes of mayhem", while The Ring called the fight "the most electrifying eight minutes ever," and it won fight of the year for 1985, despite lasting only three rounds. Referee: Richard Steele of Las Vegas, Nevada Judges: Herb Santos of Reno, Nevada, Harry Gibbs of Britain, Dick Young of California. References Boxing matches Boxing on HBO 1985 in boxing Boxing in Las Vegas 1985 in sports in Nevada April 1985 sports events in the United States Caesars Palace