Detroit boxing scene fighting to make comeback

Detroit boxing is fighting to make a comeback. The fight town has a rich history in the sport, dating back to Joe Louis. Sugar Ray Robinson and Thomas Hearns came along later to pack their own punches to make boxing popular in the Motor City.

March 10, 2023 - 3:25 PM

Gordie Russ II of Detroit is hugged after winning his bout during a Detroit Brawl boxing event, Saturday, March 5, 2022, in Dearborn, Mich. By the time Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns was done throwing his feared right hand in 2006, the city had taken so many blows over the decades that its population was knocked down and out of the country's top 20 towns. These days, the city and the sport are fighting to get up off the mat. But boxing is still here, if at a smaller scale. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

DETROIT (AP) — Inside the MotorCity Casino one recent night, there were roars from the crowd as boxer after boxer was knocked out. A few laughs, too, when a fighter’s vomit stopped one bout and another was delayed because a competitor failed to put on a protective cup.

Watching from a front-row seat was Thomas Hearns, the revered fighter known as “The Hitman.” Now 64, he was hailed by the approximately 2,000 fans when highlights were shown of his career that included titles in five weight classes.

“I like what I’m seeing,” Hearns told The Associated Press between fights on an 11-bout card. “Fighters are getting more action.”

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