Hearns, Hoping for a Hagler Rematch, First Has a Date With Shuler--Maybe

James Shuler is the immediate reason Thomas Hearns is barricaded in this remote community of six casinos, separated by miles of desert from his friends and associates. Marvelous Marvin Hagler is the real reason.

“I think about him every day, every hour, every minute,” Hearns says. “This is the one fight I’ve got to have.”

Hearns may have even longer to think about a Hagler fight, however, since a Nov. 14 card featuring Hearns against Shuler and Hagler against John (The Beast) Mugabi has been postponed indefinitely because of an injury to Hagler. However, there is still a possibility Hearns will meet Shuler on that date.

As for Hearns’ feelings toward Hager, it’s not simply a matter of revenge for Hearns, although the third-round knockout by Hagler he suffered last April 15 weighs heavily on his mind. There’s also a very real personality clash between these two fighters.

“We just don’t like each other,” Hearns said. “I know I don’t like him and I know he doesn’t like me. There’s no like between us at all.”

Hearns came to this town bordering the Colorado River to prepare for a fight he must not only win, but win impressively. He remained in training even after the cancellation of the card, hoping promoter Bob Arum would salvage his fight even without Hagler.

Arum had tentatively set a Hagler-Hearns rematch for next April, but that fight is also now up in the air.

Still, Hearns trains, hoping he’ll still fight and look good enough to sell the public on a rematch with Hagler.

“That is my main concern, that I have to beat him and look good doing it,” Hearns said while relaxing in his hotel room. “There is a lot of pressure on me for this fight.”

The entourage that surrounded him every day before his last fight against Hagler is nowhere to be seen. The blaring radios would be out of place in this community of elderly gamblers.

“I felt I could come down here and get down to business,” said Hearns, who runs every morning on an airstrip in adjacent Bullhead City. “You’ve got to get away and get it together where there are no distractions.”

Trainer Emanuel Steward has Hearns boxing less in preparation for this fight and working more on endurance--especially the spindly legs that weren’t able to hold up his added weight in the Hagler fight.