Hearns to Go for 5th Title in Bout With Obelmejias

Thomas Hearns, the only fighter ever to have won world titles in four weight divisions, will go for a fifth against Fulgencio Obelmejias, the World Boxing Assn. super-middleweight champion, this fall at Las Vegas.

Hearns, who lost his World Boxing Council middleweight championship to Iran Barkley on a third-round knockout two months ago, will fight Obelmejias in late October or early November.

Michael Nunn of North Hollywood, newly crowned International Boxing Federation middleweight champion, will also be on the card, defending his title against Juan Roldan of Argentina.

The two matches, plus a third to be announced, will be held at either Caesars Palace or the Las Vegas Hilton, according to promoter Bob Arum. They will be shown on pay-per-view TV.

By agreeing to this fight, Hearns might have done outside the ring what he could not accomplish inside it--beat Sugar Ray Leonard to the punch. Leonard announced Wednesday that he has tentatively agreed to fight Donny Lalonde, the WBC light-heavyweight champion, for both that title and the WBC’s new 168-pound super-middleweight championship. A victory would give Leonard five titles, but his fight is not expected to take place until after the Hearns-Obelmejias match.

Hearns has lost only to Leonard, Barkley and Marvin Hagler in 48 bouts. Hearns was to have fought Barkley in a rematch, but eye surgery has put Barkley out of action for at least several months.

Nunn won his title last week on a ninth-round knockout of Frank Tate. Roldan fought at the Hilton last October against Hearns but was stopped in the fourth round. He has since scored three knockout victories in his native country, boosting his record to 66-4-2 with 44 knockouts.