Leonard’s Fight May Be Three Days After Hearns’

Major boxing shows have apparently been scheduled within three days of each other in November at the Las Vegas Hilton and Caesars Palace.

Promoter Bob Arum announced Tuesday he has booked a championship tripleheader at the Hilton for Friday, Nov. 4, featuring Thomas Hearns and Michael Nunn in separate title bouts. Caesars Palace, meanwhile, is expected to announce Thursday that Sugar Ray Leonard and Donny Lalonde will meet for two world titles on Monday, Nov. 7.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that the Nov. 7 date is definite for Leonard-Lalonde, and other Las Vegas boxing sources confirm that date. A New York Leonard-Lalonde news conference is scheduled Thursday.

The Hilton card will feature Hearns challenging World Boxing Assn. super-middleweight champion Fulgencio Obelmejias. Also, International Boxing Federation middleweight champion Michael Nunn will meet Juan Roldan of Argentina.

In the third Hilton title bout, IBF junior-middleweight champion Matthew Hilton will meet Robert Hines.

Hearns will be seeking his fifth world title. Leonard, four days later, would be seeking his fourth and fifth titles, the World Boxing Council’s vacant super-middleweight title and Lalonde’s WBC light-heavyweight championship.

The Hilton marquee is also advertising a WBA-WBC lightweight unification bout for Oct. 29 between Julio Cesar Chavez and Jose Luis Ramirez, but contracts haven’t been signed yet.