Thomas Hearns vs. James Shuler: A Perfect 10 With a Sad Epilogue

Many aficionados and/or historians have been looking for that one flawless fight that translates to The Perfect 10. Some think Hagler-Hearns was it, but that was a war with all of the flaws and mistakes that a war entails. Maybe Joe Louis’s redemptive slaughter of Max Schmeling qualifies. If not, it certainly comes close but there were enough early exchanges to keep it only in contention. The same might be said for Manny Pacquiao’s brutal mistreatment of Ricky Hatton as it was a total devastation.

Some of Mike Tyson’s early newsreel KOs were too one-sided to really be evaluated properly but his destruction of Michael Spinks, coming later in his career, was my Bo Derek until I watched and re-watched Tommy Hearns take out James Shuler on March 10, 1986 at Caesar’s Palace Outdoor Arena in Las Vegas on the undercard of Marvin Hagler’s world middleweight championship defense against John “The Beast” Mugabi.

The Leadup

Hearns (40-2) was coming off “The War” with Marvelous Marvin Hagler in April 1985 and many pundits wondered whether he might have been damaged in that classic. Whatever the case, Tommy’s level of opposition was vastly superior to that of his opponent.

James “Black Gold” Shuler was 22-0 when he stepped into the ring with “The Hitman.” His four fights prior to this one had all gone the distance suggesting that stamina would not be an issue, but in retrospect it would never be tested. One of Shuler’s wins came against the talented and then-undefeated James “The Heat” Kinchen. Earlier in his career, in his best pro win, Shuler won the NABF middleweight title against Sugar Ray Seales (56-7) in what would be Ray’s second-to-last fight. Most of James’s fights were in Atlantic City or in and around Philadelphia, his hometown.

Like Hearns, “Black Gold” was an outstanding amateur boxer. He was the 1979 and 1980 National Golden Gloves light middleweight champion and qualified for the 1980 US. Olympic team in the 156-pound class (the Games were boycotted by President Jimmy Carter). As fate would have it, he (along with teammates Bobby Czyz and Alex Ramos) were not on the plane when 14 elite USA amateur boxers died in an air crash on March 14,1980 en route to a tournament in Poland. James had stayed home due to an injury. Sadly, this luck would later desert him but I’m getting ahead of myself.

The Fight (1986)

Looking to rebound from his loss to Hagler, Hearns came out tightly wound, ready to strike, while Black Gold looked to show that he belonged in the title picture.

Shuler, however, made a tactical error by coming out with a high defense to counter any power shouts upstairs coming  from Hearns. Tommy, with some excellent footwork, evaded everything Shuler threw and then, living up to one of his two nicknames, the “Motor City Cobra,” he met Shuler’s defense with some stiff piston-like jabs that set up some of the most devastating body shots ever seen in a boxing ring–six in all.

When the savage work downstairs had the desired effect and Shuler lowered his arms, Hearns unleashed a perfect right cross that put Black Gold down and out cold for a dangerously long time. It was reminiscent of Hatton’s KO by Pacquiao.  The official time was 1:13 of the opening round and everything Tommy Hearns did in those 73 seconds was flawless.

Tommy’s performance was a Perfect 10.

“I left myself open,” Shuler later told reporters. “I just got caught. There’s no excuse. When he hit me with the first one, I thought, ‘Shoot, I can take it from him.’ And then he hit me again. I guess I was wrong.”

Seven days after the bout, James Shuler died instantly in a motorcycle accident in Philadelphia. Reportedly, he purchased the motorcycle with some of the purse money he had earned a week earlier. He was only 26 years old.

Later, close friend Percy “Buster” Custus opened the James Shuler Memorial Boxing Gym in Philadelphia in Shuler’s honor. “There was a time we were up somewhere in New York,” reminisced Custus, “and James was boxing on the show. James is fighting this guy, hits him and knocks him out of the ring. Then he helped him back in the ring like a gentleman. Everyone thought that was so unique, but it was the kind of guy James was.”

Another report had it that James had gone to Bob Arum the morning after being blown away by Hearns to thank Arum for promoting the fight. Arum said that no fighter had ever done that before. Said Bob, “He was a darn nice kid, darn nice.”

As for Hearns, according to the excellent account by Patrick Connor, he flew to Philadelphia for Shuler’s funeral and offered to place the NABF belt he’d won from him into Shuler’s coffin. Shuler’s family declined the offer. “Hearns, he earned that belt,” said Shuler’s brother Darryl. “That belt belongs to him. I’m sure James would want him to keep that belt and defend it well.”

Ted Sares is one of the oldest active full power lifters and Strongman competitors and recently won the Maine State Champions in his class. He is a member of Ring 10, and Ring 4’s Boxing Hall of Fame.

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