 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | January 10, 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | The Paramount, New York City, New York, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | IBF super middleweight title | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Barkley wins via 2nd round TKO | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Darrin Van Horn vs. Iran Barkley , billed as Champions and Olympians was a professional boxing match contested on January 10, 1992, for the IBF super middleweight title. [2]
For the second defense of his IBF super middleweight title, Darrin Van Horn was matched up against former WBC middleweight champion Iran Barkley. The fight was made after executives from HBO's pay-per-view distribution arm TVKO, whom held rights for Van Horn's next title defense, called Bob Arum's matchmaker Bruce Trampler in hopes that Trampler could find an opponent for Van Horn. By happenstance, Barkley was in the Trampler's office at the time that Trampler took the call and after confirming that Barkley, whom had been fighting as a light heavyweight at the time, could make weight, offered TVKO Barkley as an opponent, which they excepted. [3]
The 23-year old Van Horn had already had 50 professional fights, sporting an impressive 48–2 record, and had become a world champion in two divisions, while the 31-year old Barkley was thought to be past his best after losing 3 consecutive middleweight title fights from 1989 to 1990 before taking a one-year hiatus and then beating two unheralded opponents in unspectacular fashion upon his return in August 1991. As such Van Horn was installed as 2–1 favorite over Barkley by oddsmakers. [4]
The Van Horn–Barkley fight headlined a fight card (billed as "Champions and Olympians") at the newly renovated Paramount Theater (formally the Felt Forum) in Madison Square Garden. The undercard featured a light heavyweight title bout between Olympic gold medalists Frank Tate and Andrew Maynard and highly touted Olympic silver medalist Roy Jones Jr. making his pay-per-view debut against former WBC welterweight champion Jorge Vaca. [5] Originally, the card was also to feature then-WBO light welterweight champion Héctor Camacho facing Carl Griffith in a 10-round non-title bout, however when Camacho no-showed the December press conference announcing the card, promoter Dan Duva and Camacho became involved in a dispute with Duva threatening Camacho with less money with Camacho in turn refusing to fight if Duva made good on his threat. Duva ultimately decided to officially cancel the Camacho fight three weeks before the event. [6]
Seconds into the fight, Barkley landed a big left hook that wobbled Van Horn and proceeded to dominate the champion for the remainder of the fight. In the second round, Barkley countered a Van Horn combination with another left hook that sent Van Horn down. Van Horn was able to answer the referee's 10 count and continued but was met with a furious barrage from Barkley and was quickly sent down to the canvas for a second time. Again, Van Horn answered the count and continued but Barkley continued to attack and sent him down for a third time after landing another left hand. Following the third knockdown, referee Arthur Mercante Jr. stopped the fight and Barkley was named the winner by technical knockout at 1:33 of the round. [7]
Immediately following his victory, Barkley called for a rematch with former rival Thomas Hearns, whom Barkley had previously defeated in 1988. Promoter Bob Arum, however, had been in negotiations with Hearns that would have seen him challenge WBA cruiserweight champion Bobby Czyz, and stated a Barkley–Hearns rematch would only happen should he be unable to make the Czyz–Hearns fight. [8] After negotiations for the Czyz fight broke down, Hearns and Barkley agreed to terms to face one another on March 20, 1992 for Hearns' WBA light heavyweight title. [9]
Van Horn would fight only six more times after his loss to Barkley, winning all six fights against marginal competition before retiring at the age of 25. He would never again fight for a world title, though he twice had title bouts lined up, first against IBF super middleweight champion James Toney on October 29, 1993, but he pulled out of the bout after suffering a shoulder injury and was replaced by Tony Thornton. [10] Then again in 1994, after an almost-two year layoff, Van Horn agreed to challenge Nigel Benn on September 10, but this fight was also called off. [11]
Confirmed bouts: [12]
| Weight Class | Weight | vs. | Method | Round | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Super Middleweight | 168 lbs. | Iran Barkley | def. | Darrin Van Horn (c) | TKO | 2/12 | Note 1 |
| Light Heavyweight | 175 lbs. | Frank Tate | def. | Andrew Maynard (c) | TKO | 11/12 | Note 2 |
| Middleweight | 160 lbs. | Roy Jones Jr. | def. | Jorge Vaca | KO | 1/10 | |
| Middleweight | 160 lbs. | Julio César Green | def. | Aureliano Sosa | KO | 1/6 | |
| Super Featherweight | 130 lbs. | Eddie Hopson | def. | Juan Batista Bisono | TKO | 5/6 |
^Note 1 For IBF super middleweight title
^Note 2 For NABF light heavyweight title
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | Sky Sports |
 United States | HBO |
Thomas Hearns is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra", and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and long arms and shoulders allowed him to move up over fifty pounds (22.7kg) in his career and become the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions: welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight.
Louis Duva was a boxing trainer, manager and boxing promoter who handled nineteen world champions. The Duva family promoted boxing events in over twenty countries on six continents. Duva was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame, the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, and The Meadowlands Sports Hall of Fame.
Michael Lee Moorer is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2008. He won a world championship on four occasions in two weight classes, having held the WBO light heavyweight title from 1988 to 1991; compiling 22 straight KOs in 22 fights and the WBO heavyweight title from 1992 to 1993; the unified WBA, IBF and lineal heavyweight titles in 1994; and regained the IBF heavyweight title again from 1996 to 1997 becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion.
Boxing in the 1980s was filled with important fights, events and personalities that shaped the sport. Boxing in the 1980s was shaped by many different situations, such as the continuous corporate battles between the different world sanctioning organizations, the void left by Muhammad Ali as the sport's ambassador and consequent search for a new boxing hero, the continuous presence of Don King as the sport's most famous promoter, the surge of rival promoters as Bob Arum, Butch Lewis and Murad Muhammad, and major rule changes. In 1986, Mike Tyson emerged as a fresh new face in the heavyweight division, which had seen a decline in champion quality level after Ali's retirement and, later on, after longtime WBC ruler Larry Holmes' prime. In addition, the IBF and WBO began operating.
Virgil Eugene Hill is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2007, and in 2015. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBA light heavyweight title twice, from 1987 to 1997; the IBF and lineal light heavyweight titles from 1996 to 1997; and the WBA cruiserweight title twice, from 2000 to 2002 and 2006 to 2007. As an amateur, Hill won a silver medal in the middleweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics. In 2013, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Iran Barkley is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1999. He held world championships in three weight classes, including the WBC middleweight title from 1988 to 1989, the IBF super middleweight title from 1992 to 1993, and the WBA light heavyweight title in 1992. As an amateur boxer, Barkley won a bronze medal in the middleweight division at the 1982 World Championships.
Uriah Grant is a Jamaican former professional boxer who held the IBF Cruiserweight Title.
Darrin Van Horn is an American former professional boxer. He held the IBF Super Middleweight title from 1991 until 1992, as well as the IBF Junior Middleweight title in 1989.
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns II, billed as The War, was a professional boxing match contested on June 12, 1989, for the WBC super middleweight title. The fight ended in a split draw, meaning both fighters retained their respective titles.
Evander Holyfield vs. James Toney, billed as "The War on October 4", was a professional boxing match contested on October 4, 2003.
Thomas Hearns vs. Iran Barkley II, billed as Bombs Away, was a professional boxing match contested on March 20, 1992, for the WBA light heavyweight title.
Thomas Hearns vs. James Kinchen was a professional boxing match contested on November 4, 1988, for the NABF and the inaugural WBO super middleweight titles.
Thomas Hearns vs. Michael Olajide, billed as The Barrage at Trump Taj, was a professional boxing match contested on April 28, 1990 for the WBO super middleweight title.
Thomas Hearns vs. Juan Roldán was a professional boxing match contested on October 29, 1987, for the vacant WBC middleweight title.
Michael Nunn vs. Iran Barkley, billed as Thunder in the Night, was a professional boxing match contested on August 14, 1989, for the IBF middleweight title.
Iran Barkley vs. James Toney, billed as Two Angry Men, was a professional boxing match contested on February 13, 1993, for the IBF super middleweight title.
Michael Spinks vs. Steffen Tangstad was a professional boxing match contested on September 6, 1986, for the IBF, The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles.
Michael Nunn vs. Sumbu Kalambay, billed as Premier Battle, was a professional boxing match contested on March 25, 1989, for the IBF middleweight title. The fight won The Ring magazine's inaugural knockout of the year award for 1989.
Frank Tate vs. Michael Nunn, billed as Power Struggle, was a professional boxing match contested on July 28, 1988, for the IBF middleweight title.
James Toney vs. Mike McCallum was a professional boxing match contested on December 13, 1991, for the IBF middleweight title.