 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | February 4, 1989 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | WBC and The Ring welterweight title | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Starling wins by 9th-round technical knockout | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lloyd Honeyghan vs. Marlon Starling was a professional boxing match contested on February 4, 1989, for the WBC welterweight title. [1]
Honeyghan and Starling, then the WBA and WBC welterweight champions respectively, had previously taken part in a doubleheader event billed as Double Trouble in which both fighters would make a defense of their titles against their respective mandatory challenger. Both Honeyghan and Starling were heavy favorites over their little known challengers, Yung-Kil Jung and Tomás Molinares, and both were expected to win their fights after which they were expected to face one another in a title unification fight. [2] Though Honeyghan would defeat Jung by fifth-round TKO, Starling, however, lost his title to Molinares in controversial fashion as he was knocked out by a punch that Molinares landed after the bell rang. Though originally ruled a knockout victory for Molinares, Larry Hazzard, head of New Jersey State Athletic Control Board, overturned the decision and declared the fight a no contest, however, though he had not officially won the fight, the WBA ruled in favor of Molinares keeping the WBA welterweight title. [3] [4]
Though no longer in possession of the WBA welterweight title, Starling nevertheless continued negotiations with Honeyghan and the a fight between the two was ultimately made official in early January 1989 to take place the following month on February 4th. [5] Starling had turned down a deal prior to the Molinares fight that would've guaranteed him a $800,000 payday to fight Honeyghan in hopes that he would receive a $1,000,000 purse instead, however, because he had lost his title to Molinares, Starling was forced to accept a much lower offer of $250,000 while Honeyghan received $650,000. [6]
Originally, Honeyghan–Starling bout was to be co-headlined with Molinares making his first WBA welterweight title defense against former welterweight champion Mark Breland, who was the WBA's number-one welterweight contender. Molinares pulled out of the fight and vacated the title only days after the event was announced with his manager citing "severe mental depression." [7] Instead, Breland was matched up against Seung Soon Lee, the WBA's number-two ranked welterweight, for the now vacant title.
Starling controlled much of the fight and at times dominated Honeyghan before finally scoring the victory by technical knockout in the ninth round. Then end came shortly after Starling had scored the fight's lone knockdown after backing Honeyghan into the ropes and landing a flurry of punches which sent an exhausted Honeyghan down to his knees. Though Honeyghan got up quickly, Starling once again went on the attack and backed him into a corner. After Starling landed a brief barrage on an exhausted Honeyghan, whose right eye and cheek were now swollen, referee Mills Lane decided to stop the fight at 1:19 of the round. [8]
Two weeks after the fight, Honeyghan's post-fight drug test yielded a positive result for the pain-killing drug lidocaine, which Honeyghan had not cleared with the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Though the commission threatened Honeyghan with a suspension for the infraction, they only issued him a $1,500 fine and Honeyghan returned to the ring that August. [9] [10]
Confirmed bouts: [11]
| Weight Class | Weight | vs. | Method | Round | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welterweight | 147 lbs. | Marlon Starling | def. | Lloyd Honeyghan | TKO | 9/12 | Note 1 |
| Welterweight | 147 lbs. | Mark Breland | def. | Seung Soon Lee | TKO | 1/12 | Note 2 |
| Welterweight | 147 lbs. | Rafael Pineda | def. | Vernon Buchanan | TKO | 4/10 | |
| Middleweight | 160 lbs. | John Mugabi | def. | Francisco Carballo | UD | 2/10 | |
| Welterweight | 147 lbs. | Carl Daniels | def. | Matt Trejo | UD | 4/4 | |
| Super Featherweight | 130 lbs. | Eddie Hopson | def. | Marcos Covarrubias | UD | 4/4 | |
| Middleweight | 160 lbs. | Willie Monroe | def. | Keheven Johnson | TKO | 2/4 |
^Note 1 For WBC Welterweight title
^Note 2 For WBA Welterweight title
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | BBC |
 United States | HBO |
Donald Curry, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1991, and in 1997. He held the WBA world welterweight title from 1983 to 1986, the undisputed world welterweight title from 1985 to 1986 and the WBC light middleweight title from 1988 to 1989, and challenged once for the IBF middleweight title in 1990. In 2019, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Ronald Hatcher Jr., better known as Gene Hatcher, is an American former professional boxer who was world light welterweight champion. His nickname was "Mad Dog."
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.
Lloyd Honeyghan is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1995. He reigned as the undisputed welterweight champion from 1986 to 1987, and held the WBC, The Ring magazine welterweight titles twice between 1986 and 1989. At regional level he held the British, European and Commonwealth welterweight titles between 1983 and 1985, and the Commonwealth super-welterweight title from 1993 to 1994.
Mike McCallum is a Jamaican former professional boxer who competed from 1981 to 1997. He held world championships in three weight classes, including the WBA super welterweight title from 1984 to 1988, the WBA middleweight title from 1989 to 1991, and the WBC light heavyweight title from 1994 to 1995.
Marlon Starling is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 1990. He held the WBA welterweight title from 1987 to 1988 and the WBC welterweight title from 1989 to 1990.
Mark Anthony Breland is an American boxing trainer. As an amateur, he was a Gold Medal winner at the 1984 Summer Olympics, with a 110-1 record as an amateur and is regarded among the greatest amateur fighters ever. He competed as a professional from 1984 to 1997, and held the WBA welterweight title twice between 1987 and 1990. He later became an actor with a wide range of movie and television credits, having made his debut in The Lords of Discipline, and also appeared in the music video for The Pointer Sisters' 1985 hit single, "Dare Me".
Maurice Blocker is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1995. He was a two-time welterweight world champion, having held the WBC title from 1990 to 1991, and the IBF title from 1991 to 1992. He also challenged for the WBC super welterweight title in 1993.
Pernell Whitaker vs. Oscar De La Hoya, billed as Pound for Pound, was a professional boxing match contested on April 12, 1997 for the WBC welterweight championship.
Tomas Molinares is a Colombian retired boxer and former WBA welterweight champion of the world. He is remembered mostly for his fight with Marlon Starling and the controversial way in which it ended. Behind on the scorecards, Molinares launched a punch that knocked Starling out, but the punch seemingly landed just after the bell to end round six rang. Viewings of the fight's video, both by officials during a WBA inquest right after the bout and on YouTube showings, prove and have proven inconclusive as far as whether Molinares threw the punch in time or not.
Michael Dokes vs. Evander Holyfield, billed as "A Date with Destiny", was a professional boxing match contested on March 11, 1989 for the WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title.
Thomas Hearns vs. Roberto Durán, billed as Malice at the Palace, was a professional boxing match contested on June 15, 1984 for the WBC and The Ring super welterweight titles.
Larry Hazzard Sr. is a former amateur boxer, boxing referee, athletic control board commissioner, teacher and actor. He is a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, being inducted during 2010. Hazzard has served as Commissioner of the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board since 2014, his second stint as commissioner after serving from 1985 to 2007.
Roberto Durán vs. Vinny Pazienza, billed as Mano a Mano was a professional boxing match contested on June 25, 1994, for the vacant IBC super middleweight title.
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.
Oscar De La Hoya vs. Ike Quartey, billed as The Challenge, was a professional boxing match contested on February 13, 1999, for the WBC welterweight title.
Michael Nunn vs. Marlon Starling was a professional boxing match contested on April 14, 1990, for the IBF middleweight title.
Julio César Chávez vs. Greg Haugen was a professional boxing match contested on February 20, 1993, for the WBC super lightweight title. The fight was the featured bout on a boxing card promoted by Don King dubbed the The Grand Slam of Boxing.
Marlon Starling vs. Tomás Molinares was a professional boxing match contested on July 29, 1988, for the WBA welterweight title. The fight was part of a doubleheader event billed as Double Trouble.
Mark Breland vs. Marlon Starling was a professional boxing match contested on August 22, 1987, for the WBA welterweight title.