As reported by WXYZ TV Detroit, Boxing legend Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns, now 67 years old and diagnosed with dementia, has been placed in the custody of his son, Ronald, after a guardianship battle. According to the report, “Different sides of his family have claimed Tommy Hearns was being held from them and Adult Protection Services say they’ve been looking into whether he’s been the victim of financial exploitation.”
Wolf Mueller, attorney for Ronald Hearns sat with him and his champion father in an interview, explaining the situation.
“So my job with the conservator and the court is to make sure that nobody takes advantage of him and he is treated with dignity and respect that he so richly deserves.”
Mr. Muller added that he thinks there is “a lot of evidence that he’s been taken advantage of recently,”
“My dad’s a great man, has a big heart,” Ronald Hearns said; “and for him to be going through this type of situation at this time in his life is terrible.”
At an emergency guardianship hearing in February, Oakland County Chief Probate Pro Tempore Judge Patrick O’Brien heard testimony from Adult Protection Service workers who said Hearns’ daughter and her sister would not reveal his location and they were suspicious over a GoFundMe campaign that was established. O’Brien named Thomas Hearns’ oldest son, Ronald Hearns, his sole guardian and conservator.
“Everybody loves Mr. Hearns,” O’Brien said, “and wants the best for him, and so that’s what everybody should be working towards and not focusing on their past grievances.”
“And so just keep praying for my dad and the family as we move forward in our lives,” Ronald Hearns said at the end of the WXYZ interview.
At the close of the interview, Thomas Hearns said it’s a good feeling for him to have this resolved.
Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns (also known as the ‘Motor City Cobra’), held world championship titles at welterweight, junior middleweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight, compiling a record of 65-5-1 (48KOs). With opponents ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard, ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler, and Roberto ‘Manos de Piedra (Hands of Stone) Duran, he’s considered one of ‘The Four Horsemen’ of the 1980s. The fights between the quartet generated many millions of dollars and established these fighters as legends in the Manly Art of Self Defense. On June 3, 1991, he demonstrated one of the best left jabs of the era when he defeated former Upper Midwest Golden Gloves champion and 1984 middleweight silver medalist, Virgil Hill, with a unanimous decision win at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hill had won the WBA championship on September 5, 1987 with a fourth round TKO of Leslie Stewart at the Trump Plaza Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey, followed by ten successful title defenses before losing to Hearns.
I had the honor of meeting Thomas Hearns on March 7, 1995, when I helped trainer Dennis Presley corner my two teammates, Quentin Osgood in his heavyweight pro debut at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minnesota, and eventual IBF junior flyweight champion, Will Grigsby.
Ronald Hearns fought professionally, primarily as a middleweight, from 2004 to 2015, finishing with a record of 28-6-0, 22KOs.
I invite readers to click through the link to watch the WXYZ Detroit interview. As Ronald Hearns requested, please pray for Thomas Hearns and family. Also, as he requested, do not donate to any GoFundMe campaigns posted on the internet for Thomas Hearns because the family is not behind them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pikhJxNubI
