Three of Tommy Hearns' eight world titles came from the World Boxing Council. Founded in 1963, the WBC is headquartered in Mexico City and is recognized as one of boxing's four major international governing bodies, if not the top dog of them all. Hearns' won his first WBC title in the Light Middleweight/Super Welterweight (154-lb.) division when he defeated Wilfred Benitez of Cuba on December 3, 1982 at the New Orleans Superdome in a marathon 15-round unanimous decision. He retained this WBC title through four fights, including a classic 2nd round knockout over fellow Hall of Famer Roberto Duran in 1984, before vacating the title and moving up in weight to fight in the Light Heavyweight (175-lb.) division. Hearns won two other WBC titles, and both of these championship victories occurred in 1987. He defeated Dennis Andries of Great Britain on March 7th via 10th round TKO to claim the WBC Light Heavyweight title before moving down in weight to beat Juan Domingo Roldan of Argentina via 4th round KO for the WBC Middleweight (160-lb.) crown on October 19th.
This official presentation belt is attributed to either one or all of Tommy Hearns' three WBC titles (Light Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and Middleweight). The length of the green leather strap is 43" and the belt weighs 3.8 lbs. altogether. It has the customary WBC-branded gold-painted metal oval centerpiece, 9 inches in diameter and encircled by 80 tiny hand-painted flags of the world. The oval centerpiece is flanked by two metal WBC coin-like medallions, each 2" in diameter, featuring gold-on-black painted representations of Joe Louis (on the left) and Muhammad Ali (on the right) connected to the centerpiece by two gold-painted chains. It fastens via its original gold-painted metal belt buckle still completely intact. This is the same design, if not the same belt, that Hearns can be seen wearing or posing with in photographs. Longtime WBC president Jose Sulaiman, whose reign from 1975 to 2014 ended with his passing on January 16, 2014, has signed the reverse of the belt in 8/10 black marker. The signature is located in a black stamped circle under "CERTIFIED WBC WORLD CHAMPION" and above "PRESIDENT". The exact date the WBC presented this belt to Hearns is unknown. Based on the oval centerpiece bearing half of the WBC's current 161 member nation flags and the more aged condition and design, the belt was most likely issued in the 1980s during his epic run of three WBC titles in three different weight classes. The belt comes in NM condition, essentially as-issued and problem-free from Tommy Hearns' personal collection.
Includes a Letter of Authenticity from Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns.
Autograph pre-certified by PSA/DNA.
Thomas Hearns vs Roberto Duran