Boxing in The 1980s - 1987

1987

• March 7- Mike Tyson unifies the WBC and WBA world Heayweight titles with a twelve round unanimous decision win over James Smith, in Las Vegas.
• March 9- Thomas Hearns becomes the ninth boxer in history to win world titles in three divisions, and the first American to do so since Henry Armstrong, knocking out WBC world Light-Heavyweight champion Dennis Andries, born in Guyana but a British resident, in round ten in Detroit.
• April 6- In what is considered by many to be the greatest comeback in boxing history, Sugar Ray Leonard comes back after three and a half years without fighting to outpoint Marvin Hagler and win the undisputed world Middleweight championship in Las Vegas. Leonard becomes the tenth boxer in history to be world champion in three different divisions.
• May 30- Don King's Heavyweight tournament continues as Tony Tucker defeats Buster Douglas to win the IBF's world Heavyweight title that had been vacated by Michael Spinks, and Mike Tyson retains his WBC and WBA titles with a sixth round knockout over former world champion Pinklon Thomas in Las Vegas.
• August 1- The final of Don King's Heavyweight tournament: Mike Tyson defeats Tony Tucker by a twelve round unanimous decision to become undisputed world Heavyweight champion.
• October 4- Wilfredo Vazquez wins the first of three world titles by knocking out WBA world Bantamweight champion Chan-Yong Park in ten rounds at Seoul, South Korea.
• October 28- Jorge Vaca dethrones WBC world Welterweight champion Lloyd Honeyghan with a controversial eighth round technical decision in London. The controversy was that a point deducted to Honeyghan by the referee that night proved to be the margin of difference.
• October 29- Thomas Hearns makes history, becoming the first boxer in history to win world titles at four different divisions, knocking out Juan Roldán in four rounds for the WBA's vacant world Middleweight title in Las Vegas.