Boxing in The 1980s - 1989

1989

• February 24 - Roberto Durán makes history by becoming the third fighter to win world titles in four different divisions and also the fighter with the longest period between his first and latest world championships (17 years) when he defeats Iran Barkley by a split decision to become the WBC's world Middleweight champion, in Atlantic City.
• February 25- Mike Tyson retains his undisputed world Heavyweight championship, with a fifth round knockout over future world champion Frank Bruno in Las Vegas.
• March 6- The WBO's first world championship bout, as Héctor Camacho defeats Ray Mancini by unanimous twelve round decision, to win the WBO's vacant world Jr. Welterweight title and become boxing's twelfth world champion in three different divisions, at Las Vegas.
• May 13- Julio César Chávez becomes the thirteenth boxer to win world titles in three or more different categories, knocking out Roger Mayweather in ten rounds in their rematch, to win the WBC's world Jr. Welterweight title in Los Angeles.
• May 17- Carlos De León becomes the first boxer to win the world Cruiserweight title four times (and also joins a handful of champions who have won world titles in one division that many times) when he knocks out Sammy Reeson in nine rounds in London, picking up the WBC belt that had been vacated by his former conqueror, Evander Holyfield, when Holyfield moved to the Heavyweight division.
• June 12- Sugar Ray Leonard retains his WBC world Super Middleweight title with a twelve round draw in a rematch with Thomas Hearns in Las Vegas.
• December 7- The decade in boxing finishes almost where it started, as Sugar Ray Leonard defends his WBC world Super Middleweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision victory over Roberto Durán in their third encounter.