Yorgey takes Hearns deep, and puts him to sleep.
Mike Cassell PBR 3/28/2009
MIAMI OKLAHOMA - Respect in the sport of boxing cannot be earned with a name. Light middleweight contender Ronald Hearns 21 - 1 (17 KO's) found that out very quickly on Saturday night when he met Philadelphia fighter Lightning Harry Joe Yorgey. Yorgey entered the ring with an undefeated professional record of 21 - 0 (9 KO's), and more than sixty amateur fights under his belt. The crafty "club fighter" as the Showtime boys referred to him a bit impolitely, showed them and the world exactly what Philadelphia fighting is all about. Yorgey came out early, showing angles, moving beautifully against the rangy Hearns. He made Hearns fight smaller, making the bigger man chase a ghost, with a wide stance, and crouched position. Hearns was in a fight, and there was no way out. Yorgey does it right. He brings you into his world, and then locks the door so you can't leave.
By round four, it was apparent that Yorgey has much more power than he ever received credit for. He pounded Hearns with a laser right hand seemingly at will. Hearns had little to no answer. His punches were wide and sloppy, allowing the more skilled fighter in Yorgey to capitalize on the inexperience of Hearns. Yorgey and Hearns went to the canvas in Round four, but Hearns was obviously the more beaten of the two fighters, as Yorgey landed a devastating right hand in the following round, dropping Hearns to the canvas, face first. As the fight progressed it became apparent that the deeper Hearns went, the weaker and slower he became. Yorgey waited patiently for his opportunity, and in round nine, he attacked one with a furious flurry, that proved to be too much for Hearns, and he hit the canvas again in the final seconds of the round. He got to one knee, and looked wearily to his father in the crowd as referee Steve Smoger counted him out.
We learned two things in MIAMI Oklahoma. Ronald Hearns is a nice guy, but he is no Tommy Hearns, and Harry Joe Yorgey is no club fighter. This is a thirty one year old man on a mission to win a world title. He doesn't want the easy fights, and he will not go quietly into the night. If you have to face this man, you better bring it hard, strong and fast or he will leave you lying on the canvas. He has found his mojo at exactly the right time in his career, and he is seemingly ready to grab a world title. The big question is, who has the balls enough to give this tough Philly contender a shot? We may find out soon, because there are fighters out there who still doubt the fury of Yorgey. If that is the case, lightning will strike again.