What do Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Roger Federer, Michael Phelps, and Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns have in common?  Each of them is widely considered to be one of the best—if not THE best—athlete in each of his respective sports.  But unlike the first four athletes, Mr. Hearns was using his incredible notoriety last Saturday night for the benefit of the incredibly worthy charitable organization, Wish Upon a Teen, where this lucky reporter was fortunate enough to speak to and take a picture with him.  

Former eight-time Champion of the World, and the only professional boxer to ever earn a title in six different weight classes—Welterweight, Super Welterweight, Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Light-Heavyweight, Cruiser-weight—and 2012 International Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee, Mr. Hearns was certainly the most famous retired boxer in attendance, but there were plenty of other champion/title-winning boxers in attendance, such as Featherweight Champion of the World Boom Boom Johnson and WBC belt winner “Ice Man” McCrory.

On April 29th, Bert’s Ware house (Eastern Market) was THE place to be!  Wish Upon a Teen presented A Fighting Chance, an incredible night of music, dancing, cocktails, charity gambling, an impressive selection of food including fresh sushi made right on the spot, raffles, and fifteen amateur boxing matches, culminating with a face-off between celebrity boxers, DJ Dr. Darrius from Detroit’s #1 Hip-Hop radio station, and 1996’s Middleweight Champion of the World, Bronco McKart.  Proceeds from this nearly sold out event support Design My Room, a non-profit program founded to decorate the hospital rooms of critically ill teens to make them feel a little bit less stuck in a hospital, and a little more like hanging out in their own bedroom. More