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 Cuban Wilfred Benitez 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 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 (175-lb.) title before moving down in weight to beat Argentinian Juan Domingo Roldan via 4th round KO for the WBC Middleweight (160-lb.) crown on October 19th.

This WBC presentation belt is a lifetime achievement award for Tommy Hearns' three WBC titles (Light Middleweight Light Heavyweight and Middleweight). The length of the green leather strap is 53" and the belt weighs 4.8 lbs. altogether. It has the customary WBC-branded gold-painted metal oval centerpiece roughly 10 inches in diameter and encircled by 161 tiny hand-painted flags representing the number of current WBC member nations. The design of this belt is different from the green WBC belts Hearns can be seen wearing or posing with in photographs. This one has four stone-glassed oval medallions each 2" in diameter flanking the centerpiece and depicting the faces of Muhammad Ali (right inside) Joe Louis (left inside) and Tommy Hearns (two both outside). It fastens via its original gold-painted metal belt buckle still completely intact. Stamped on the reverse is the following "World Champion"; "Weight division"; "Champion" and "WBC President Jose Sulaiman" (whose reign from 1975 to 2014 ended with his passing January 16 2014) with his facsimile signature.

The exact date this official belt was presented to Hearns by the WBC is unknown but typically this would occur at a WBC Convention or awards ceremony honoring boxing's greatest champions. Based on the oval centerpiece having the same number of flags as the current number of WBC member nations its two added Hearns medallions and more modern-looking design we are almost certain that this is Hearns' Lifetime Achievement Award belt celebrating The Hitman's epic run of three WBC titles in three different weight classes. (It is the exact same design as Angelo Dundee's Lifetime Achievement Award that sold for $8907 in SCP's Fall 2012 Auction and the same as those seen in the attached photo from the WBC's 49th annual convention in 2011 honoring George Foreman Sugar Leonard and Roy Jones Jr.) It comes in NM-MT condition essentially as-issued and problem-free from Tommy Hearns' personal collection.

Includes a Letter of Authenticity from Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns.