The Carnival Of Champions, as Don King nicknamed it, was an important boxing event held in New Orleans's Superdome on December 3, 1982. Don King. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ... The Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The event had caught the international attention of boxing fans world-wide, but particularly in the United States, Puerto Rico and Mexico, because the two main events that night featured two Puerto Ricans, one Mexican and one American.

In the undercard's first of two co-main events, Wilfredo Gómez of Puerto Rico would defend his WBC world Jr Featherweight championship against WBC's world Bantamweight champion Lupe Pintor of Mexico. In the second, Wilfredo Benitez, also of Puerto Rico, would defend his WBC world Jr Middleweight championship against the former WBA Welterweight champion of the world Thomas Hearns, of Detroit, Michigan. Wilfredo Gómez (born October 29, 1956) is a former boxer and three time world champion. ... The World Boxing Council (WBC) has operated since 1963 as a competitor to Venezuelas World Boxing Association (WBA) and, according to its founders, a way to improve professional boxings standards. ... Guadalupe Pintor (born April 13, 1955), better known as Lupe Pintor in the boxing world, is a former boxer from Cuajimalpa, Mexico. ... Wilfred Benitez (born September 12, 1958), also known popularly as Wilfredo Benitez, is a Puerto Rican boxer. ... World Boxing Association (WBA) is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. ... Thomas Hearns (born October 18, 1958), aka the Hit Man and the Motor City Cobra, is a professional boxer. ... Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Wayne County, Michigan Founded Incorporated July 24, 1701 1815  County Wayne County Mayor... State nickname: The Wolverine State, The Great Lakes State Other U.S. States Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) Senators Carl Levin (D) Debbie Stabenow (D) Official language(s) English de-facto Area 96,889 mi² / 250,941 km² (11th)  - Land 56,855 mi² / 147,255 km²...

There was a lot of media hype surrounding the event, and HBO televised both. Gómez, Pintor, Hearns and HBO commentator Sugar Ray Leonard (who came in to substitute Benitez) were paraded around New Orleans a few days before the event, and many former and current world boxing champions and celebrities attended the fights. HBO (Home Box Office) is a premium cable television network. ... Sugar Ray Leonard (born 1956) is an American former boxer. ...

In Puerto Rico in particular, the event had been eagerly awaited for, because it would be the first time the two Wilfredos would fight the same night and in the same ring, defending their world titles. Another Wilfredo who would later join Gómez and Benitez as three division world champions, Wilfredo Vazquez, had been announced as a participator in the undercard, but he had to pull out because of an injury days prior to the fight. Wilfredo Vázquez (born August 2, 1960) is a boxer who is a native of Bayamón, Puerto Rico. ...

After an excellent undercard that included a win by Alberto Mercado, Pintor was the first of the four world champions to step into the ring that night, to challenge Gómez for Gómez's world title. In a brutal slugfest, Gómez struck first, hitting Pintor with an uppercut in round one, and pinning Pintor against the ropes for a good portion of round two, including a nineteen punch combination that had Pintor almost falling. It wasn't to be easy, however, and by the third round, Pintor began to introduce his jab to Gómez's face. Gómez's eye began to puff almost immediately. Gómez showed his championship heart by roaring back to take the fourth despite the bothering hematoma forming over his eye. Alberto Mercado (born January 2, 1961) was a Jr. ...

In the fifth, it was Pintor's turn to come back and take a round, but Gómez pounded Pintor to the head in rounds six, seven and eight, the latter in which Pintor lost a point for punching low. Pintor was finding out that Gómez was as hard to beat as his 37-1-1 (37 knockouts) record said he was. Pintor, however, had the heart of a lion too, and in the ninth he punched Gómez with poison in his hands and bad intentions, taking that round and round ten. Then came round eleven, one of the fiercest rounds in the Jr Featherweight boxing's history. Gómez and Pintor traded punches toe to toe fiercely during that round, and both men had to be carried by their cornermen back to their corners. However, Gómez's eyes were both almost closed by now, and his fans started having flashbacks of his 1981 bout with world featherweight champion Salvador Sanchez. Gómez realized he needed a dramatic finish, and in the twelvth he hit Pintor with everything he had, and with Pintor tiring and on the catching end of most of that round's punches, he figured out he had to try to outbox Gómez the rest of the way. Knockout (K.O.), or simply knock, is a winning criterion of many ringsports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai and others. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Salvador Sánchez Santiago (January 26, 1959 - August 12, 1982) was a Mexican boxer born in the small town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Mexico. ...

In round thirteen, Pintor attacked Gómez's eyes from a distance with his jab. One of the least action packed rounds was still a very good round, and Pintor took it by out maneuvering Gómez for the first time in the bout.

Gómez, imagining he could have been behind on the scorecards, came for the fourteenth in a roar, and started throwing punches from all angles. Pintor was tired and Gómez looked stronger, but Gómez's eyes were almost completely closed by this time, and he could barely see Pintor. He was, as he described it later himself Fighting on instinct only. Then, suddenly he caught Pintor with a right to the temple and Pintor fell on his knees, for the first knockdown of the fight. He bravely beat the count of referee Arthur Mercante, but Gómez didn't waste his opportunity and chased his wounded prey with uppercuts and crosses, until a right cross caught Pintor on his chin and he fell to the floor on his back. Mercante didn't bother to count this time: He stopped the fight immediately and Gómez had retained his world title in a dramatic fight.

According to KO Magazine, Gómez led on fight judge Harold Lederman's card by 125-121, and on Dick Cole's by 126-120, while Pintor led on Artie Aidala's card by 124-121 at the time of the stoppage. KO Magazine's staff writer had it for Gómez at 125-120. KO Magazine is a popular United States boxing magazine. ... Dick Cole is a councillor, and the leader of Mebyon Kernow, a Cornish autonomist movement since the 1990s. ...

20 minutes after the first of the two co main events was over, it was Hearns' turn to step into the ring and challenge Benitez. The two engaged in one of the most intense staredowns in history. After touching gloves, Hearns began to use his longer jab, but the brave champion started to dig in. Hearns boxed from a distance in rounds one, two and three and Benitez kept applying pressure, and using his best method of fighiting: Laying against the ropes. Whenever pinned there, Hearns would try to unleash a combination and Benitez would slip the punches coming at him and countering. Benitez's championship heart was also a very huge one.

In the fifth, Hearns struck with a right to the head and Benitez's gloves touched the canvas. Referee Octavio Meyran of Mexico counted, but Benitez came back and almost won the round after that. Hearns also dominated the sixth and the seventh, but in the eighth, a Benitez right hand graced Hearns' chin and Hearns fell on all fours. Hearns also got up, and won the ninth round. Rounds ten and eleven were all Wilfredo, with the champion trying to close the gap between him and Hearns with masterful counter punching and ring intelligence. Hearns, however, knew he needed the next few rounds to secure another world title, and he outboxed Benitez in round twelve using his jab. Benitez also imagined he was the one who needed a rally, and had in rounds thirteen and fourteen, two of his best rounds of the fight. In round fifteen, Hearns seemed to think he had the decision secured, and Benitez seemed to imagine he needed a knockout to win, so Hearns proceeded to use his jab for three more minutes and Benitez tried to avoid defeat by throwing quick combinations onto Hearns' face to see if he could find the punch that would finally lay down The Hitman for good. But it wasn't to be, and the bell rang, putting an end to the second of two intense and historic boxing battles.

When the decision was announced, it was split: two judges had voted for Hearns, (144-139 and 146-136, according to KO magazine) and one for a draw (142-142), making Hearns the WBC's new world Jr Middleweight champion. Sadly, the hours prior to the fight would turn out to be Benitez's last hours as a current world boxing champion.

The two Wilfredos of Puerto Rico had gone 1-1 that night, but their show of bravery and championship heart didn't leave many boxing fans disappointed.