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He Just blew through Hearns . Any thoughts?
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If either of those guys had tried to out-fight Hagler like that, they would've been KO'd too.
Or at least forced to change strategy. Early. -
you are talking about some of the best fighters that ever lived. it's like Oscar vs Ike, Tito and Pernell IMO at WWOriginally posted by rightsideup View PostComment
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It was not Hagler's mentality to go to "war". He preferred being a counter-puncher, even though his physical attributes allowed him to be a great aggressor also.
He had to basically convince himself through an intense training regimen and a promotion job that he had to brawl with Hearns in order to make an impression on the people who had criticized him for performances such as the Duran fight.
Hagler obviously never enjoyed being hit and tried to avoid taking unnecessary punishment, despite his great durability. It's no easy feat to convince yourself to walk through a Hearns right hand but in this case it was going to be easier for Hagler than trying to box with him and he followed through in a big way.
Hagler was also thrown off by Duran's tactics as he expected the smaller man to come right at him which would've allowed Hagler to play a more comfortable role without having to go after Duran himself. He was just never able to truly adjust until Duran tired in the late rounds.
By the time he fought Leonard, Hagler had slowed down quite a bit and had the foolish notion that he would outbox Leonard early, which didn't prove to be a smart strategy at all. Leonard avoided Hagler's power for the most part and had the toughness to hold out for 12 rounds despite his legs starting to go at the end. If Hagler had gone at him from the beginning, things may have been different, but that's just one of the many big 'ifs' of the fight.Comment
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Originally posted by rightsideup View Post
6 Points:
1) Duran and Leonard had better punch resitance than Thomas Hearns.
2) Duran and Leonard didn't piss Hagler off the way Thomas Hearns did in round 1.
3) In the case of the Leonard fight, Hagler simply was in decline. He wasn't the force he was back in 1985.
4) When Hagler met Duran, Duran was in decent shape and was still pretty wily.
5) Hearn's weakness and lack of apparent stamina in the Hagler fight was blamed on a sports massage before the fight. Realistically, that fight should have lasted longer.
6) Hagler's punching power was respectable but not startling, he was no pound for pound middleweight Tyson equivalent. Mugabi and indeed Hearns were much heavier punchers at middleweight.....later Julian Jackson too.Comment
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Hagler was no power puncher and Duran and Leonard did not brawl with him like Hearns didComment
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thanks for all the insight
Duran did play a number on Hagler leading up to the fight as he had with leonard but in a different way.
Hearns hagler prefight was a war of words just as the fight was a war and marvin was the intial aggressor.
I often wonder what would have transpired if the leonard hagler match would have been scheduled for 15 rounds.Comment
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If it goes the distance, probably still a close decision which could go either way. But if Leonard keeps tiring, maybe Hagler has something left to get to him for a stoppage. Leonard probably still wins a close decision.Comment
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He knew his best chance of beating Tommy was to brawl with the thin legged and comparatively weak chinned Hearns so fought accordingly. Hearns also broke his right hand, his best shot thus severely weakened.
Duran was his first MEGA fight and i feel he was a bit nervous or uncomfortable, Cholo also didnt fight with the aggression Hagler probably expected and trained for. Roberto Duran was also still a crafty talented fighter at that point
Hagler himself was slipping by the time he faced Sugar Ray, who moved and flurried making Marvin stalk him rather than staying stationary and trading with him. I thought Marvin won this fight thoughComment
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