James Toney vs Marvin Hagler at 160

[SlySlickSmooth]

When I got into watching boxing from a learning perspective, I loved watching James Toney fight.. I always thought it was some of the most beautiful boxing I watched.

Wanted to get some opinions out of NSB.. So fellas, what's your call on this fight?

Lights Out vs Marvelous at Middleweight

[Sugar Adam Ali]

I agree that toney is one of the most beautiful fighters to ever watch...

But I think hagler is better overall and would out point toney. James would hang much like how Duran did,,, but toney doesn't fight all 3 mins of every round and this would allow Marvin to out hustle him to a close decision..

Very good fight on the level of toney-mccallum

[Scott9945]

Hagler wins, and more handily than most fans think. I'd pick him by a competitive but very clear decision.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Hagler wins, and more handily than most fans think. I'd pick him by a competitive but very clear decision.

Do u think he would be more competitive than Duran?

[creekrat77]

Hagler I can see will win the decision but not by much. Toney will try to step on the peddle in the middle rounds but it won't win him enough rounds. I don't see either of these guys knocking each other down in the 12 round fight.

[AdamWeiss]

Both are very tough guys. Toney is one of the most talented fighters I've ever seen. But he lacks discipline. On the other side, Hagler had the talent, the discipline, and the iron chin. If he did what he did to Thomas Hearns. I don't think he would have any trouble with Toney. Anyway, it would be a nice fight to watch

[Daddy T]

Hagler by decision. No way does toney outpoint him and stop him? lol as if.
Also I can't see hagler stopping Toney so really hagler by decision is the only realistic option.

[Humean]

I think of Toney as having perhaps the second best defence in the history of the middleweight division but Hagler could outwork Toney and win a decision against him simply from the higher work rate. Toney's weakness was always being able to sustain his hard punches whereas Hagler was one of the best at being able to work constantly whilst throwing with authority.

[billeau2]

Have to go with the majority here. Toney's big problem is that he is in Hagler's range....If we look at Toney's entire career when he started to fight "big", i.e. Hollyfield, Jirov, Rahman, etc...he had a chin that could take the punch, and he was fast and mobile enough that with his skill he could make the big guys look slow. For example, he matched Rahman's punch stat numbers despite looking a whole lot fatter than Rahman.

When Toney was at his proper weight he had the punch so that even when he was outmanuevered for a while by a guy like Nunn he could apply pressure, avoid the KO cause of his chin, and do all the things he does that are so technically outstanding. That means that Toney had a lot of weapons.

The Jones fight is instructive here. A technical marvel like Toney could not deal with the pure speed of Jones. No adjustments were made, Toney is shut down. Hagler was more physical and a better inside fighter than Toney....though Toney can fight in that range. And that overhand right counter would have to be adjusted against a southpaw. I think Hagler would take the fight inside anyway. Toney could not outmanuveur Hagler, could not Ko hagler, could not counter Hagler...I think he would look rather ordinary because ad Hearns found out Hagler has a way of making you fight his fight. Hagler would not KO Toney though.

[them_apples]

The difference here is Toney wouldnt be hurting Hagler. Toney had some pop, but take away his "lights out" moniker and he hits about as hard as Leonard (who did show decent power at MW).

I will say though, Hagler has trouble hitting Toney and the fight is probably close with Hagler doing work late. Hagler would eventually get to him, just like he got to Duran (very slick) and Leonard (close fight, could have been Haglers).