I heard about his naturally thick helmet of flesh under his skull, this plus an extremely strong neck, a large, heavily built head, knowing how to take a punch, great defense and superb conditioning all add up.
Haye's hand broke when he hit Valuev on the head. He said it happened with an over the top right, I think it's the one that made Valuev wobble.
Good thread. Hardest chin I can think of maybe in boxing history. I mean, he was never even knocked down (the Roldan KD was a joke). The only time he ever seemed to be hurt at all was from that 1st round right against Hearns, and he recovered in about 2 seconds.
You know I don't buy any of this mythologizing stuff... I think Hagler not moving up in weight might have had something to do with how his chin is perceived.
I think so also. That right hand Hearns landed on Hagler at the beginning of the fight took something out of his remaining career. Some guys get hurt all the time and brush it off. Marvin being hurt was so rare that I think it was something different for him to deal with, and he won the fight but seemed a little gunshy after the Hearns fight. Then he didn't fight for a year and fights Mugabi another hard puncher and he looked out of shape in that one. Like he lost his motivation for fighting a little after Hearns. I think Hagler put his all mentally and physically into the Hearns fight.
everything all together. Also concentration. Sometimes I think the neck is a big factor, yet some guys like Bruce Seldon who seemed to have a body which could absorb it, did not take a good punch. Seems like concentration, in shape, body type are all contributors. Chavez took an ok punch, but not like Hagler. After Hagler took Hearns and Mugabi's best punches, that was impressive.
What the hell does that even mean? So every fighter that stays in a given division can't have an ATG chin? What the ****?
Hearns said to hagler after their fight.."you move up to Lightheavy and I'll take care of the middleweights". Hagler replied "you move up"
I can tell the doofus that posted that is a kid. Only the 20-somethings and younger place any real importance on moving up in weight. That's a product of the times, where titles don't mean anything in boxing anymore, so the only way to get your name out there and garner any money is by constantly jumping weight. That's the cache now. In Hagler's time and before, a world title actually had importance. There wasn't necessarily any impetus to move up in weight like the feel they have to now. You gained notoriety by being a longtime title holder. I know you know this Bollox, so this of course isn't directed at you.
Spot on Sal. Hagler 'owned' his division and was extemely proud and protective of it, and of his historical standing in the division while he was fighting. These days Pacquaio is seen as being near the top of the ATG list (very debatable IMO), yet his 27,000 titles are worth not 10% of Henry Armstrong's 3 simultaneous titles. Today's division hopping fighters are distorting boxing history in a negative way. It's all a bit sad, really
The titles now are worth only the cheap plastic their representative belts are made of. The sport truly is in sad, sad shape.