Hagler vs Leonard - Who had the advantage?

Welcome back, Rooster!! The ESB brethren should read Steve Marantz's book for the complete story and then comment on the fight. Fact is, Leonard waited for Hagler to get slow, shopworn and unmotivated. Then he reacted. That's it!

 

and it worked. That is why many people do not consider Ray's win a complete win over a prime and sharp Hagler.

 

It isn't a matter of lying, it is my belief. Duran could get up to 260 pounds, and he fought at 154 as early as 1978. Benitez fought great at 154, but at middleweight he reached his peak and Duran still won a title and even fought at 168. Older and fatter? Duran was 30 when he fought Benitez. Not an old man by most standards. He was only 32 when he lost to Hearns.

 

This is about Hagler and saying Hearns should have cut off his baby pinkie for 2 million dollars. The comment someone made was that Hagler was calling Hearns out in 1982 of puling out of their May of 1982 fight and fighting Benitez for his 154 pound title. So if Hagler wants to call people out, then the fact is he never even considered fighting Spinks. Now had Hearns beaten Hagler in April of 1985, Hearns and Steward already decided they would move up and fight Spinks for the Light heavyweight title. Obviously that plan did not happen.
Spinks had an advantage over Tommy, but Tommy would have fought him and done something Marvin would not have regardless of money, and Tommy started out at welterweight. Virgil Hill. Underrated fighter. I don't know how that fight would go, but Hill's style against Spinks is not good. Hill would probably be hit with that right hand so I agree with that.

 

What a load of wank! That age was damb well GERIATRIC back then as you damb well know & name me another blown up lightweight veteren of 70+ fights who fought for the 154/160 titles when into his 30's!!! Your twisting of the facts to suit yer own pathetic agenda is really an insight to a sad mentality.

You absolutely refuse to see anything wider than your own micro tunnelled vision, even when confronted with the irrifutable proof & truth, it would'nt be so bad if it could be viewed as a wind up, but it ai'nt, you actually believe this ignorant deluded crap you write & SRL being still GREEN in the montreal fight & PRIME 15 months later just about sums up your biased idiocy along with it being extreamly insulting & rude to the many quality posters on here. Hang yer head in shame & continue sucking.

 

I have not said anything in my posts to ever be insulting and rude. As a matter of fact I always stay on point and just bring my opinions, which is what this message board format is about isn't it? So I don't understand that. You can ask anyone on these boards if I have ever insulted anyone or have been rude and most will say no. I keep it very objective. This is boxing. Yet you tell me I should hold my head in shame and keep sucking. Who is the one being rude and insulting?
About Ray, I never said Ray was prime 15 months later with Hearns, I said he was the closest to prime in a big fight since he retired soon after the Finch fight. He retired so he never fought when he would have been prime.

You say into his 30s, Duran was 30 when he fought Benitez and 32 when he fought Hearns, and there are many guys who won titles in their 30s who fought at lighter weights when they were younger. Jones,Toney,Hearns,Leonard,etc etc.
What am I twisting? Duran fans want to say he was washed up at 30 years old and overweight and slow just so he has an excuse to losing to the greats he fought at 147,154. I don't think that is accurate.
When Duran won and beat Moore and Barkley people say it proves he was so great. When he loses he had an excuse that he was too old or out of shape.

 

I don't ever post here because of idiots like you. All just double standards and hypocrisy. If I recall correctly, you said Leonard fought scared in New Orleans, yet who quit? Because of a little pain in his tummy. Fighters have fought with broken hands, broken faces, cuts, swelling and all kinds of injuries. Klitschko's eyelid was pretty much removed vs Lewis, yet he wanted to continue.

I personally find it laughable the amount of historical revisionism (that goes both ways though) when it comes to Duran. Apparently he was prime in Montreal against Leonard, but lo and behold, when it comes to New Orleans it turns out that evidently Duran was FORCED to take the fight and because Leonard won, there is no way Duran was prime.

 

You don't post here for 2 good reasons, because you know **** all about the subject & even less about Boxing. Who ever said Duran was PRIME in Montreal? NO ONE! & who ever said Duran was FORCED to take the fight in New Orleans???? NO ONE!!

It's wankers like you that dilute the classic, now **** OFF back to the general where you belong:yep

 

don't get so tetchy:yikes i was'nt being personal:nonojust taking the ****:yep

 

none of the time. The first time would be his last.

by 1987, Hagler was an old fart with nothing to offer. Just like those race horses put out to pasture

But if you're talking about someone like Norris, young, hungry, that is a different story altogether!

The Norris speed was a dimension Ray never had to deal with, combined with his all around defense in which ray could not break thru

cuz Like I been saying all this time: When Terry didnt want to be touched,,,, HE WASNT!

Too bad Ray didnt get Terry to sign a contract to have both feet shackled together

Terry was slick, quick, N made Sugar SICK

 

obviously, Ray had his legs & reflexes

Hagler didnt

advantage Ray

 

LOL Ray Leonard's CAREER has been all about having the advantage over his opponents!

 

I know.. I wasn't upset, but at the same time I do not try and be rude when it comes to Duran since I know people love him so much. I am not trying to upset you guys about Duran at all when I comment. Great fighter, the only thing I comment on is when people say he had Hagler's number. I cannot accept that. If he had Hagler's number he would have beaten him. Now I think if someone said Leonard had Hagler's number I would agree. Having someones number has to do with beating them. I don't even think Hearns had Duran's number because had Duran taken those punches, he could have come back and given Tommy a tough fight, and most people don't takes Tommy's punches so it was not surprising.

 

You are a liar. Duran was not naturally bigger than Benitez.

 

Once again, Michael never had a pay that high at 175, but Hagler NEVER EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO MOVE TO 175. His desire was to be the greatest middle ever. That's on record, btw. Having written that, Spinks would have ****ING DESTROYED any version of Hill and Hearns. Easily. Easily. Hill's underrated,lol? Had he fought in Spinks' era, he wouldn't have broken into the top 5, maybe not even top 10 come to think of it. Btw, I've nothing but respect for Tommy, but what makes you think that he would have fought Spinks? Is there something we've all missed?