If Hagler fought on...

Hmmm, he had slowed down in 1987 and it was only going to get worse.

Kalambay had trouble with southpaws, so that could even things out a bit. Otherwise Sumbu should have slightly too much for an aging Hagler.

And perhaps Marvin could exploit the fact that Nunn often took time off during rounds, but he'd be a very tough task for an old and slowing Hagler.

Toney only came around several years later. Hagler would be closing on in on 40 by then and probably wouldn't have much left. Toney here.

 

He retired at precisely the right time.

Wish more great champions did!

 

Agreed .. he was slowing down and all three, with excellent boxing skills and speed would have been traffic challenges ..

 

Hagler always kept himself in impeccable shape, wasn't a drinker, druggie, could have fought competitively until 1990 or so, he was only 33 when he lost to Leonard in 1987....

The Leonard loss left him so bitter and angry, he rightfully said F#ck boxing and went into acting, can't say I blame him, the man had nothing left to prove in the ring and found another nitch..

 

He was also noticeably slower in the Roldan and Mugabi fights and was getting hit far more often .. Ray hit him silly in the opening rounds of their fight .. he never hurt the iron chinned Hagler but he hit him often .. it was a big part why Ray came back .. the 82 Leonard would never go near the 82 Hagler ..

 

I think he could have beaten the other champs and contenders save Nunn and possibly McCallum. Toney was just turning pro so likely he wouldn't have faced him. I think Marv had enough left to beat Kalambay, Tate, Olajade, Barkley, Graham.

 

Wasn,t he 32 ?:think

 

Ya know, I've read Hagler was born in 1952, and I read somewhere else that he was born in 1954, :huh, so im not really sure of the man's true year of birth..

The only thing for sure is that he was born in New Jersey..

 

And he shaved his head ..

 

I was glad that Hagler walked away. From about 1984-onward, it seemed as though Hagler was being bothered more and more by slick boxers. Circa 1987-88, Hagler would have done better with Iran Barkley than with Michael Nunn or Sumbu Kalambay, and Barkley would have made it interesting if he boxed behind his underrated left jab.

I'm not saying Hagler couldn't have regained an alphabet belt, I just believe he'd have been very hard pressed to pull it off, especially given the reality his fire had dimmed even before Mugabi. The middleweights that came about 1987-1990 were a tall and talented lot, requiring a variant of Hagler from 1980-83.

 

When he first won the title in 1980, the reports were he was born in 1952. Later, he started saying he was born in 1954. I tend to believe he was born in 1952 as he turned pro in 1973 and was fighting and beating Sugar Ray Seales by mid 1974.

 

Sometimes a fighter can reach a certain peak in one fight and can never match the intensity ever again.

The Leonard fight took everything out of Hagler, i think the loss took his heart away. No point in fighting on if your heart isn't in it anymore.

Haglers mentality basically became, i cant be bothered to get out of bed anymore unless ive got a rematch with leonard

 

As has been said,Hagler would n't have been the same post Leonard. He got out at just the right time.

 

Bob Arum has said that Hagler looked awful heading into Mugabi and after almost a year of inactivity, looked terrible working out the kinks for the Leonard showdown.