Ray Arcel on Hagler - Hearns.

I don't think Hearns would win over 12 rounds.. Although he beat Hill and Benitez over 12 to win titles at 154 and 175..actually 15 for Benitez. I think if he beat Hagler he would stop him on TKO swelling or cuts.. He had the sharper punches than Leonard and hit harder. He didn't have the lateral movement of Ray, but he had the punches and jab.. different. I think he could.. He beat great fighters so I never thought Hearns could not beat someone. Going for the knockout against Hagler would be a mistake. Punching and jabbing would be the key to winning.

 

yes, nobody could take a Hagler still near his prime. Unfortunately, Hearns was the guinea pig who found out

and yes, Arcel was bitter

 

Wasnt Tommy on his bike after the first Round? In fact, after nailing Hagler early in the first, Tommy was moving away. so it's not as though he spent the entire fight trying to slug

He worked his plan A which failed

Then he worked his plan B, and that failed too

Either way, Hagler destroyed Hearns at his very best

 

it's not a long time to spend with Hagler if there's nothing left of him going into the fight

 

Yeah, but what some people fail to see is if you look at the beginning of round 3 Hagler was tired. Very tired. And he was missing punches. After the ref stopped the fight he knew he had to stop it, but had Tommy been able to last a couple more rounds it would have been very interesting. He broke his hand, but without that, the argument is for me that Hearns would have had a slower pace. Could pick his punches more and land his jab and break down Marvin..

 

Sharpness is not won the fight for Hagler against

An excuse is an excuse is an excuse. Tommy hit Marv sooo hard that he broke his hand on Hagler's head. Thats what happened. Thats a fact. In your post I quoted your writing that had Tommy NOT broken his hand he would have won. Thats an excuse.

 

Hearn's was done as soon as his hand was broken.

I would bet on Hearns to win the rematch had it ever happened, and barring another broken hand.

 

It is a question. Same as had Duran not eaten a steak and drank two gallons of water which I remember hearing hours after the second fight in 1980, could he have won. But Hearns hurt Hagler, which means that had he not broken his hand he could have hurt him again.. And by round 3 Hearns was moving and actually the cut opened up on Marvin's forehead and Marvin was tired. It is just speculation in regards to the rematch.

 

That is the question. I do not knock Hagler, someone asked about the rematch. My thoughts are that Hearns hurt Hagler in the first fight seconds into the fight. Hearns broke his hand. A slower pace and Hearns measuring the punch means he would probably hurt Hagler again. And his jab did swell up Hagler, so the thought is what could Hearns have done. Hearns was not a typical fighter. He knocked out Duran in 2 rounds easily, and no one did that. He outboxed Benitez and Hill when they were tops. Knocked out Cuevas for his first title. His past accomplishments show he could do it..

 

I thought the same thing Arcel thought before Arcel said it. Hagler didn't want the fight again and it was evident he knew it would be hard to do it again and he would have to go through the right hand to get it. Whether he thought he could do it again or he questioned it I don't know, but he was not eager.

 

I cant really say how tired was Hagler. i didnt seem to notice him tiring until the last seconds of round two but the fact that Hagler was now missing was due to another strategy (rd. 3), - - stick and move

the strategy that worked so well against leonard over the last half of the fight, only bought Tommy time for mere seconds in this, a much more intensely fought contest. Had Marvin truly been tired, he wouldnt have been able to speed up his attack. It was Marvin's ability to force the fight at a pace Tommy couldnt keep up with, that forced him out of his rythym

and ever since I can remember, Tommy has been coming up with excuses ie; bad baby pinky, leg masseges, and broken hand. The only truth is he was beat by a much better fighter which Hagler mentioned before the fight "when the smoke clears, because I'm coming out smoking, it'll be my hands that are raised"

 

Thats right its just speculation. But the truth is Tommy broke his hand on Marv's head because he hit Marv that hard and still couldnt take him out. Imagine breaking your hand hitting someone and they still come at you. Marvin was hurt? Tommy was ready to go at the end of all 3 rounds. Every time Marvin landed he was hurting Tommy. The cut just delayed the inevitable and we all saw it.

 

i know how he is. this isnt exactly restricted information. he also trained Benny Leonard who in my opinion, would have whipped Duran good

Arcel just comes across as a bitter man who probably lost money on the fight. not only that, he probably picked Tommy to do a job on Marvin and once the fight was over, was dismayed over the end result. his pride hurt, he hasnt been able to take the fact that he, a reknowned trainer, could be so wrong

 

I think another scenario is he saw what Hearns right hand did to Duran, so he knew how hard it was and knew Hagler was hurt by it and would not want to take it again.