WHOSE LEGACY WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE IN THE END? ROBERTO DURAN. SUGAR RAY LEONARD. MARVELOUS MARVIN HA

Leonard. Let the record speak for itself.

 

For me definitely Hagler.

 

Leonard for me.

Leonard: The most impressive win list of the last 50 years (and the only man with wins over more than one of the other three guys listed here). Popular, marquee figure who helped keep the media and casual fans interested in the sport in the post-Ali/Frazier era.

The reasons why I prefer his legacy over the others:

Hagler: Retired a bitter man having fought a dumb fight and lost against a blown-up, semi-retired welterweight.

Duran: Had the greatest career of the group, but outside of serious boxing fans, he's most well known for the disgraceful "No Mas" fiasco. Wouldn't want to have to live with that kind of public ignominy.

Hearns: Got knocked out in the two biggest and most important fights of his career, Leonard I and Hagler. The losses to Barkley hurt a bit too.

 

Great post and I agree with just about all of it. The Duran comment though...I think I would take Duran’s reputation as a living monster in his prime within the boxing community over Leonard’s well deserved fame.

I am guessing here but I think the casual boxing fan probably thinks of Leonard as a combination of Mayweather and De La Hoya, instead of what he really is, a combination of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

 

Leonard. He beat them all.

 

Hearns. Fought anyone at any time and was the most electric of the lot. He was a real peoples champ and was the most exciting fighter going around for many years. Fighting all the way up to cruiserweight and always chased the top dogs with no stipulations.

 

Hagler definitely.
The others all carried on way too long and embarrassed themselves really. The blemishes on Hagler's record are minor. We don't have to sweep them under the rug to remember how great he was. Unlike the others.

 

I wouldn't say Hearns embarrassed himself even if he did fight on too long as you say. He sprained his ankle against Grant and didn't have the losses the other two did.

 

A 40-something year old "ATG" fighter, hobbling around on a sprained ankle after 2 rounds, 20 or 40 pounds above his prime weight, yeah, that's precisely what I'd call embarrassing.
And he fought 6 years later too.
He also seems a bit punch-drunk now and I've heard him within the last decade talking about "one more fight".
So, for me, that's a bit a sad way to end up.

His legacy is strong but I definitely wouldn't choose all that over Hagler's neatly ended career.

 

Hearns inspires a certain fear/respect at just the thought of sharing the ring with him. A guy fought Hearns but one reason, because he had to. Either you cant avoid him or the $ is so big you just cross yourself and go in.

 

I've always felt Hagler not coming back has helped his legacy in the long term. He kept his dignity. Leonard used to make condescending comments about 'poor Marvin' "all he has is boxing". Ray implied had other avenues available to him which he did.
Marvin Halger won that battle. He was able to stay gone and move forward in life. No images of a pudgy, 179 lbs Hagler being diminished by a mere mortal. He walked out with his head up. 1987

 

I guess the one with the best legacy didnt get knocked out by Hector Camacho. That narrows it down.

Think about that. Let's say back in 1985 somebody told you Hector Camacho was gonna KO Sugar Ray Leonard. Would you believe it possible?

 

Thankfully he won those late fights.

He does seem a tad off now. I still don't think he ended as badly as say Ray in some ways. The Norris and Camacho fights were ugly.

 

Agree with this. Hagler's losses (-all three of them-) are minor and two of them were avenged by stoppage wins. The draws are even less to be concerned about and, again, both resolved by stoppage victories.

I think his workmanlike attitude to the sport fostered the absoluteness of his retirement - meaning, when he was done, he was done - even ignoring Leonard's games in 1990, trying to tempt him back - and so, in my opinion, he's ended up looking better than the rest for being so resolute, from start to finish of his career.

Personally, I think that, of the Fab Four, Hagler is the most iconic.

 

Yeah. And trevor berbick is greater than Ali to me