The first Mosley v De LaHoya fight, to me, is very overrated. That fight disappointed me to no end. Hagler v Hearns is a great first two minutes but after that the fight was over and it was just a matter of time. The only drama was if the cut could save Tommy's bacon because, after the first two minutes, he had no chance to win. All credit to Hagler, too. When you fight Hearns you know two things: First, if you keep away from and worry about his right hand, he will hit you with it. Second, if you hit Tommy in the body he breaks down quick. Hagler didn't let Hearns dictate distance and the bodywork took his legs almost immediately.
Mancini vs Frias? Lueshing vs Saunders 2? López vs Olivares? Moorer vs Cooper? Maybe not better, but definitely up there. My issue with the fight is that after round 1, it's one-sided and short. It's a great few minutes then a few minutes of Hagler dominating. If I was going to include it on my top 100, it wouldn't be high up.
Very true. There's something that gets lost over the years I think when people see fights a long time after they happened. It's easy to forget the atmosphere and the anticipation surrounding an event so when a big fight lives up to the hype, it is elevated beyond a fight that maybe didn't have the big build up. I think that's part of the reason Leonard-Hearns has endured in people's minds because it goes beyond just the action in the ring.
Yeah maybe lol I’ve just always thought it was too one sided to be considered with the greatest fights. For sure it was a great fight and featured one of the best rounds in heavyweight history but when I watched it for the first time in its entirety I was surprised how clearly Bowe won it. Evander made it competitive but he came up short in most of the rounds and exchanges. I actually rate the second one as the more evenly matched, competitive contest despite the lack of dramatic moments (fan man aside).
It was very good fight but nowhere near to the greatest fights ever. Just compare it with Barrera - Morales I and it will look vastly inferior. Barrera vs Morales was the same type of action that was held on much highers speeds and with MUCH, MUCH higher skill levels.
100%. I know they were both far removed from their best, but for pure action and brutality, it was a spectacle.
Best fight ever for me if you factor in the build up. Joe being thought to be shot, Ali taunting him, Veronica Porsche, Belinda Ali flying over to whoop her man (if she and Veronica had been on the undercard that would have been some show), the Marcoses and all the sideshow - then the conditions in the ring and arena which obviously you can't factor in watching reruns 45 years later. As for the action, it's pretty good. A bit too much covering up and flurrying with cuffs from Ali but he got the job done so who am I to criticise? Joe fought a great swarming fight in conditions that should have made such a high-energy style almost impossible. Incredible effort from Joe. And Ali's resilience makes the heart ache knowing what we know about his condition just a few years later. I agree that some great fights lose some sparkle out of context - Hagler-Hearns, to me watching it now, is one guy having a decent moment or two early on before getting beaten down fairly quickly. But in the 80s, especially around the Fab 4, there was just a magic that elevated everything into a must-see event and when I first saw it, I was captivated. Watching it again now, though, I don't see what I was so affected by. But if you weren't around at the time, trust me (I'm beginning to sound like Perry/Houdini - 'you had to be there to know'. Perhaps it's the 180 miles I did on the treadmill earlier on this evening) this was heart-stopping stuff.
Great post. The build up and "feel" at the time are so important. Hearns had that electrifying win over Duran, who Hagler had struggled with, and Hagler had may years of top notch performances behind his belt including a fine win coming in. They were the standout top 2 P4P boxers on the planet. They also seemed to have a genuine disdain for each other which again had to be felt at the time i.e. some years earlier Steward pulling Hearns out of their initial proposed match up. By the time the bell rang the boxing world was on the edge of their seats. Hell, we were on the edge of our seats well before. So much "anticipation". Then when they go at it like two wild animals right from the ding words are not enough. If you didn't live and breathe boxing at the time and the build up then the fight is just so sterile really. You've missed much of what made it so special. More importantly tho, did people gather around? The fam at least? Wide eyed awe?
That fight was special. I saw a word here which said Leonard and Duran 1 was overrated. Ok lets bash history. Leonard Duran was great and so was Hearns Hagler. Tommy Hearns was tired but someone is going to get an advantage in a fight where they swing like that and go for it. The way those two came out was different than any fight I ever saw. I put that round and fight as one of my top 5.. And I sometimes just look at the crowd reaction. The punches the excitement the blood everything. Great fight.