OK but let’s apply that standard equally. I don’t want to hear how other guys ducked people when their managers and promoters lined up the fights … and if I figure Holmes beats Witherspoon in a rematch or Ray Leonard beats Hagler again, I guess no reason they should have fought again, right? (At least in my examples they actually did fight and beat those guys once.) Marvin vs. Wilfred is a better fight that could have been made than Marvin was fighting in the window that this could have happened and that alone makes it worth making. Who you or me or anyone else thinks would have won doesn’t play into it, does it? I mean if I think Bowe would have beaten Lewis or vice-versa, still would have been better if they had fought.
Umm, Benitez beat Duran, who gave Hagler fits. Go watch Vito vs. Marvin I again. It’s a very close and competitive fight. Marvin didn’t fight that well and took a lot of time off during rounds that Vito outworked him. Leonard was also older and past his best. So what? Every mention that Marvin could have fought Wilfred is answered with ‘well he would have won anyway.’ Can’t someone say that about every match that never happened? Heck, you think there was any question Marvin was going to beat Fully Freaking Obel again? Or Caveman Lee? Or a lot of other guys he beat? Why even have fights since we know who’s going to win, lol. Marvin could have rematched Hearns. He didn’t. He could have rematched Duran. He didn’t. Both would have been worthy of second fights. Wilfred was a better and more viable challenge for Hagler after beating Duran than anyone Marvin actually did fight in that span. He should have fought him.
His managers work for him. He made the call to fight Leonard, not them. He could have said ‘get me Benitez’ and it would have happened.
Thank you. I've asked this same question for years. And Benitez DID call him out after his Duran victory..... A lot of posters jump on the band wagon of Hagler should be in the Fab 4 because he fought Duran, Leonard and Hearns,,,, But guess what, so did Benitez..... The only difference was, Hagler didn't fight Benitez. But that also mean Benitez didn't fight Hagler? What's the difference? I've always said the group should be called the Fab 5. Their was a window after Benitez defeated Duran where the fight should've been made, and both would've made a ton of money. Benitez put the bait out, but it was Hagler that wouldn't bite.
Hearns fought Shuler and Hagler fought Mugabi on the same card to set up the rematch. Leonard saw Hagler had slipped and then offered to fight Hagler. I am a huge Hearns fan but Leonard was the reason the rematch didn’t happen.
Hagler faced Lee to get more exposure on ABC Even though it was a quick blowout, it made a huge impression on future opponents. Hearns fight was supposed to be middle of the year but kept getting cancelled The rematch with Obel was mandatory but was also postponed When the rematch did occur, Marvin had never looked better
Benitez fought a Duran who was horrible .If Benitez wanted a fight with Hagler then he should have moved up to MIDDLEWEIGHT where Hagler fights. And the entire point that you ignore is that Benitez DID move up to middle and went 1-1 taking a loss to Hamsho. As pointed out earlier: he beats Hamsho he gets his shot at Hagler. Why do you think he was even fighting Hamsho in the first place? And when he lost to Hamsho what happened? He moved right back down to jr.middle because middleweight was not a good weight for him. And to get big fights people have to WANT to see the match. Benitez had just lost a one sided decison to Hearns which doesnt exactly land you big fights.
I’ve answered this. To address from the above, he could have fought Wilfred on ABC (probably in primetime) and gotten more exposure, lol. And it doesn’t matter who you or I or anyone thinks would win: people thought Marvin would mow through Duran and Leonard. They thought he’d win the title when he got his shot vs. Vito. Basically any fight that was never made someone could say ‘well this guy would have won.’ In fact, why did he fight at all? We surely expected him to beat all those guys he beat, so why fight them? Benitez was by far a bigger name and more accomplished than some of the guys he actually did fight. More deserving too.
Duran was horrible, but he got a fight with Hagler? Well Benitez was better than Duran when they fought lol. And Duran didn’t have to move to middleweight to get a shot at Hagler — he got it for beating a junior middleweight. Hearns wasn’t chopping down middleweight contenders either and he got a shot. What middleweights did Ray Leonard beat to earn a shot? He hadn’t fought in years and his middleweight fights were before he won a welterweight crown, against Marcos Geraldo and I think Fernand Marcotte (I think he was a middle). So none of that holds as to why Wilfred couldn’t get a shot. Boy Marvin’s sure got a lot of people making excuses for him.
That's just a myth, an empty claim. I surprised it still gets recirculated. He fought Minter and Minter didnt give him any problems Hearns began boxing after the first minute and Hagler still trapped him in a corner and kept boxing for the rest of the fight and Hagler still stopped him early There is no proof whatsoever that boxers have posed any real problem for Hagler Anuofuermo & Roldan weren't boxers and gave Hagler the toughest fights of his career.
