Prime Hagler - Would He Have Battered SRL?

True...although it should be noted that 77 was the year of the Rings Rating Scandal (Flash Gordon exposing 'Johnny Bought' et al).

 

Good work by Yank "Nostradamus" Durham that was...knowing that Ali would fight so little by the time they eventually met!

 

Malcolm ‘Flash’ Gordon was a gift to boxing.

In his ‘Tonight’s Boxing Program,’ Flash nicknamed the WBA and WBC as the WBArum and the WBKing, respectively.

He also had the most comprehensive upcoming fight schedule of his day and when the opponent of the headliner was unknown, he’d use names for the opponent like Dusty Trunks and Willie Fall, haha.

 

You're right Pugguy that was sold out...instead I had to get the (almost as popular) comic strip one, where Marv is on the operating table and the surgeons cut his bald head open and find one big boxing glove.

 

Ha ha, great stuff. What a legend!

 

I scored this fight for only the 2nd time a few years ago. I was quite pleased when my card was 115-113 Leonard. Previously when I scored it some time in the 1990s, I had it 116-114 Ray (but i seemed to score more even rounds then) so I'm guessing i scored it mostly the same, with those two even rounds going either way.

 

Great fighter.

 

All I see here are excuses.

 

yes, he would have

 

I'd expect no different.

 

No really, you should drop it. You are showing everyone here that you don't give credit when credit is due. That's worse than rigging a fight lmao

 

Yeah i obviously know nothing about boxing.

Some of the things you knew that i didn't -

Evander Holyfield - Yeah, superior by cheating. He will never be a true champion in my book.
Definitely Holmes or Holyfield, both are VERY undeserving champions in my book.

Wilder - Someone else mentioned wilder earlier in the thread. I was shocked to see that.
Shocked because he is clearly not a power puncher. He just has long levers and speed, so he has good head speed when he makes contact but absolutely nowhere near the power/class of Foreman, Tyson, etc.
He's definitely a bum. His knockout ratio is what? Like 76%? Absolutely pathetic compared to George Foreman.
It's not ridiculous. Wilder is simply not even close to foreman/tyson in terms of power. Close to 2nd rate never heavyweight champion shavers? Yes, I will give him that much.

Liston - Foreman had by far a better defense than Liston.

Ali from the Liston fight - Was Ali that slippery though? I thought his style made him susceptible to getting punched in the noggin?


But yes, it's me not giving credit where credit is due

 

Hagler was a great fighter, he had the goods for sure. A great chin, a good punch, and he was always in top shape. He wasn't a fold-up fighter and he was for real, but he was also a crybaby every time he lost or had a close one.

Vito Antuofermo was a club-footed bleeder, (a bleeder of the worst kind), with no punch, and he fought the great Hagler to a draw, (a fight I thought Vito narrowly won). In any case, it was a tough, close fight regardless of who you thought won.
Antuofermo would be regarded as an over-achiever who accomplished a lot more than most thought he would.
I'm sure at the time, most thought Marvin would chop him up very quickly and get rid of him fast, he did not.

Similar situation when he fought Duran.

Leonard was not Scypion, Sibson, or Mustafa Hamsho. He could think and adjust his style. So it's hard for me to picture Hagler battering him at any stage.

 

Outside of the Hearns fight, a fight where Hearns hurt his hand and Hagler smothered and drowned him, when Hagler has fought genuine ATG talent, irrespective of time in his career, he's left more questions than he answered for me.

The Duran fight isn't a good fight for Hagler's intangibles carried over to hypothetical match ups against smaller boxers, infitinitely skilled, brave and slick. The Leonard fight showed an admittedly ring-hardened fighter fighting outside of his normal modus operandi. Never thought I would say it about the Marvelous one, but it's evident to me, and I do qualify it with recognition that I am inferring mentality, that Hagler had doubts within himself and if not doubt, was arrogant to his own capability that he could be psyched out of game plan, sacrificing the judges' perception for trying to prove himself the better man. In Duran's case, hero worship was no excuse for not whipping him, had he chose to step on the gas - he did not and to Marvin's defence, Duran was simply a more skilled fighter - a conundrum to solve, despite Marvin having all the physical advantages that one would think him to need.

Leonard, SRR, RJJ, Nunn and their ilk pose real threats to him purely because of angles, speed and Hagler having to do something else/overcome speed, elusiveness and/or experience/punching power combinations.

I rate Hagler numero unero at MW, simply because I haven't seen Greb - fantastic record but asterisked for me. However, Hagler's ability to go and do it first time around versus the very best, I have doubts. I like him in a rematch.

 

Completely agree and it takes me back to the old days when i used to debate Stonehands, Manassa and co for pages on these exact points.

I'll also add i don't think his corner was the best either when presented with such challenges.