How would you rate the Hagler-Duran fight?

I'm gonna be honest, this fight does more for Duran than it does for Hagler. This fight and the Leonard fight cast doubt on how Marv would deal with a SRR and RJJ - it's not an age thing, it's a styles and mentality thing.

I think someone already mentioned it, Antu I, Duran, Leonard - Marv could choke mentally/execution wise in the ring.

That said, I do think Marv is the greatest of the MW champs, absolutely destructive in his prime, phenomenally skilled and with an all timer jab. Yet, there are some niggling doubts on his H2H where he lacks a speed or natural size advantage where skillsets or prestige are close.

 

I’m not sure what to score it but I’ll be honest and say if you watched it without knowing who these two were you’d probably be switching between channels if you even bothered to see it through 15 rounds. Great skill and all but it’s the names that would keep you glued to the replay of all 15 rounds if you decided to watch it.

 

Exactly ..

 

Completely agree.

This fight, last few rounds of Antuofermo I and Leonard fight (especially giving up the first 4 rounds) is why Hagler is never going to be considered the greatest middleweight of all time ahead of Monzon, Robinson and Greb.

Hagler was the face of middleweight division, his dismantling of Minter,Hamsho, Sibson and Hearns were punch perfect performances.

Wish he had never traded away those final 3 rounds to Leonard to cut the fight to 12 rounds.

Otherwise we would be talking about he astute he was to give Leonard those early rounds to give him confidence before wearing him out and stopping him in 14 rounds.

Probably would have tied Monzon´s record by stopping Roldan again (who looked on the undercard by battering James Kinchen in 9) and the gone for the record with Hearns.

Imagine he wins that again, then he retires with 15 title defences.

Chances are that we would be talking about him ahead of Monzon,Robinson and Greb.

Hopefully in some multiverse this did happen and he´s still alive and well.

 

correction. I've already seen many if not most rating Hagler as the greatest and best middleweight champ. This isnt 1983 in which his true abilities were still undiscovered so nobody believes that claim

However, I find it hard to believe that so many gave this fight such a high rating. I was the one who scored it a 3. Even KO magazine described hagler Duran as "a dud"

I personally dont believe hagler froze in that fight, or the Leonard fight. I believe that he was instead, unmotivated. and Duran's performance here, was nothing special Did he not get rubbed out in his next fight? Duran is overrated

 

Duran wasn’t busy enough—one punch at a time and the odd one-two. And he moved just enough to keep safe while being in position to counter, usually with the right hand. Wise move. Because if Duran was considerably busier, he’d more than likely have drawn Hagler into a fight. Many observers thought Duran would rush at Hagler, hence why many of them had him marked down for an early/mid round stoppage loss. But Duran, right from the get-go, wanted no part of Hagler up-close. And whenever Hagler decided to push the pedal to the mettle (see round 6 and some of the rounds thereafter), Duran was coming second best.

 

As a stand alone fight, reps excluded, probably rate it as good to maybe a very good (whatever numerical metrics equal same).

However, based on expectations, I think many would’ve like to have seen more from Hagler so, fair or not, that might’ve detracted from people’s perceptions of the ultimate quality.

Duran only “won” in spirit by exceeding what many expected of him however it was a revelation as to how much Hagler respected the power in Duran’s right hand even though Roberto had stretched himself all the way out to MW - some 25 lbs north of Duran’s best P4P weight.

The presence of that right hand stopped Marvin from steam rolling Duran with absolute impunity.

Interestingly I think Hagler also felt the power of the MW version of Ray Leonard - despite majority expectations, Marvin didn’t exactly walk through Ray either.

 

I hate this narrative.

Marvin had not fought a scheduled 15-round fight in 2 1/2 years … then he loses and all of a sudden that’s why?

Maybe he should have legally changed his name to Goldilocks Marvin Hagler instead of Marvelous Marvin Hagler … because he apparently had to have everything just right to win — ring size, number of rounds, glove size, etc.

Losers make excuses. Winners adjust. It has always been so in all of sport.

 

By all accounts he traded those 3 rounds for 3 million dollars.

Considering he was facing a smaller man, with huge ring rust, dropped by a non-punching welter in his last fight and had never fought at middleweight he probably made an astute decision at the time.

Unfortuntely he lost a fight he probably would have won over those last 3 rounds.

Didn´t learn from the Duran fight where he pulled it out (at least in the eyes of the judges) in the championship rounds.

Always felt sorry for Hager going out the way he did but he only has himself and to a certain extent his own ego to blame.

 

Putting something on the table you aren’t really interested in doing just to trade it off is a negotiating tactic.

Again, he had gone 2 1/2 years since his last scheduled 15-rounder. If it was that big of a deal, he wouldn’t have been fighting 12-rounders for more than 2 years before Leonard.

 

As an aging champion, 12, rather than 15, round fights would have favoured Hagler by that stage, in general.

However, specifically versus another aging fighter, who was also smaller and inactive, 15-rounds would have likely favoured Hagler. Certainly, SRL's team thought so if they forfeited an additional $3M in favour of having the bout scheduled over 12.

Btw, I don't think the length of the bout devalues SRL's win whatsoever.

 

Ray Leonard had one of the most insightful comments at ringside on the Hagler Duran fight. He said," Duran throws Hagler off, he can't get into his rhythm ". Hagler was confused and as he said later when asked why he didn't go after Duran earlier,,he replied "You don't barrel in there on a guy like Roberto Duran".. I'm a big Duran fan and when the fight was announced I thought he get ko'ed, Hagler was just to good at that weight. But Duran used all the experience ,guile and savvy to make the distance. Wasn't a great barnburner type fight, but it was fascinating to watch

 

Haglers probably in most peoples top 5 MWs list.. Duran pushing him close over 15 rounds is an impressive feat especially for a MW debut.. you had two of boxing's immortals facing off .. thats pretty special.. doesn't happen often.. Greb Walker is another example.. the fight was good but not a classic, but you're still in awe of it because of who they are.

 

I give it a 7. Its an interesting chess match but as many have alluded to, Hagler really underperformed which made the fight. This is a perfect example of Hagler's bizarre mental weakness. For a guy who always tried to project such a tough guy mentality he really seemed to choke against big names. Leonard, Duran, Antuofermo. People bringing up him jumping on Hearns forget that Hearns had rocked and cut him which prompted Hagler to action. Had Hearns not gone balls to the wall from the start I doubt he would have woken Hagler up and we may have seen another timid chess match by him.

 

Hagler jumped on Hearns from the opening and forced the fight. It was thr one big fight he went balls to the wall and it likely saved him in a fight he could have fallen behind and got stopped on cuts. That fight he was Marvelous.