Marvin wasn't yet ready, his draw with Antufermo was still a full 2 years away, he would have been a bit greener again and Monzon tougher.
Monzon would have taken Hagler to school at that stage in my opinion. I wonder how this loss would have affected Hagler's career trajectory? It's possible that he would actually make it a better fighter sooner?
So is this fight supposed to take place at the end of Chuckie's career? I made my post thinking it was prime for prime.
Hagler wasn't quite ready for the big one in 1977 as his huge points loss to Monroe and his struggle with Colbert prove. Carlos UD. 145-140.
Monzon defeated TWICE a prime, red-hot Rodrigo Valdez. If you want to talk about an underrated fighter it would be Valdez. He would have been a real superstar if it weren't for Monzon. Carlos, at the very end of his career, would have likewise had enough in the tank to decision Hagler as well. It would have been as close as the Valdez fights but Monzon would have taken him. Monzon was an extraordinary fighter, not just an every day champion. He would have dominated or at least cleanly defeated any middlleweight champion of history. He was as dominant if not more so than Ali or Duran were in theirs.
Hagler was still learning his trade, whilst in his final defence Monzon was beating the very underrated Valdez (again). Hagler's comming out fight was Colbert later that year; if he fought Monzon in July he would not have enough to compete with Monzon. Monzon WU15 (11-4)
This wouldn't be a jabbing contest like people think with Marvin at the end of Monzon's jab - I think Marvin might even intimidate him because of his superior athletic abilties so the edge has to go to Hagler. Forget about Dinner's account of the Colbert fight, who never saw it to begin with. Marvin had been decimating the competition in a way Monzon rarely did and had the edge in almost every area you could think of except experience. But what southpaw did Monzon face from the States? I don't think he faced many in his career. If you look at the films, Monzon's punches, especially the jab, came out at you in slow motion and could accurately be described as a pawing jab rather than a head snapping waepon that rivalled the best jabs in history (Camacho ) marvin's a southpaw anyhow so Carlos wouldn't have any success with the jab and in fact, it is marvin who'd be doing all the scoring. on top of that marvin busted you up with his, monzon never did and the reach advantage is misleading because of his height. Marvin puts them together better than Monzon who was never a combination puncher anyhow, expecially on the inside. The only way Marvin can lose if he tires badly in the late rounds. In the end, monzon's reputation for heavy smoking and disregard for training catches up with him as flounders late while Hagler gains strength and momentum. The fact that he understimated the challenge of Hagler would be his downfall and finally loses his title to the greatest middleweight of all time.
Hagler's youth and enthusiasm would be well countered by Monzon's great experience. Monzon's boxing brain worked superbly because he was always so composed, never one to be overawed. Hagler would be juiced up on nervous energy and have good spells, but make mistakes that Carlos would punish with his array of punches as he fights at a calculated pace. Even prime 4 prime, Marvin does not possess the needed trickery to take away from Monzon's + points. Hagler would box with him and have to contend with a more powerful, awkward target. Monzon's uncanny knack to casually lean out of harms way would make Marvin over-reach with his bread n' butter, and then Carlos would chop away. Hagler was fantastic at everything, but Monzon would confuse him. His '****/stop then shoot' style of punching would leave Hagler nonplussed before he copped those round stealing corkers. UD for King Carlos in any situation.
This was around the time that Hagler won the Mass version of the world middleweight title. He was smoking them. The more I think about it the more I think Monzon would have been soundly beaten.
What I said came out wrong, lol. I do believe Monzon is the better fighter though and think by this time he still could have won in a very, very close fight and probably a SD for Monzon. However, if this is Hagler during his title reign, I'd have to give to the edge to him.