If Leonard fought Hearns in 1978 and its effects on history

You saying Pipino beats Roberto you mug & a younger motivated 147 Duran who handed Leonard his arse in Montreal ai'nt go no chance against Marvin in 81:smoke

 

No Duran doesn't have a chance against Hagler in 81, but I'm sure you had Duran winning their actual fight anyway

 

Yeh Duran beating Hagler & hitting Hagler all night long with that countering righthand + controlling the flow of the fight up too the 13th round when even Hagler & his corner new that they were in trouble. As the judges quite rightly said: Duran fought the smarter fight & Duran is definetly the winner after 12 rounds & that 12th round showed what a great boxer Duran was as he rattled of right hand after right hand form offence & counter onto Haglers head & totally in control

Obviously you're an Al "Wankbag" Bernstein lover & more concerned in listening too Bernsteins melodramatic squarking soundbites instead of paying attention to the superb boxing of Duran.

You could say Hagler pinched it by winning 14 & 15 but these & the 6th round were the only rounds that you could say were conclusive for Hagler & Duran gets the early rounds & mid-late, this fight was a coin toss for some of the rounds & you either go for Hagler trundling foreward or Duran's counters so next time take Bernsteins **** out of yer ears & turn the volume down so you can really appreciate the masterfull Duran at work challenging for the undisputed Middlewieght Crown in his 1st ever fight at Middleweight & appreciate a master at work totally nuetralising Haglers work & dishing out plenty of his own.

Haglers face at the end of the 15th tells it's own story:yep He knew that he'd been run real close & was anything but confident of victory & thats why Duran was circling around Hagler & his corner at the end screaming at Hagler "You're no great Champion"

 

I thought Duran said 'Not so marvelous now', I'm a big fan of Duran's boxing skill, but as person he comes across as 1 of the biggest dicks in boxing history, perhaps that arrogance and lack of class what made him so brilliant in the ring, which he doubt was

Hagler timed his fight well for a 15round fight to win. Winning the championship rounds is never 'stealing a fight', its winning a fight in the dash to the finnish. Duran is a tough style for Marvin but as a MW Hagler is too strong and too complete for Duran to beat him.

SO no I don't think Duran beats Hagler over 12rounds because Hagler would up his pace in rounds 11-12 in a 12round bout instead of saving it for the championship rounds. And no I don't think a 1981 Duran does any better

 

Similar fight as the 1981 fight just sloppier. By 1981 Hearns and Leonard were sharper and at championship level.

 

For other fighters, I agree easily. However, Tommy didn't have much left in terms of a career outside of boxing. And to top it off he's the top Kronk prospect. That's one of the reasons I doubt an early loss would do anything to him. One loss to a man that's the Olympic champion? Hearns would probably look at it as experience towards his career.

Hell, Henry Armstrong and Bernard Hopkins lost their first fights. Didn't stop them from rolling through their divisions.

For other guys, lesser known fighters, I'd give the notion of quitting in their favor. Just like I'd assume that Sugar Ray Leonard wouldn't quit after an early loss either.

 

If the fight did happen back then, it would be a ninth round stoppage for Leonard, Tommy didn't have that experience, would probably still be a great fighter, but it probably would be another year or two after 1980.Ray would still win the title a year later, probably a couple of months earlier.