Hagler says: "Winner of Leonard vs Hearns 2 gets me for the MW Championship 9 months later". Hearns wins by Split decision and moves on to the Hagler fight. SRL continues to plot on how not to fight Hagler at that stage of his career.
I think it's up in the air in 1984.. As it was, their 1989 rematch was a closer and better fight than most give it credit for. I like most others felt that hearns got robbed with that draw, but it was hardly decisive. Leonard despite being dropped twice was a bit busier and had hearns rocked plenty in that fight. And the was after only having fought twice in five years and facing the hitman above 160 where Tommy would always have an advantage.. Five years earlier, in a lower weight class and with a more active and less rusty Lenard and I wouldn't be surprised to see Ray prevail.
Hearns was devastating as 154. He found a perfect weight class where he was still very strong without losing his quickness. His legs were strong at Jr. Middle. He beats Leonard based off the experience of their first fight and the 7lbs difference.
Nobody else ever did that to Duran undersized or not. Duran even fought some good punchers at 160 and Hagler and Barkely and they didn`t come close to duplicating Hearns feat.
Hearns at 6' 1, and Duran at 5'7. Tommy said Duran appeared to be intimidated when around him....kinda quiet...knowing they would have to fight in the future. Duran was stripped of the WBA junior middleweight title prior to fighting Hearns and not Mike McCallum, the mandatory challenger. Duran basically knew beforehand what was going to happen to himself....and fought like it.
Iran Barkley was 6-1, Duran 5-7 Duran beat him and wasn`t intimidated at all. Point is Hearns was just a badass force at 154lbs. Its not up for debate.
It's really hard to say because we don't know who Leonard would have fought from 1982-1984 if he had not retired. He might have fought Hagler, and gotten ruined Now if he fought Hearns in '84 coming off retirement, you'd have to favor Hearns.
Ernie Singletary UD, Murray Sutherland UD, Luigi Minchillo UD, Fred Hutchings TKO.....all Jr. Middleweight legends. Remember when Hearns was training for the Hagler fight originally, and he fell and hurt his "pinkie" finger, and postponed the fight....and Hagler laughed and said: "For the kind of money we can make from this bout.....I would have cut that finger off and fought anyhow".