Agreed. I think Hagler would crowd him though and end up walking him down. Hearns could hurt him so he got him out early. Hopkins I don't think had the power to hurt Hagler. I see Hagler winning this. Hopkins was too slow to do what Leonard did to Hagler.
The fight would take place inside for sure. Hopkins wouldn't have the speed to keep the fight anywhere else. And with Hagler, the footwork wouldn't be a huge advantage for Hopkins, who won't be able to just turn him like he does with some of these other less experienced boxers. I agree, I think Hagler takes the decision. I think Bernard is tough enough, and crafty enough to not take too much damage as it goes to the cards. Hopkins would have his moments, and win his rounds for sure, but overall I have to side with the Marvelous One.
Hagler is probably more skilled. He was more technically sound and could fight in more styles than Pacquiao, and from both stances. His straight left was kind of weak though for such a well-rounded, versatile fighter. Pacquiao is more of a physical freak with among the best mixes ever of hand and foot speed. His skills get underrated at times due to his unusual style.
Hearns did fight wrong, but it was hard to box because Hagler was all over him. Hagler usually boxed methodically and suddenly he charged Hearns like a bull, and Hearns had to get respect. Midway through the first, Hearns did get some distance and box from the outside. He was getting distance on his right hand, which was better for him, because that was when his right hand was most deadly (Cuevas, Duran, later against Shuler), when he had distance and got more leverage, not the short right hand that he landed on Hagler very early that stunned him. But Hagler cut him off and kept getting to him. The 2nd round and 3rd round, Hearns kept trying to box and move, both laterally and on the backfoot, but Hagler kept getting to him. It was one of the best displays (on Hagler's part) of fighting out of one's usual style to perfection. It's not like he changed his style against a scrub or merely a GOOD fighter, he did it against Tommy Hearns.
Nobody. Is saying who would win if they fought..OP is simply asking who was the better southpaw fighter in their respective times... its not hard to comprehend that tinman:deal
Good points. It was Hearns' game plan to box Hagler from the outside but Hagler wasn't having any of that. If Hearns hadn't broke his right hand on Hagler's hard head in the first round, I think the fight would have lasted a bit longer but Hagler would have probably stopped him eventually. Hagler took Hearns best shot in the first round so I don't see Hearns stopping him later.
I agree. I think Hagler has two advantages here. He's a southpaw, which can cause Hopkins's great defense problems, and he has the ability to switch to brawling if he needs to in this fight. If he finds that boxing Hops isn't working, I can see him pushing the pace and overwhelming him with high activity from that southpaw stance. I can see Hagler winning a decision in this one. Admittingly, I'm of the opinion that Hops is very overrated though :deal
I think its the wrong question. See everyone will just say , oh its definitely Marvin blah blah blah , For me Manny has the better left , However who is the better southpaw?, I will give you a different answer its Marvin by far and his right hand jab is still the best southpaw jab ever.
I've always considered his jab great, but best southpaw jab ever? That's a bold and great compliment! I guess I never really thought about it "just for southpaws." I just have always said he had a great jab, but when you break it down like that... It's probably a short list of lefties that measure up with the Marvelous One's jab.