Who did Marvin Hagler Call the Hardest Puncher He Ever Fought?

In his Best I Faced interview, he listed Mugabi and Hearns as the hardest punchers and Mugabi as the strongest fighter he ever faced.

I imagine those sentiments can change by the day when you face so many tough opponents. (Oddly he didn't mention Leonard as either the fastest or best, both going to Duran).

 

Please show the footage and the moment where Hearns wobbled Hagler bvrcause Ive watched the first round dozens of times and never m ever saw him wobbled ... at best I see hit landing a hard right that Hagler rolled with and did not blink .... Ive looked time and again of Otha big shot and never saw it ... anyone please post it ... I actually never saw Hagler seriously hurt ..

 

Did anyone actually hurt Hagler lol

 

Hagler was likely hurt a lot more than he lets on or we can see, he always struck me as a very good boxer that didn’t really have a reputation for a crazy punch sponge chin based on his fights, Hagler wasn’t the only man to take shots from Hearns and Mugabi (just guys seen as his biggest feat) I think he had a good chin of course (no doubt) but I think his defence far exceeded it.

 

There are hints in the Mugabi fight, watch it and see Hagler change in a few ways across it and deploy more “safe” measures.

 

Roldan had him down. Just couldn’t finish him.

 

Not that he invited being hit squarely but Hagler had a great chin.

If anything, I recall a Hearns’ right that appeared to shift Marvin bodily - such was the force (same effect as a serious shove) but I didn’t detect Marvin being so much hurt otherwise.

While he still carried amazing whiskers into the Mugabi fight I guess his perception of how hard he was being hit would be hard to divorce from any deteriorations he might’ve been subject to up to that point in time.

Suffice to say, Marv warred with some serious punchers many years prior to.

Earnie Shavers was a huge puncher of course but I would suspect that by 1977, though he still held a terrific beard, Ali’s own resistance might’ve already been degraded - perhaps lending to a higher relative rating of Earnie’s power as compared to previous opponents who clearly hurt a younger, less worn/torn Ali also.

 

Where in the tape of the fight was he hurt “ worse than he lets on”? When have you seen him hurt ? He had at least fifteen televised fights and another ten on YouTube. I’m not being disrespectful, seriously asking…

 

In the Mugabi fight I remember there being subtle tells @greynotsoold pointed it out for me a long while ago, I tended to agree with him when I rewatched the bout. I don’t think he was hurt that often in his career he had a great defence, look for these sorts of things in his other bouts perhaps.

“There were signs that Hagler was bothered considerably. He didn't throw his left hand laser straight as he usually did; he looped it, to get his head out of the way of counters. He went from leftie to orthodox constantly, and I think that was due to Mugabi's body punching. A lot of little signs all through the fight.”

 

Maybe watch it again with your glasses on

 

Yep, it was at the end of a round, late in the fight I think.

Cyclone landed a hard left hook that may have hurt Hagler.

Yeah, Hagler took them well. He may have been stunned early on when Hearns landed 2 right hands that caused him to hold on, but he recovered quickly. I think he was affected more by that left hook from Hart.

Hagler’s game plan to turn into a bull against Tommy worked so well and was important for a couple of reasons. Not only was Hearns extremely difficult to outbox at long range, but his right hand was most dangerous when he got some distance on it. Hagler made it difficult for Hearns to get full leverage on it.

 

Perhaps a response from someone with knowledge on the topic instead of a typical internet keyboard blowhard ?

 

That is a good possible place to look (Hart) who was a monster puncher ... I'll try to find something..

 

Hearns and Mugabi.

 

Hagler was stunned for sure by that right to the temple. It froze him for a bit, even prompted Hagler to grab for a clinch briefly. He didn’t “wobble” though. Still, you can indeed visibly see where the punch bothered him.