Hagler-Hopkins

Why not the Hopkins who fought at middleweight, since that is where Hagler did all his fighting ?

 

which hagler shows up?

the duran/leonard hagler?

or the minter/hamsho/hearns hagler?

 

Was Hopkins bigger than , Mijiares ,Monroe,Scypion,Hart?
Stronger than Hamsho,Roldan,Briscoe?
Did he hit harder than Hart,Hearns,Mugabi?

 

I've got Hopkins on a decision, he's got the height and reach advantages on Hagler and would be able to match him with rough tactics.

 

Many fighters had height and reach advantages over the 5 9" Hagler ,and ended up stretched on the floor.

 

or Minter, Sibson and Antuofermo?

Or Wilford Scypion? (Who KO Magazine had rated as the hardest hitting middleweight in the world at the time.)

Hagler dominated a very strong middleweight division during his career. Excellent contenders like Curtis Parker, Frank Fletcher, Bobby Czyz, James Green and Dwight Davison couldn't even break the ranks of the very top contenders to get a crack at Hagler. One had to be very good just to get a shot against Marv. Only Caveman Lee was widely deemed beforehand to be undeserving of a title challenge, and Hagler dispatched him accordingly. (Lee's shot was supposed to go to injured Kronk stablemate Mickey Goodwin. The much tougher Goodwin would have acquitted himself better than the very chinny Lee, although Goodwin himself hadn't really earned a shot by going through a steel contender.)

Hamsho would have ruled the division without Marv in the way. Hagler took him apart twice, when nobody else could manage it.

 

his middleweight days cover both those aspects as if you watch his first few title fights he is an aggressive boxer puncher but as his career progresses he gets more and more defensive until you end up with the guy who fought Jermaine Taylor, Tarver, Calzaghe and pavlik ( although against pavlik he was aggresive he did alot of veteran tricks)

 

This would be a terribly close match. If anything I believe Marvin was succeptible to mind games by the correct gamer. Duran and Leonard pulled the trick...and history shows us that Hopkins is a master at pre-fight head games.

Hops is talented enough to make this one very close. His ability to crawl into Marv's head might make all the difference between success and defeat.

I'm betting he'd be able to set-up camp in Marv's head. :good

 

That's an interesting post, but the thing is about Hopkins was that his headgames were pretty much based on making the other opponent mad by insulting them and fronting up to them at press conferences / weigh ins.. This would work against him. Hagler was best fighting angry, which he managed to keep under control and used effectively. If Leonard's mind games did work, it was to pacify Hagler. I can't see Hops doing that. Good post though.

 

Thanks for the props. Your response also makes a good point. Could Hops aggrivate Marv just enough to make him fight out of character, as though he were trying to prove something....kind of like how he fought rounds 1-4 trying to outbox Leonard?

Maybe, maybe not. In any event, count on it being a close fight.

 

rubber warrior

hopkins would insult hagler real bad no doubt about it and it might make him have a point to prove, but look at it Hearns insulted Hagler and made him look stupid look what he did to him. Leonard really pissed of Marvin but that was a long term pissing off hopkins would jsut do it when the fight is announced so couldnt reall insult him that much. i think it would come down to skills and wills not mind games

 

No, I think Hops would manipulate Marv into trying to out do him somehow much like Leonard did. THAT's how I see Hops getting inside of Marv's head.

I tend to not make invicible entities out of former greats the way many have about Hagler over the last decade.

 

i probably make hagler better tahn he is as he is one of my faves but i like to think i am fairly unbiased as i like hopkins too. infact i like most boxers.

a prime Hagler IMO if he did get wound up would just go for the kill ala hearns

 

I don't see why you have mentioned punch power, I didn't. I really don't see power as being a major factor in this fight. Neither man would be KO'd or stopped, and both had the power to gain the other's respect. Hagler had better power, but I don't think it would prove to be a great advantage in this fight.

Hopkins was a very big mw, bigger than Hagler, a similar size to Monroe, Scypion, Hart etc. He was also a better boxer than all of them.

Hopkins was a very strong mw, I believe as strong as any mw Hagler faced or at least on a similar strength level as Hamsho, Roldan, Briscoe. He was also a better boxer than all of them.


Whether you think Hopkins would beat Hagler or not, Hopkins does bring something different to the table and he would pose problems for Marvin.

 

You said who did he ever fight who was as big as Hopkins? I gave you 4
You said who did he ever fight who was as strong ? I gave you 3
I threw in the punchers for luck.
Who did Hopkins ever fight at 160 lbs that was anywhere near Hagler's league?