Benitez vs Hagler considering Duran's performance?

I believe The version of Benitez that beat Duran
convincingly would give Hagler fits. What Benitez
did best (Defense, countering) was the style
Hagler had his issues with.
Perhaps this is the reason he didn't respond to
Benitez when he called him out to fight.

 

Wilfred deserved a fight with Marvin so that we’d have had a true Fab Five with all five facing each other at least once. He fought Leonard, Hearns and Duran and just needed Hagler to complete the set.

There’s a nice window when it could have happened after Benitez beat Duran in eagerly 1982. He didn’t fight again until Hearns at the end of hte year.

But Marvin’s dance card was full with important showdowns vs. Caveman Lee and Fully Obel (in a rematch of a fight where Hagler won every round and stopped Obelmejias in eight the previous year).

Too bad the Marvelous one didn’t either skip Caveman or schedule it for a few months later after stopping Lee (or paying Obel step-aside like he did with Roldan a few times).

 

Wilfred Benitez simply wasn’t made for middleweight.

 

If Hagler was being troubled by being boxed he would go from boxer puncher to pressure fighter, Benitez had nothing to offensively trouble Hagler with ..............another pressure fighter at MW gave Benitez a fit. Benitez wasn't built for the MW division.

 

I agree Hagler would win, or at least most likely he would, but that’s not a reason for them not to have fought.

Nobody thought Caveman Lee or Fully Obel (in a rematch after being dominated and KO’d the first time) was going to beat Hagler but he fought them in the year he could have made room on his schedule for Wilfred … which would have probably been a PPV fight rather than a routine defense.

Too bad it didn’t happen. Even if Hagler had won, he might have found himself flummoxed at times and been mentally challenged. Surely Lee and Obel didn’t provide that.

 

That version of Duran that Benitez beat was still in a fog. He then lost to Kirkland Laing. Wilfred might have put on a good fight but there was a reason no one was jumping up then to fight Hagler, He was in a beast mode. Hearns and Leonard both turned down fights with him, Tommy actually pulled out with as Marvin described,,,a hurt pinky. It wasn't till Duran went 15 that others started to think about fighting Hagler. Could Benitez beat Marvin? He'd have some slick moments but I can't see avoiding Hagler for 15 rounds. Probably Hagler by stoppage around the 10th or 11th round.

 

Wilfred called Hagler out after the Duran fight.

I don’t think it’s fair to put it on him as unwilling when he was asking for it. Hagler instead fought Caveman Lee and took off most of the year before fighting Fully Obel again. Could have certainly fit in a fight (that would have been bigger and for more money than either of those) in between.

 

the size issue would prob always be the deciding factor.

benitez would have his moments but it wouldn't be enough.

 

I don’t know that a Benitez who stepped up to middle after Duran would have been the same damaged version we got a little later.

Wilfred was like a car whose warranty ran out at a certain point and then everything started breaking down — reflexes, punch resistance, probably some stuff in his brain. He was engaging in organized fights on the street against adults or at least older teenagers when he was still a child.

The damage was done even if it took a while to catch up with him. It was a matter of when the wheels were going to fall off, and when they did he was a total wreck.

 

I love Hagler but I feel like tricky defensive fighters would've been troublesome for him. For example had his reign started a bit later on and went into late 80s and maybe early 90s. Fighters like Kalambay, Toney, Graham, would've been very tough stylistic match ups for him.

As for Benitez I think he would give Hagler problems, but I see Hagler catching up to him in the 2nd half of the fight and stopping him.

 

I just think Duran was both a stronger and more durable guy

 

It was in the works until Benitez was muscled by Mustafa Hamsho if I remember correctly. That gives me the impression that middleweight was a bridge too far for him.

 

I think Marvin edges Benitez and stops him late. It is just my feeling right now.. Benitez fought great at 154, but 160 was unsurmountable.