I would like to see Monzon in a firefight with Hagler along the ropes....then we would find out if Monzon's right could keep Hagler off him.
Longhorn71, IMO Hearns' posseses a much better right hand than Monzon. Much faster, better power. That being said...Monzon wouldn't elect to get in a firefight with Hagler. If he would have approached Hagler that way, I don't think he would win. Monzon would tie up Hagler in a clinch, go back to boxing and ultilzing left jabs and straight rights. Forcing Hagler to initiate. When Hagler got close enough to punch, Monzon would grab him and frustrate him...I think that scenario would play out over and over.
Yep, Monzon has the perfect MW frame to run that scenerio for 15 rounds. (and he probably wouldn't get a pre-fight leg massage as Hearns allegedly did in his fight with Marvin......and ended up getting carried out of the ring by his handlers)
Hearns definitely - it's absolute top tier and conpetes for mantle of the greatest. Having said that Monzon has his own long hard well times right hand that is oft underrated. Definitely a huge weapon for him in it's own right. Unerringly accurate especially later and coming from a surprising distance.
Hearns... Monzon's was good though and still there throughout the fight. Hearns had power and speed but his real 'skill' was hitting the target without the opponent knowing it was coming. Monzon's often looked slow and lethargic but the timing got better as the fight wore on. It was consistent and became more potent as a fight went on.
We would all like to find out about that... i concur with what other people have said on whose right hand is better. However, styles come into play here. Hearns has huge one-punch power, but still not enough to dent Hagler's iron chin. I'd like to draw an analogy with Foreman, even if Hearns' shots were much faster and technically more correct by comparison. Foreman hit much harder than Frazier, but it was Frazier who dropped Ali because that left hook just kept coming. I believe Hagler will stay on his feet, but i think Monzon's consistent, accurate and well timed right hand will take him to a hard fought UD.
Monzon had one of the most effective right hands in the history of the sport. Hearns edge in power is what seperates the two.
Hearn's right hand was more powerful. That much conceded, and a few inches in height and reach, Monzon was stronger and had the better chin. He would have outfought Tommy in close and would have roughted him up like he did Benvenuti to stop him in 7. Monzon was so damned smart and awkwardly clever, and all those guys who thought that he was slow and stiff and so easy to hit learned otherwise. It happened over and over and over again, until Monzon retired as unbeated middleweighjt champion.
