Billy Conn vs Marvin Hagler at 168lbs who would have won?

Louis actually looked shaky a few times in his first fight with Conn, I thought. In any case, I dont believe that the level of durability that Louis showed in the fight has anything to do with Hagler's chances with Conn.

Anyway I think this is a terrible fight for Hagler to take. Conn will be moving the whole fight while using his reach and weight to keep Hagler on the outside. Hagler will no doubt do his best to soften Conn to the body and try his hand at the jabbing match but he's going to be outskilled. This is not Willie Monroe or Sugar Ray Leonard. This is an ATG light heavyweight with the most elite of the elite outboxing skills. When Hagler finally gives up the boxing match, sporting a swollen right eye and a few cuts for his troubles, he will turn on the aggression and start his usual all out offense. Leaping jabs and hooks, footwork shenanigans, choice left hooks. Except Hagler will be worn down and nearly gassed while Conn has not suffered as much damage. Conn catches Hagler coming in, taking the occasional blow, until he stops him in the late rounds.

 

And the winner by unanimous decision ...Billlllly Conn .

 

And Hagler has yet to fight a light heavyweight with blinding hand and foot speed and a very impressive boxing acumen. Joe Louis had a 76 inch reach, look what (almost) happened.

 

Billy Conn. And Conn weighed anywhere in the neighborhood of 168-174 pounds when he fought Louis and managed to wobble Louis. So Hagler has an iron chin......at middle weight. Conn may have the punch to hurt Hagler and speed similar to Leonard. And a style similar to Leonard.

And Hagler, although a great middle weight puncher, doesn't have the heavyweight punching power of Louis to bail him out.

To put it in perspective, I also wouldn't expect Hagler, weighing one sixty anything to be competitive with Joe Louis. At least not for long.

 

Marcos Gearldo could dance around Hagler without eating too much leather , so Conn would definitely cause him fits.
Conn would be a bad match up for Hagler imo

 

Hearns due to his frame was closer to a natural light heavyweight. I'd pick Hearns over Hagler at lhw. Draining down costs him some of his natural physical advantages

 

Conn by UD. Bugger all middles would beat him at 168.

 

Here is an experienced southpaw fighter who split with Conn...for discussion purposes:

Young Corbett III
division welterweight/MW
stance southpaw
height 5′ 7½″
121 W 12 L 22 draws
32 KOs 4 KOs

1937-08-13 : Young Corbett III 157 lbs beat Billy Conn 160 lbs by PTS in round 10 of 10

• Location: Dreamland Auditorium, San Francisco, California, USA
• Referee: Jack Downey

Corbett knocked Conn down early in the bout. Conn had been cut over his left eye, from a headbutt, right before being knocked down. After building a substantial lead in the early rounds, Corbett coasted through the 2nd half of the bout, until Conn began to score repeatedly. Corbett awakened in the 9th round, and began to batter Conn, hurting him with a left to the body in the 10th.

Source: Oakland Tribune, which scored the bout for Corbett 5-4-1.

The San Francisco Chronicle scored the bout 5-4-1 in rounds for Conn, feeling that the bout could have been scored a draw "without hurting anybody's feelings."

 

Conn by U Dec!

 

Conn had turned twenty years old just one month previously.