What if Leonard, not Thomas Hearns had faced Marvin Hagler in thier epic fight. Could Leonard have pulled out a victory against this version of Hagler?
Nope. Plus, Marvin still was throwing those straight as an arrow darts of his. Not those looping wide shots he had in 87. I really wonder how effective Marvin would've been against both Hearns and Mugabi throwing those kinds of punches as his offense if they'd have fought the 87 version as well.
Hagler was already slipping by 1985 but he still had enough stamina, speed, sharpness and hunger left to deal with Leonard (the four things that he really lacked in the 87 fight). Would have still been a competitive one though. Hagler UD 12 rounds; late stoppage in a 15 rounder.
this was haglers last great performance i dont think leonard could beat him incidently i have just been watching alot of hagler, he is IMO the most complete middleweright ever
at this point, Hagler was utilizing just a fraction of his once lethal powers we witnessed in the Minter and Lee fights but were still capable enough to easily destroy Leonard. Ray with his clever moves and speed causes Marvin some initial problems and frustration but only for the first round and a half. Marvin's attack would start gathering steam late in the second (ala Hamsho rematch) Early in the third, Ray begins to realize the folly of his ill timed comeback, thinking "despite my mastery of the sport, I'm still a beginning middleweight while Marvin is far, far more!" Hagler's attack grows ever stronger; his ferocity is beyond human comprehension. Hagler senses that Leonard is rapidly weakening and senses the kill. He launches his final attack. Straining his powers of mobility to the absolute limit, Leonard tries to avoid Hagler's piledriver blows. He fails. Again and again, Hagler pummels the legendary Sugar Ray--striking with a ferocity that would astound the most brutal of men. A final mind shattering hook ends this one-sided little encounter in the third. The aftermath: Leonard speaks into the mike "It's over. Never have I faced an opponent who was so thoroughly ruthless--so incredibly powerful! Perhaps if I'd waited a couple more years for Marvin to slow down, the result might have been different. Tonight was my last fight. I'm through with boxing"
