Hagler: Who didn't he face and why?

How could he possibly have avoided McCallum if they were nowhere near each other's paths during their heydays? McCallum hadn't even jumped up to MW until after Hagler had retired. Hardly a duck.

Same with Graham, who was still too busy fighting overseas defending his Euro MW title at the same time Hagler was getting around to fighting Leonard.

He never fought at LHW because he simply wasn't a LHW. He was a MW through and through, and I seriously doubt Hopkins would've been moving up to face the likes of the fighters you just mentioned either. There's a very big gap between Antonio Tarver and Michael Spinks.

 

By the time Graham was in line for a shot, hagler was setting up the Leonard fight.Had Graham been able to get fights with other contenders quicker he may have got his shot.bad timing for him and he was never on Haglers radar, being simply an obscure contender outside of Britain at the time.

McCallum should have fought at middleweight if he wanted a shot.he sure as hell was big enough to.If anything he cheated himself by not campaigning there imo.

 

McCallum's talking through his arse if he said that. He lost his first chance at the 160 title anyway. Mike often seemed to drink from the Larry Holmes cup full of whine.

 

They were very near each others paths during their heydays. Well Hagler's anyway. McCalllum wasn't at his best until the late 80's. He was looking for a title shot at jr middleweight back in 84 and didn't got it late in the year against Mannion. And Hagler was only the weight above. And don't tell me McCallum putting on 3 or 4lbs would have been a problem. I'm not saying Hagler ducked McCallum, but things weren't as far apart as you make out.

McCallum was probably too 'green' to face Hagler back then. But thats irrelevant anyway, "who would have won" etc. The fight could have been possible.

 

How is it irrelevant? Heyday is another word for prime, and the fact remains that neither fighter's primes, or "heydays", crossed paths, which is what I said. There is no argument that Hagler ducked McCallum, or that McCallum was even on Hagler's radar at the time a fight could've possibly, but not probably, been made.

 

Laugh all you want, but a fight with Frank Fletcher in 1982 would've been fierce while it lasted.... Fletcher had that "Animal" style that guaranteed a good scrap..... Though, Marvin Hagler would have KILLED Fletcher in 4 or 5 rds.... OH! The early '83 loss to Wilford Scypion ruined Fletcher's title shot....:blood

MR.BILL

 

He ducked McCallum about as much as he ducked Duane Thomas.

 

McCallum was legit, but Duane Thomas was a "Flash" over the sky fighter.... Hagler kills Duane Thomas with ease...... "Hagler-Thomas" would NOT draw flies to the arena....

 

McCallum's only legit in hindsight, not in 1986 or before- and Mike couldn't draw flies to a bucket of **** never mind an arena.

 

Herol Graham wasn't nearly established enough in the '85-86' timeframe to warrant a shot against Hagler. Graham lost most of his big fights, 0-4 against McCallum, Kalambay, Jackson. I don't think anybody was ducking him, especially not Hagler. McCallum didn't fight a MEANINGFUL middleweight fight until Kalambay in '88. Hagler was fighting megafights at the end of his career, 1 a year: Hearns, Mugabi, Leonard. Hagler fought Mugabi and Hearns fought Shuler. There was talk that the winners would meet. Historically McCallum is a far better fighter than Mugabi, but Mugabi was 25-0 all by knockout. He had captured the public's imagination. Hagler fought whoever the Petronelli's and Bob Arum put in front of him. That usually came down to who could generate the most dollars.I don't think you can say he ducked anybody. He walked the WBA/WBA mandatory challenger tightrope for several years.

 

As far as Light Heavyweight, I never remember much clamor for Hagler to move up.

 

Because McCallum wasn't in his prime, doesn't mean that it could not have taken place. Although two fighters in their prime makes a stronger case for a match to be made. I said previously that Hagler never ducked him, well certainly no evidence suggests he did. But your reasoning why he 'outright' never ducked him IMO is far away. Mugabi moved up from jr middleweight and fought Hagler in 1986. A year earlier around the time Hagler fought Hearns was Mugabi on his radar? No. Around 84-86 it was hardly a million miles away and not possible.

What I mean regards to be being irrelevant is McCallum being too 'green' and the argument anyone has to who would have won.

Ducking is used to often for my liking, and I'm not accusing Hagler of it here.

 

I think the other posters basically beat me to it, by pointing out why these matches never happened. But, you and I both know that even if they had occurred, they would have been blatant robberies.....

 

As champ he didn't miss anybody even going over the same opponents. Antuofermo, Hamsho and Fully Obel.
The 1 glaring omission on his resume is Leonard 2.
According to George Kimball's 4 kings this fight could of been made.
Leonard left the door open for a return even goading Hagler publicly on the Oprah show. Hagler just didn't want to know.
Imagine what a crushing win over Leonard could of done for his all time standing.