Hagler: Who didn't he face and why?

Robbi hit the nail......... To me, its hard to gain acceptance into the H.O.F. if nobody in the sporting world really gives a damn if you fight or not.... Mike McCallum was very good during his career.... BUT! Hardly anyone really knew of him outside of boxing fanatics.... You know what I'm saying?

 

Think Hagler fought any all legit contenders for the MW title. Going up to LH wasn't an option, nor a need with Duran, Hearns coming up.

 

Leonard was saing that only to save face publically. He knew Hagler was retired he could have taken the fight in 82 if he was really interested but he didnt because he knew it would be a grotesque mismatch. Leonard's chin not the stuff of legends.

 

I see you have witnessed the ferocity of the animal.

as for McCallum, it was too late for Hagler was already out to pasture where all shells end up. Anyways, Mike was too busy with Curry and didnt get his first shot until the following year, which he lost. What has he really done at middleweight?

I feel Mike is a good technical fighter with decent skills and power but lacks the brusing power of Roldan, the destructive combinations of Sibbo, the speed and agility of Nunn, and the frightening intensity of the animal.

 

:hammertime

 

:hi:

 

McCallum was better than all those guys. Nunn would've given him the toughest fight of those four. He probably be leading but get worn down by body shots and taken out by a left hook, similar to the way Toney took him out.

 

This is all correct, apart from the chin bit..

 

Mike has good skills, sort of like a quasi Ray Robinson of his time. Great durability and longevity. Wins over Kalule, Minchillo, Curry and Jackson - not bad for a career.

As an analyist you have to ask this question: how would he have fared at middleweight during the early 80s? He certainly had his chance but he chose to compete not at 160 but at 154 where the competition was dramatically less intense.

Think about it. No one inluding leonard, Hearns, McCallum or even Ayala dared face the competition for years- Hagler, hamsho, Sibson, Davison, Fletcher, Scypion, Obel, Roldan. It would have been suicide. Only Benitez actually took the bold step but even so didnt work out. Czyz failed. Hearns failed. Ramos failed. Collins failed.

Nunn I give credit to because he competed at this weight and soundly beat his counterpart, stood at the top of the rankings and deservedly so. Nunn deserves credit the way Jones deserves credit for beating Hopkins.

Mike wasnt the best middleweight i have to admit because of the kalambay fight. It wasnt even really close. he perfpormed admirably in the first fight Toney fight but he was getting hurt at the end and I thought James just shaded it although I scored the rematch for Mike.

Judging from his time at 160 I dont believe he would pose a serious threat to the middleweights of Hagler's day

 

Why was Leonard trying to save face?

 

Who wants to be on the Oprah show and admit to ducking out of rematches. He had to say something

 

I think Leonard would of took the rematch for the same reason he talk the first fight.

He thought he could win it.

Oh, and lots of money.

 

This is a very good point, and one that I believe has been overlooked. McCallum was a very talented fighter even as early as the mid 80's, but he was basically a Jr. Middleweight, who would not make noise until he defeated Curry in 1987, at which point Hagler's career was pretty much over with.. Therefore, I agree with you that McCallum is not a man whom Hagler can be legitimately criticized for ducking.

 

I think Hagler could have defended against McCallum,when he fought Mugabi the African was 25 -0 his best win was over Frank Fletcher,at that time McCallum was 27-0 with wins over Jackson ,Mannion,Minchillo,and Braxton,the problem was McCallum was not box office,I dont think Hagler ducked him ,or any body else,he just went for the top dollar.imo.