Hagler's best and worst performances

Its strange the way I happened to see it. I was invited to go to NYC a couple days before the fight but I still wasnt planning to see it even though I knew it was going on at the time. I had gone with my brother to keep my cousin company while he went on job interviews. I arrived I think 3 days before the fight and we didnt stay in the city but across the river so it took me a couple days before I knew my way around.

The morning of the fight I was doing some sightseeing and was heading back to the Port Authority to catch the bus back. I was coming from the Empire State building heading north I think when I caught sight of MSG and it was at that time I started thinking about getting a ticket to the fight.

I didnt even know if I had enough cash on me or if seats were still available. I had something like $25 on me and went up to the window to ask and found there were plenty of seats available and that I could get a cheap seat way up high for $20 so I bought one and returned alone later on.

I wasnt that enthusiastic about seeing this fight and had no idea how it would end. I thought Hagler would decision Mustafa. The press thought Hagler would stop him on cuts late.

If I remember correctly, the main started sometime around midnight because I didnt get get picked up until well after 2 am.

Anyways, the fight was a huge success. I didnt care for any of the Olypians in their debut-I just wanted them to be over with so I that could see Hagler. A lot of things I remember but I will spare you the details.

Once the fight was underway, the impression I got was Hagler was off to a rocky start. He just seemed to be struggling and I actually felt that the Hagler-Hearns fight if there was to be one, was in jeopardy.

The second round seemed to me to be closer than it was on tape for some reason but when Hagler unwinded and deposited Hamsho on the floor, the roof almost came down so I must assume there were many fans there whose sole reason was to come watch Hagler, like myself. But this fight, while not Hagler-hearns, carried some real drama-at least for me it did.

I don't remember seeing Hearns in the ring with Hagler tho. I guess I was too far up in the back.

This was much better than the matches I would watch at the Los Angeles Olympic Auditorium a few years earlier-it's so much better watching a big name fighter, especially when it's a big name fighter you like. The only other fight I would have liked to have seen at the Garden was the Duran-Moore fight the year before.

 

What are you talking about?

 

Ok mate it sounded good.

Yeah i like it when you dont plan for things to happen, and you just get around to doing them.

 

Maybe not worst, but when i have plenty of time i will describe at length why i think he was totally ordinary that night.

I remember the fight as it was at the time, the pre fight hype, the Hagler hype and the massive amount of respect Hagler lost before making most people forget with a great effort vs Hearns. I lived it. More than one great observer said they should have taken away the "Marvellous" monicker from Hagler and placed it in front of Duran.

 

Duran did a great job in his fight with Hagler!

A lot of people knock Duran for all the wrong reasons.

 

Then it's in the middle, so it shouldn't be in this thread.

 

You won't see a boxer looking much more like a boxer than in that fight, Hagler moved flawlessly. Didn't land as many clean punches as usual though and the finish wasn't convincing, so I wouldn't rate it in the top five.

I think I would select the second Obelmejias fight as Hagler's best, but there's no real reason to choose that over any of the others from that era. Hagler often performed very well.

 

Next time i'll ask for your royal permission to post an opinion eh?

 

F him and his royalty :smoke

He looks better backing a tomato can HW "champ" :good

 

If you think it was Hagler's worst performance then you have permission to post.

You'd still be wrong, of course.

 

Sorry, what?

 

What? You want me to add three letters to the F?

 

No, I want you to explain the heavyweight part.

 

Just looking at your avatar/username... or are there other classic boxers from Manassa?

Regarding those extra three

 

I've already posted :good

I'll add later an in depth personal analysis, most will still disagree but you just never know, i mightn't end up totally alone in my views.

There's no substitute for "living" the time, and i am envious of the likes of a Johnny Garfield.