Hagler would have sealed the deal for me if he had stopped a natural lightweight in devastating fashion. Stopping a natural lightweight wouldn't have been anything to shout about actually, but it's better than being taken 15 rounds in your prime against one. Also fighting Hearns in a rematch rather than fight an inactive Leonard, who he thought was easy pickings, would have enhanced his standing. Hagler backed away from a Hearns rematch after he the gruelling fight with Mugabi. The public deserved the Hagler-Hearns rematch, but Hagler took the easier fight on paper with more dollar on offer. He wanted to retire and ride off into the sunset with a fat pay cheque and an easy knockout over the inactive and less dangerous Leonard. That came back to bite him on the ass. Hagler could easily have stepped up to 175lbs with some help from Mackie Shilstone, who helped Spinks bulk up to heavyweight. Hopkins done this after his career was on the brink of being finished after his controversial decision losses to Taylor. He never went out of the sport a loser. He made a statement by regrouping and setting himself challenges.
HEARNS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The most exciting of the four!! If it wer'ent for his flaws (chin and stamina),could he have been the best of the four? To this day I really wish there was a Hagler Hearns 2. A more filled out Hearns with better legs and minus the broken hand would have been interesting,especially with Hagler beginning to fade at this time..
I dont question Leonard's greatness. I'm just saying I wanted to see more of him because some career moves appear suspcious. I guess I'm just not as satisfied with those 3 wins. They're good wins but not great ones. I think great would have been a win over Norris at age 34. It would have proven alot I think. A win over Nunn in 89 would have been better. A win over McCallum at 160 would surely have impressed like the one kalambay had As for Hagler, I dont see the honor in brutalizing a fat lightweight in Hearns like fashion. I wasnt impressed with his win either but a KO would have proved nothing IMO. but the type of win you mentioned over Hearns actually meant something. What can I say, Hagler had his hands full with Mugabi but I dont think he retired too soon as people in the media have said. Not his fault they werent following his career. Do you consider the Mugabi fight a ripoff? Maybe John, the near equal of Tony Ayala Jr., age 26, 26-0 record (26 ko's) wasnt worth the public's money. Didnt see anyone complaining after the fight though. At the very least, I didnt see or hear anyone calling Hagler a chicken for taking that fight. And he already took out Hearns in 3. Not 14 rounds, but 3 rounds so he cant be blamed for not taking the rematch. He didnt give Sibson a rematch either. at any rate i dont have anything bad to say about hagler other than he gave a lackluster, unimpressive and baffling performance against Duran. He looked like he was holding back and pulling his punches and even slowing the pace intentionally. With Leonard, if he wanted to be the best, then more is demanded of him. You can't be called the best and leave with a 36-3-1 record. No one would believe it. No defenses at 154. none at 160. none at 168. I dont think that's coincidence either. And only 4 at 147. He should have been more like Cuevas, setting the record at 11 defenses. That is why i say Pipino was really the best. If you want to be a real Sugar Ray then you have to be more like Roy Jones Jr. To me he will always be the real sugar ray of our generation and the fastest since a young fighter named Hector Camacho. I even used to call him the new sugar ray when I watched him dispatch Percy Harris. he took the best qualities of Ali and Robinson and blended them together to dominate a host of opponents at every division between 160and heavyweight. No tricks, no gimmicks, no phony layoffs.
The boxing public wanted to see Hagler-Hearns II as well. But once Hagler looked into the mirror in the dressing room after his hard fought victory over Mugabi, he probably said to himself "Hearns was in lethal form tonight while I sat watching my monitor in the dressing room when he knocked out Schuler". That prompted Hagler to do a U-turn and give the lamest excuses he's ever given. He told the world he needed to rest and also thought of retiring. When the inactive Leonard came along, he accepted the challenge. This was a natural welterweight who was dropped by a journeyman, Kevin Howard, as Hagler laughed from his ringside seat. Nobody have the smaller and less powerful Leonard a chance against the middleweight monster of the 80's. Hagler clearly went for the dollars and the easier fight. It was the worst mistake he ever made. It might well have been a mistake either way. Fighting Hearns was something that sent shudders through his body. Hearns made the mistake of getting involved in a war, and was hampered with a broken right hand after the first round. A newly energized and refocused Hearns with a new gameplan wasn't something he would entertain. Too risky. Leonard was the one he wanted. No way could this inactive HBO commentator even last the distance with him. :good
DURAN, WAS THE MAN WITH THE MASTER pLAN... lbflb he was far better than anyone..if he trainer proper from 119lbs to 160 he was incredible..he aint no OR
It's strange how seldom these aspects of Hagler's career is mentioned. He failed to take on McCallum and Curry, and to give Hearns a rematch. Instead he went for the payday (who wouldn't though) and when that didn't go as planned Leonard gets stick for "luring" Hagler and tricking the judges. Many other ATGs would be eaten alive for things that are not even mentioned when it comes to Hagler: 1. He failed to fight perhapst the best natural MWs of the mid 80's. 2. His best wins are over a natural WW and a 33-year old natural LW, and he didn't rematch any of them. 3. He lost to a natural WW coming off a looong lay-off. Jones or Leonard would have been ripped over such marks on their resumes, but when it comes to Hagler it's rarely mentioned.
When I grow up I want to be Roberto Duran. He's a ****in animal. He's a loon. He's a boxer. He's a fighter. He's funny. He's menacing. He wants to kill Leonard. He wants to kill anyone who reminds him of Leonard. He wants to kill. He was born to kill. He's a ****in geezer. The Marvellous One for a long time has been one my all time favourite fighters, love the guy and he would have to be second, though I've been watching Thoms Hearns more lately. I still will Hearns on to beat SRL, but the ******* dvd never changes! I do not care for Ray Leonard. I agree with a lot of Red Rooster's arguments against the saccharine one even.
In terms of excitement: 1)Duran/Hearns. 3)Leonard. 4)Hagler. All of them were pretty exciting though. In terms of p4p greatness: 1) Duran. 2)Leonard. 3) Hearns. 4) Hagler.
i think it depends how high you rank Hagler as a middleweight if hes top 1 or 2 hes normally ahead of Hearns. They both achieved alot so it is close but i edge towards Hagler as i think he is the best MW ever.