If Hagler Had Faced...?

Gets outslicked by Kalambay and Nunn. Close but competitive win against McCallum. Mauls Jackson.

 

That version of Hagler walks Kalambay down and stops him late, knocks out Jackson in the mid rounds, McCallum goes this distance but loses a very close decision and Nunn gets stopped late while having some moments.

Had the fight taken place after the Leonard fight, he loses all of them but Jackson. If you can survive Jackson's power which Hagler could, he was very beatable.

 

At his prime--lets say 'Scypion'. He goes through them all. Not much trouble and would cause significant wear and tear on them. After facing Hearns/Mugabi/Leonard he'd lose 2 if not 3 of them with those diminished reflexes. Real tough facing that kind of youth when you are the old guy.

Put old Leonard or old Hearns in those shoes and they won't come out perfect either.

 

Stops Kalambay, Jackson, and Nunn. Decisions McCallum unanimously.

 

I think Nunn at his best (Frank Tate+Kalambay fights) would prove troublesome for Hagler over the first 10 rounds before Hagler takes over to decision him or stop him late.

Julian Jackson would be pounded into a sorry state (think Sibson bout) within 8 rounds.

Kalambay showed real skills in beating Herol Graham and Iran Barkley but his chin was not cast iron.

Taking aside the Nunn debacle, he was floored by an ancient light-middle (not known for his power) champion Ayub Kalule and dropped by another 3 fighters.

His style might give the Marvelous one problems early on but he´s going to be stopped in 9.

McCallum has the best chance, Hagler is going to have to be at his best but I see him taking a close decision over 15 but an upset is not out of the question.

 

No disrespect intended at all, but I think you’re underrating Hagler here - certainly the 1981-1985 version that the thread is about. Hagler would have been a heavy favourite over each of these fighters.

Leaving aside the fight with Duran, during this period he was taking apart his challengers with a surgical precision; his all-round abilities made him the most complete fighter in the game, a boxer-puncher switch-hitter whose controlled fury and granite chin made him tremendously hard to get any edge on.

I think Jackson would likely be dispatched early and Kalambay and Nunn, while both capable of causing Hagler some early problems, would find Hagler too much over 15. McCallum didn’t really have any significant weaknesses to his game - perhaps a lack of speed and less-than-stellar power at 160. Hagler, though, had all the same tools in his box but just better versions of them. McCallum would last the distance but I’m not sure about Kalambay and Nunn, once Hagler got to them. I think he would get to them, though - he was just that good.

 

Hi Buddy.
Excellent post, agree with all your sentiments entirely, like it when you say " he would get to them " great fighters always do, they have an unshakeable belief in their own capabilities, Monzon was of the same mindset, no matter how well the opponent was doing, no matter how far he might have been behind, he knew, just knew that his unwavering stoic, fighting style would eventually pay dividends, these two were also mentally strong, you can cut them, you can knock them down, but that doesn't deter these type of fighters, one of my fav fantasy fights is Hagler v Monzon, my oh my, what a titanic tussle that would have been, alas the timing was out, so yes Hagler beats all of them, points/KO we don't know, but win he will.
stay safe Jel, chat soon.
Mike.

 

The Mike Nunn Overrating Era is in full swing.

 

Not much trouble?

What did he do to suggest this?

There’s nothing to suggest that he’d have beaten a guy like McCallum with ease.

 

Agree with all of this, just not convinced McCallum could spring an upset against Hagler. I just think Hagler was that bit better all round.

 

There's no reason to believe Hagler would lose to any of them