If Hearns had never faught Haglar, Would his legacy be better or worse?

As far as the legacy thing goes, the fights that hurt Tommy most were the Barkley fights.

The Hagler fight was the kind of thing you just don't see in the sport in recent times--a really terrific fighter was going to lose. One of those guys, either Marvin or Tommy, was coming out of that fight with a loss. And going into that fight, neither guy had a whole lot of experience in that department.

 

Worse. It was awesome watching Hagler batter Hearns across the ring with those lead-right hooks to the head.

 

Sometimes you can prove more in a loss than a win. Joe Frazier`s performance in Manila. Maybe Billy Conn`s performance against Joe Louis. Hearns fought a unbelievable fight. It was uncommon the pace and the punches thrown.

I think Tommy Hearns earned a respect, admiration and loyalty from the fans that most wins dont even secure.

Hard to say about his legacy. I dont think he would be remembered quite the same.

 

Worse because he took a lot of punishment in the fight. Who knows how is post 1985 career would of been if he never fought Hagler.

 

I dont think the Hagler fight hurts his legacy, he went down in a shootout and not many, only the elite chins and very hard bangers could have survived the way Hearns came out in round 1&2...the fight helped Hagler but did not hurt Hearns IMO

 

worse, he did need this fight, every legend have to face another legend

 

Totally agree. Losing to a fighter like Hagler is nothing to be ashamed of. Hagler was a beast that night and the pair of them put up a fight for the ages.
I don't think the loss hurts Hearn's legacy at all. (Of course, had he won, his legacy would have been boosted significantly, but oh well.)

But as you say, not one but two losses to Barkley does hurt his legacy quite a bit. Barkley was a big, strong solid fighter but not in Tommy's class.

 

Slightly better.

 

He came back from an outcome SRL and many others expected him to retire after. If the true measure of a fighter is how he responds to defeat, Hearns handled it far better than Foreman handled Kinshasa, Young, Morrison [out for a year], and Briggs [quit after being screwed by the judges]. 1986 was a good year for Tommy, and 1987 saw him clinch his destiny with his third and fourth divisional titles.

For whatever it's worth, I don't recall too many boxing fans in New England at the time who were surprised by the outcome of Hagler-Hearns. With SRL out of the picture, this seemed certain to be Marv's legacy bout. The Boston Celtics, then on top of the basketball world, watched it as a team, and Robert Parish was the only one surprised by how it turned out, according to an excited M.L. Carr outside their locker room immediately after the finish. [Carr was interviewed live on WBZ by Bob Lobel following the battle.]