Jones v Hagler @ MW

Jones by UD. He never went fifteen rounds but I think he'd hold on late after building an early lead. He's just too fast of hand and foot for Hagler.

 

His "lackluster performance" was because Hopkins was under the radar had nothing to do with weight. Roy was still fighting at 154 in 91

 

You got the wrong fight son. June 81 Vito was down in the 3rd and his corner pulled him out.

 

I'm cool man, how's things with you?

Sorry my old mate Hagler 77 - 81 is going to set such a pace Jones won't know what planet he is on. He will nail Hagler with big left hooks or anything you like but Hagler won't even blink, he will literally run Jones down, and batter arms, body, it doesn't matter, and after 5 or 6 rounds he'll find that chin and it is all over.

Please don't underplay how old and past his prime Hagler was when he fought Leonard. People talk about Hopkins always being in shape but he was as nothing compared to Hagler. The problem the Petronelli brothers had with Hagler was trying to keep him away from the gym, not get him in it.

That constant training took its toll on Hagler before he even was 30.

 

Interesting one.

I see Jones' movement causing Hagler major problems. Especially early on but I also envisage Marvin eventually catching Roy and chinning him.

Hagler by come from behind stoppage late on.

 

My recollection was that his corner stopped the fight because of the cuts from all the headbutts. I think they were trying to get Hagler disqualified or a no contest or something. Hagler knocked him down by luring him into a trap and catching him with a short punch while he was squared up, and Vito popped right back up ready to fight. Wasn't really much evidence of destructive punching in that fight.

 

Hagler was very sharp in the mid-to-late 70s, powerful counter shots and defensively very solid!

Hagler would pressure Jones, stick to him, and corner him. Add to that Hagler's physical strength, chin, stamina, wealth of experience against all kinds of monsters, and his superior skill and it spells "bad night for Roy". The skill factor should not be overlooked. Hagler confused Duran with his switching so smoothly in and out of the southpaw position - and Duran was light years ahead of Roy in terms of both experience and skill. I did a post on another board acknowledging that Duran is a defensive master and yet Hagler was connecting very often because he was both highly skilled and confusing.

Eddie Futch gave Montell Griffin an effective strategy for Jones because Futch saw what everyone else was too dazzled to see - technical weaknesses. Griffin pressured him, stuck to his chest, and tried to pin him with hooks on the inside. Watch any of Roy's fights and when he is cornered and the opponent (usually just that - an opponent) is close and on him, he looked utterly bewildered; stretching his neck, turning his head, even closing his eyes! (someone like Chris Eubank on the other hand would be stone cold poker faced when a big shot was coming at him and slip delicately) This is where Hagler would be. And Hagler is far stronger than Griffin and Hopkins.

I see Jones leaping in to potshot Hagler and Hagler timing him with an overhand and then sliding right in and working his ribs, bulling him into the corner, and preventing escape. All night.

 

This is not to say that Jones doesn't pose problems for Hagler. Jones would for any middleweight who ever lived. The assertion generally made with a Hagler and Jones fantasy fight that if they 'boxed' Hagler would not have fun is confusing. Hagler was a master boxer in his prime. For the purposes of the argument, say that Jones's athleticism, speed and rythym and timing allows him to out-box Hagler from the outside. Hagler can switch positions and try again, he can work his way inside and fire up the ribs, he can make it a slugfest. Any of those strategies are possible and any of them can completely change the advantage. Now, let's say that Hagler is able to force his way inside and neutralize Jones' outside rythym boxing prowess. Then what? What answers does Jones have left for Hagler? Clinching and pulling faces?

 

Most fans and ****ysts overstate the skill of guys like Muhammad Ali and Jones. I cannot count how many times I have heard the glorification of Jones' skill when it is actually talent that they are watching. For example, pulling back from a punch is technically unsound and is risky because if I see that you like to rely on reflexes and lean away from a shot, I can feint a shot and as you pull back, I am stepping in with an overhand. Talent is flashy and skill is easy to overlook, but one is better than the other.

 

I disagree about Jones. He had plenty of skill. He grew up boxing and adopted his style because he was athletic enough. Beneath the flashiness, he had great fundamentals.

 

Jones did enough at middleweight to make me believe that he wasn't too drained...maybe on his worst day with same day weigh ins, but not usually.

 

Nah, whatever Antuofermo tried Hagler had the answer, up close or from range, and it was always the other guy looking to back off and regroup. So some New York Italian tried to claim Hagler was dirty, whoopee doo. Who gives a sh it? Inside 3 rounds Hagler had Vito's face looking like a bag of spanners, and only an idiot would think he did it with his head.

That right there is destructive punching.

As Alan Minter himself told me " Everything Hagler threw fukking hurt, even his jabs. "