No. The best Ray could do is go into a defensive mode, but even that would be delaying the inevitable. As fast and talented as Leonard was, this is at MW and Marvin is king of this jungle. The ferocity, strength and tenacity of this lion would be too much for this natural WW to overcome.
When they did meet Leonard was coming off what was close to a three year lay-off. Hagler was thought to be unbeatable or at least very close to it. He was coming off a win over the prevously unbeaten John Mugabi and was just one fight removed from beating Hearns. Hagler was the over wellming favroite. Leonard beat him. It was close. It wasn't a robbery. 115-112 or 7-5 is about right The real fight was close. I don't see any reason to think it would not play out the same way. In fact leonard might won by a more convincing margian. hagler's agresiveness would have played into Leonard's hands. My pick Leonard 7-5.
It's all MENTAL with Hagler.....By rights he should just run over Leonard but i again think he'd ponce around for the first 4 rounds but he was'nt as aged/slow or as burnt out as he was in 87 so he'd get Leonard out of there deff by the 9th.....Leonards got absolutly nothing to offer hence the reason he stayed away from Marvin for 5 years when he had ample opportunities to get it on with Marvin but chose to sit it out & wait till Marvin was well on the slide. But with Haglers inferiority complex in full flow who knows!!!! It would'nt suprise me to see him **** it up for himself again when in reality he should just run across the ring as in the Hearns fight & smash the **** out of Leonard & if he employed the same tactics as as he used on Tommy then he gets Leonard out of there in double quick time. Leonard in reality was ****ed after 6 rounds in 87 & Hagler can't be hurt by those powder puff flurries so he should just jump on the **** & swing away until Leonards laid out like Hearns........LaLonde found it easy enough so there's no escape for Leonard & in 85 he know doubt **** his panties when he saw Tommy demolished....But Haglers his own worst enemy here so he could make it easy or hard for himself but he wins it:bbb
I don't see a huge difference between '85 Hagler and '87 Hagler. You take Hagler from '80-'82 and there's definitely a difference from the '87 version.
hagler would have been better so he wins.ray with no lay off may have done a better job.ray got him at the right time
