I think that hagler's best years were from 77-85. He's definitely prime in that timescale, his peak would probably be round about the middle. I think his prime ended against hearns. He was then past prime but capable of fighting at a high level until retirement. Mugabi was his number 1 contender and leonard was a truly all time great talent. We never saw him shot. That being said, I still wouldn't hold the leonard loss against him because he wasn't, imo, prime (clearly neither was leonard)
I think it's impossible to tell how far off his prime form Hagler was when he fought Leonard. We're gauging two past prime fighters against one another. Leonard looked pretty bad 3 years earlier, and he never looked much good after. Hagler was coming off a 13-month layoff himself, and hadn't necessarily looked primed at all for 3 or 4 years.
Marv began his prime in the summer of 1977 and peaked in the first Hamsho fight and vs Lee. At that time, he was what Ali was in 1966 vs C. WIlliams. Nobody could touch him. Nobody wanted to fight him. Too deadly, too powerful, and thoroughly ruthless. His prime lasted until the Sibson & Scypion fights, then levelled off and began to actually look beatable. He struggled since then but since marv was extra great, he pulled out those tough fights late vs Duran, who he shouldnt have been struggling with, and the even more formidable Juan Roldan Neverthless, the talk had begun: Marvin had been edited to mere mortal dimensions. Their was talk of the superstars like Mugabi, Hearns, and even Leonard of fighting him. And yes I inclined to agree that Marvin had come down quite a way, far enough so that the competion could actually give him some competiton. No long er was he the super invincible fighter that no one had a chance against but now described in the media as "marginal" and "hittable" I think his two fights w Roldan & Duran proved that and up until the time he whipped Tommy Hearns, the media & press couldnt decide who would come put the winner me personally, I think Marvin was still in his prime in 85 but quickly declined afterwards. His reflexes looked gratly dulled in the Mugabi fight, and he was nowhere near sharp as he was in the Sibson & Scypion fights. and after the Mugabi fight, he'd have to qualify as shot or essentially done as a fighter. there's really no other way to look at it since it was to be his last fight
Hagler was only 30 when he fought Hearns.. Everyone gets hit byHearns either his right or his jab. Benitez was not hit much, but no one could hit him well in his prime.