Marvin Hagler vs Floyd Patterson & Michael Spinks

I don't give him much chance against either to be honest.

 

Against the grain i can see Marvin being a chance of losing by stoppage in both. If Marvin's competitiveness dictates that he takes the chances against Spinks he would need to to be in the fight then Spinks stops him IMO. He is one sick banger. If Marvin tastes the MAD POW and eases back he might survive depending on how many rounds the battle is over.

Patterson's extreme speed, class, stamina and style would put Marvin under extreme pressure. There would be no taxing clinches against a bigger man. Marvin's power would also not be a threat.

For whatever reason i just can't see Marvin as the sort of fighter who could successfully move up to 175. A great great fight would be he and Qawi, but Qawi is a monster really and again would be a frightening prospect.

 

Since when did Patterson compete at 160?

 

according to Hank Hagler could move up to beat Charles and Moore

 

Interestingly, the supposition was that Hagler's true competitive weight when fully hydrated was indeed around 168. This was an early bone of contention when trying to arrange a match with SRL. Ray's camp wanted Marv weighing in at 160 at fight time, virtually in the ring itself. (They probably would have preferred Hagler to weigh in at the divison limit, gear included, as Gans had to before facing Nelson in Goldfield. They also wanted thumbless gloves to be mandated for a prospective superfight.)

The Patterson who was decisioned by Maxim would have a rough time with peak Hagler. A southpaw whose power is concentrated in the right would be a logistical hassle for anybody of comparable reach. Records indicate that Hagler outreached the taller Patterson, 75" to 71", but we all know how misleading these statistics can sometimes be.

If Mike Spinks could weigh in at 170 for David Sears, then if I was Hagler, I would have insisted on a contractual limit of 168 for a matchup, before agreeing to face him. Although the record indicates that Spinks has a 76" reach (remembering again how inaccurate this could be), at 6'3," this actually would give the 5'9-1/2" Hagler an edge, as he would be jabbing straight across, while Spinks would be going in a downward arc.

Simply to think of these things strains credulity, but doesn't Duran/Hagler, Duran Barkley, Barkley/Coetzee, old fat Toney's 24 complete rounds against Peter, or a number of other leaps against larger competition? (SRR's domination of Maxim before succumbing, or his victimization of many other far heavier ATG's included.)

 

actually, Floyd was a natural middleweight who was able to compete as a heavyweight in the days of the smallish heavyweights (Charles, Walcott) and was often kayoed as both professional and amateur.

every Floyd Patterson fight was a rush to viewers because it was like witnessing a russian roulette contest. I loved the way Floyd let it all hang out in his fights as his extroverted side came out. what was Floyd's height anyhow?

Anyhow, if Marvin had the luxery of fighting in the days of the 185 pound heavyweight and Brian London it's very possible he would have held the title but it's hard to say. I never saw marvin above 160.

 

Maybe against Patterson, but not Spinks. I think it's a terrible misjudgement to assume Hagler would go from being invincible at middleweight to stoppable at light heavyweight. Hagler took some real hard shots in his career - Spinks probably hit harder than all of them, but not by some astronomical amount. We're talking Marvin Hagler - stunning him even briefly causes mass shock and discussion - the toughest fighter of all time? Maybe. I think he would be a far better light heavyweight than most people can imagine. Spinks would beat him, Mustafa, Saad and Qawi probably would have as well, but Hagler would be as good as Johnson or Davis, easily. He was a genuine great. Physicalities like height and weight wouldn't get in the way of a man like Hagler, who would give everything within his power to win a fight. Spinks was a great puncher, but he's not stopping Hagler - hell, Foster was more offensive minded than Spinks and chased the knockout, but I still can't see him stopping Hagler. Patterson is a different story, although it wouldn't surprise me if the slightly timid Patterson took a cautious approach against Hagler and didn't go for the knockout.

 

Me neither!