Question About Tommy Hearns

You say Jones beats Cueves,Duran,Benitez? How? Put the same guys there at the weight Jones fought at when Hearns fought them and Jones has to deal with hard punchers and defensive genuises he never really took on in his career. So Jones has to fight a 168 pounds Duran who was as strong as Duran at 154. I think Duran had a big chance to stop Roy. Saying he can beat them and then doing it are two different things. No way should Jones go down as a heavyweight champion either. Ruiz is a soft punching heavyweight who I knew Jones could beat. What would have happened had Jones taken on Lennox Lewis at the time? Lewis was champ at the time and he takes on Ruiz, who still has not avenged his loss to David Tua. And yes I believe Jones would lose to Leonard when Ray was prime at 147, Ray was a warrior, Jones never came to fight. And he would have in my mind been beaten down by a southpaw Hagler. Jones could not handle Tarver or Johnson when he was still relatively sharp, And Tarver was not near the southpaw Marvin was. Barkley beating Hearns? Well let's just equate that with Johnson knocking Jones cold. At least Hearns made it a good fight and almost knocked out Barkley with bodyshots. Jones lost all the rounds before Johnson knocked him out. I think Jones will be remembered as a fast good boxer who ducked many of the good fighters of his era and did not have many great fights for anyone to talk about. He had some good wins and was cream of the crop in a mediocre era. Hearns on the other hand came to fight and knocked out fellow legends and was the first man and only man to win the welt. title and then win the light heavyweight title ( which he did 2 times). Hearns fought in the best welt-middleweight era since the 1940s.

 

that's why i'm not 100% he'd beat someone like shane mosley.

mosley was his speed and power would have made it interesting. :yep

i'd make hearns favourite over most of the best welters and light middles of this era though.

like oscar, tito, winky, vargas. :bbb

 

If Leonard didn't have his rematch with Duran, would he still have his stellar legacy?

I always thought it was a shame that Tommy never had a chance to avenge his loss to Hagler and fight him without a broken hand. Maybe he would have lost again, but I'm sure it would have been another spectacular match up!

And although past their prime, Hearns won his rematch with Leonard but for the judges.

 

Naw. Mosley's beating Margarito does not mean anything when you come with a Thomas Hearns caliber. Look what Forrest did to Mosley, and Forrest is not half as good as Tommy Hearns. Hearns knocks out Mosley in the mid rounds. He was quick and great. His jab alone would beat Mosley. Mosley is good but the Hearns level is tops. Mosley's win over Margo is good, but a stylistic win also like most boxing wins are at the top level. Mosley still might not beat Cotto. Hearns would have been too much for Mosley. Mosley was not as versatile as Sugar Ray Leonard. Ray would not have lost to Forrest for one thing.

 

Hagler would have always been tough for Hearns, but the problem is that Hagler also was rocked by Hearns. Many people didn't think he would hurt by Hearns before the fight. That is why that fight came out a little different than people thought. Hearns rocked Hagler and people did not expect that, and then once Hagler got Hearns to brawl he could land his punches and that wore out Hearns. The fact Hearns hurt Hagler might of been his downfall. He saw he hurt him and he went for it. But in the process Tommy broke his hand when he hurt Hagler. The same punch. Also, Hearns brawling did not help. Like I said though Hagler would have always been tough for Hearns, but I think in a rematch Hearns could have stopped Hagler early. That is the chance Hearns had. Winning a decision over Hagler by Hearns to me would have been tough. The way Hearns brawled and went for it hurts him with someone like Hagler, who was so consistent and could keep coming and get even better in the later rounds. If Hearns had the mindset of Leonard or Jones where he was safety first until he had a guy hurt, he could have beaten Hagler. His mindset of brawling was the problem with Marvin.

 

I just watched Hearns/Hagler......It was ****ing Ace!!

 

Hearns beats anyone at 154 except Mccallum

 

Tommy was a smart guy. Its all hypothetical but I think he would have boxed more in a rematch and would have came in better conditioned.
I think the sheer pace of the fight took him by surprise and IMO Hagler gave a career best performance which he would never repeat again.

 

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I agree with that . Hearns would have come in more bulked up for the rematch and Hagler could have never been as motivated. I always think Hagler wore himself out getting himself in that frenzy. He never fought well again in his career. Hearns was Marvin's last sharp performance, althought it was the last performance where he fought actively. After that Marvin took a year off and then fought Mugabi and then took another year off and fought Leonard. He did not seem to do well with the time off. Against Mugabi he was rusty until about the 6th round and then he was tired.

 

I think Hearns:

At Welter: Easily beats Oscar, Tito (struggles to get a punch), Mosley (think Forrest KD on Steroids). Don't think any of the last 20 years beat him here;
Jn Middle: Gerald McClellan the only one who may possibly pose problems;
Middle: Loses to RJJ. Think Hopkins fight is 50/50 (could see Hopkins, who often used to hold back trying to figure people out, getting outboxed over 12. If Taylor can do it, I think Hearns can too). Actually think Abraham, though no BHop, could stylistically match up well (though probably lose);
Super Middle: RJJ beats him. Calzaghe I think beats him. Again, though no BHOP, actually think Kessler matches up pretty well here.