Questions Regarding Marvin Hagler?

Qawi would’ve threw him around like a rag doll, that’d be hard to watch, I’d never sit through that… but if he won? That’s one of THEE win’s of all time, I give him next to zero chance.

 

He’d have legitimised it like Holyfield did with 190lbs.

 

1. Middleweight was his ceiling, although he was maybe big enough to win at super middle when that division was in its infancy with a guy he beat twice like Fully Obel claiming a title. But soon after, enough shrunken light heavyweights begin populating the division instead of overblown middleweights.

Hagler’s only like 5-8 and had title fights where he came in comfortably at 157/158-ish, so I think he gets bullied at 175. Guys like Michael Spinks, Dwight Qawi and Eddie Mustafa Muhammad were patrolling the light heavyweight waters and he gets drowned by guys like that. Could he beat a Jim MacDonald or Murray Sutherland? Sure, maybe, but even then he probably struggles and goes back down to his natural weight.

2. Marvin was well-rounded but I don’t think he exceeds Ray Robinson in skill, toughness and power. So no. Probably some others too — remember, he lost his last fight getting outboxed by Ray Leonard and he narrowly beat Roberto Duran, so there are guys with more skill. I think MMH was a guy with few weaknesses but that to me doesn’t mean he’s at the high end in all categories — chin, yes; power, there have been more powerful middles; skill, I addressed; toughness … he was about as tough as they come physically, but his fights vs Vito I, Leonard and Duran make me wonder if he had quite as much mental toughness as some see in him, since he kind of froze or fought timid in those fights, which to me points to some inner doubt.

3. He’d be barely known in the days of social media imo — he wasn’t flamboyant so I don’t see him being a TikTok star, lol. But mainly by the time social media became predominant, boxing was already in decline with fewer and fewer fighters really known by the public. Way more people knew of the Four Kings because they were boxing stars in an age where boxing meant something. By the time Twitter and such had taken hold, only a select few like Mayweather (who nursed the personality side and made his fights events) were true stars, and as good as he was, it takes a lot more to stand out in more contemporary times.

4. Hagler is arguably the top middleweight of all time, putting him in the mix with Monzon, Robinson and, of course, Greb. But he’s not hands-down the greatest at 160. I think he could compete with anyone at that weight but he’s be on the wrong end of some decisions (and maybe lose one or two on cuts). He certainly compares well enough to be in the mix with the top middles of all time based on resume.

 

The way i see it is if he moved up to '68 and eventually '75 Hagler would of had to showcase some other attributes in his game. He was always a skilled boxer that could switch hit. Marvin would have to lean on that exceptional jab of his as well as IMO the best footwork boxing has seen. (Everyone sleeps on Hagler footwork).
It would be long odds for him to beat the top guys but he may beat one of them. He would have to pick his matches intelligently.

I'm thinking the way Duran changed his style from 154+. The ring IQ, the slick defense became easier to see. Hagler would have to approach it that way.