What are the most important ways you differentiate Hagler from Monzon?

Monzon was tough mentally, Marvin, as great as he was, not so much.

 

Yep. Monzon had that mentality that he couldn't lose in the ring. He was your superior, not your equal. He did what he wanted to in the ring.
Wheras Hagler always seemed to want to prove something to someone else. Inferiority complex?

 

Didnt see it myself... but I'm sure people thought he was beatable after Briscoe.

 

Doubtful Monzon would try to pull a "Hearns" and duke it out with Hagler early in the fight. But Monzon had that sneaky right hand that he left as a "calling card" every time he pulled out of an engagement.
Although Hagler is shorter than Monzon, his southpaw style, and long reach will allow Hagler to hit Monzon.

Monzon
height 5′ 11½″
reach 76″

Hagler
height 5′ 9½″
reach 75″

Rodrigo Valdes
height 5′ 9½″
reach 69

 

Maybe back when Hagler began fighting in the 70s, being called gay didn’t necessarily mean a homo? Maybe he was just a cheerful, smiley and happy go lucky guy.....

.. Hmm, maybe not that.

 

What, Monzon-Briscoe l? An early pre title bout (!!)...Hagler sure musta looked beatable after losing to Willie The Worm and Bobby Watts...and I know you can't be talking about Monzon-Briscoe ll...that was a trouncing for Monzon..a very redeeming win.

 

Also: Hagler is alive and happily married.

 

Could have been an inferiority complex. The whole thing with Leonard didn't help either.

 

Hagler was the more skilful fighter - at his very best, he could slip in to gears which Monzon didn't quite possess. However, on resume and achievements I rate Monzon higher.

Hagler faced (and beat) better names, generally speaking, in their respective pre-title careers, but once they'd lifted the belt Monzon has some decisive edges: fourteen successful defences of the bona fide title slightly eclipse Hagler's twelve; he went out at the top, on the back of one of his best wins, whereas Hagler went out having blown the Leonard fight with a performance which really highlighted his tendency to make things harder for himself than he needed to, a trait which didn't befall Monzon; and while both men did have some key wins against smaller guys, Hagler doesn't have a genuine, thoroughbred Middleweight champion of Valdez's calibre on his championship record.

At the highest level, Monzon was just that little bit more reliable and consistent than Hagler, which swings it for me. Along with Greb, they make up the Holy Trinity at 160 lb and it would have been fascinating to see how it would have panned out head-to-head.