What would have happened Marvin Hagler/Wilfred Bentiz

In no way or shape or form am I prepared to just put down Duran's KO loss to Hearns to "out of shape". He was smoked, pure and simple. Many fighters have come in in worse shape but done better.

 

As for MW Duran compared to peak Benitez: In the end Benitez is superior in just about every department. He's bigger (height and reach), better coordinated, quicker hands and reflexes, and has better radar. Duran is only comparable in terms of power, chin and ring savvy, but in those categories it's pretty close any way you splise it.

A motivated, in shape Benitez who puts on 4-5 lbs and takes on Hagler instead of defending against Hearns might very well have been among the best opponents Hagler ever faced. Stylistically more difficult for him than Hearns. I'm sceptical to all these predictions that Hagler would wade right through him.

 

Bokaj,

How would Wilfred Benetiz score on Hagler, what would have been his most successful
offensive weapon.
Defensive wizadry alone couldn't win this fight.

 

Wilfred would use all of his compacity to survive into round eight, where Marvin would tear him apart, causing a major stoppage.

 

Hagler easily. As wonderful as his reflexes were, it always seems to me that El Radar just wasn't cut from the same cloth of sheer physicality as Hearns or Leonard. People tend to remember Leonard the boxer and forget that Leonard could be an animal in there. Benitez lost those fights in the moments where they were able to push forward and move him around without being made to pay a price themselves. And Hagler was more rugged than both of them.

He was too great in his own right to say something offhanded like "walk through", but its pretty straightforward to see Hagler setting a tempo with methodical pressure behind that jab, and eventually being too powerful for Benitez to deal with. Even if he would miss and look silly here and there.

I can't dig up the exact quotes right now, but Kimball suggests in "Four Kings" that the mental dynamic between Hearns and Duran, and Duran and Hagler, played out somewhat in their fights. People could feel that Tommy spooked the crap out of Duran, and I think Hagler wasn't quite himself in the lead up to Duran.

 

Give benítez this much.... He slipped rt hands better than anyone.... However. Against a prime hagler he has little chance of winning.... Styles makes fights. And haglers punching power in either hand wins this one...ko rds 10thru 12....

 

More like Steward felt it and told Tommy to stare at Duran intensely, as he'd noticed the Panamanian was reluctant to look into Hearns eyes.

Haglers stare didn't bother Roberto in the least.

 

I think this fight would turn out very much like a lot of Hagler's title defenses. Hagler would take control early on in the fight and break Benitez down throughout eventually finishing him off. As mentioned in this thread I don't think Benitez would have enough power to keep Hagler off at all and his boxing skills would only help him so much against the well schooled stronger and more fierce Hagler.