Who faced the better version of Hearns

Hearns was better at Middleweight but also gives up his size and power advantages some what against bigger men

 

Hearns was far more effective as a welter and was one of the best 147ers ever, the same cannot be said for his effectiveness at 160. His tenure as middleweight champ was always going to be short.

 

Interesting question. I can appreciate both sides of the argument here

 

I think Hearns was in his physical prime for Hagler, coming off his biggest string of victories at the weight he was most comfortable .... he was also more experienced than the 22 year old dried out welter string bean that fought Leonard ... the experience did not matter becausse Hagler was too tough, too good and exploited the weaknesses that Hearns had his whole career ... a questionable chin, questionable stamina and the inability to avoid a slugfest ...

I've always wondered if Hearns beats Hagler by boxing him and cutting him up but I'm not sure he could have held him off that way ... who knows ???

 

............Easy one; Leonard. Hearns wasn't really a middleweight after all. There wasn't a single time against a real middleweight where he was anything approaching what he was for the first Leonard firght.

 

What was he approaching the Leonard fight? He had one big victory, plenty of KO's against decent but not great opposition and a ton of hype. He had already been slightly exposed against Randy Shields as less than unbeatable ... Tommy was very young and not in his physical prime at the time ... after that fight he defeated a still terrific Benitez, blew out Hutchings, destroyed Duran and was at a weight where he was much more comfortable. Yes Hagler was his first big middleweight challange but at 6'1" Tommy had little trouble fitting the weight naturally ... he simply got beaten by an iron chinned, greater champion.

 

Many felt he was the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing for a start. He punch resistance at 160 was weak, that was obvious to anyone who saw him fight there. He got by on power and his great boxing ability. But a Barkleyesque upset would have happened sooner or later.

 

But that was on hype and speculation. Up to that time he blew out one name fighter, Cuevas, that's it ... I don't know how many viewed him s a pound for pound great at the time ... he was more viewed as a super exciting commodity ...

 

...and all's he did at 160 was blow out Schuler, who wasn't on Cuevas' level.

 

I do not know how Hearns can be called one of the greatest welters ever when he never defeated a great fighter at welter and left the division at such an early age ...

 

Give me a specific example where his experience helped him in the Hagler bout, or he showed greater experience than the bout vs Leonard. Give me one specific example. I'll be waiting.

 

Hagler version.

 

.................Who'd he beat at middleweight?

 

Hagler no doubt

 

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