Why didn’t Marvin Hagler fight Wilfred Benitez in 1982?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Saintpat, Feb 6, 2022.



  1. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Man you’re all over the place and to me we aren’t communicating well because a lot of what you’re saying makes no sense. So I’ll try to make it clear:

    1) If you watch Duran-Laing, or Duran-Benitez, you would conclude that Duran would not be competitive with Hagler. But Hagler gave him a shot anyway. And, lo and behold, Duran was competitive with Hagler.

    I neither said nor implied that Laing fought Duran before Duran fought Benitez. I said Duran lost to Laing before he fought Hagler, genius.

    2) You’re saying Benitez wouldn’t be competitive with Hagler because of how Wilfred’s fight with Hamsho went — but that fight HAD NOT HAPPENED YET at the time I’m talking about. So it’s not a factor in making a matchup between Hagler and Benitez. (But if you consider Benitez-Hamsho anyway, look at how Duran looked vs. Laing and Wilfred and he showed well vs. Hagler, so maybe Wilfred would also have been competitive vs. Hagler — you can’t say he wouldn’t based off a fight that hasn’t happened yet, and you can’t say he wouldn’t just because he looked bad in another fight because Duran had also looked bad and he was able to hang with Marvin.

    4) I am not saying Wilfred fights exactly like Duran. I’m saying just because a guy looks bad in one fight doesn’t mean he won’t be competitive in another. You want apples to apples? Duran also lost to Robbie Sims, who fights as close to Hagler as anyone (same trainers, half-brother, southpaw). So just like you cannot conclude off Duran-Sims that Duran couldn’t hang with Hagler, you cannot conclude off of Benitez-Hamsho that Wilfred couldn’t hang with Hagler.

    I don’t know how to make that any clearer.

    Another point you just brought up: you say Hearns earned his shot at Hagler by beating Duran, but they were supposed to have fought originally nearly 2 1/2 years before that. So there was a plan for them to fight before Hearns ever fought Duran.

    But whether you think Hagler beats Benitez is not the point. Hager fought lots of fights against guys he was expected to beat. Did you think Marvin was going to lose to Caveman or Fully Obel (either time, much less after he had already destroyed him)? No, of course not, but it didn’t stop the fights from being made.

    To your last point about Hagler giving up the title — Arum paid step-aside money to Roldan FOUR TIMES and also put him on Hagler undercards all four times so he could make other fights. He could have done the same to make Hagler-Benitez without Hagler losing the title (unless he loses it to Benitez).
     
  2. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 I’m become seeker of milk Full Member

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    I don’t need to build you a case. It’s really simple, Hagler fought who he was told to. He was managed very well in terms of cash. If the offer for Benitez was real I’m certain they’d have accepted. Marvin fought killers of many shapes he didn’t play boxing. You can’t just say “oh he said” look, Canelo has claimed to have challenged Usyk it’s about as real as any offer Benitez presented with a similar level of documentation. Benitez and Hagler did sign I believe, Benitez was meant to beat Hamsho? Right? I think anyways.
     
  3. FastLeft

    FastLeft Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Benitez was not big draw as Duran or Hearns. & not a middleweight
     
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  4. Cobra33

    Cobra33 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    This is what I've been trying to tell him- the second chance for Benitez to fight Hagler was if Benitez got past Hamsho - if he would have gotten by they were going to fight.
    Since he didn't the fight was off.
    Duran was simply electric taking apart Moore and everyone was excited to see if he could take Hagler that's how that fight was made.
    Benitez on his own just wasn't a draw its really thst simple.
    All this talk about Hagler defending against lesser fighters one thing gets overlooked: they paid those fighters a FRACTION at what they would have had to pay Benitez who as pointed out earlier wasn't really a draw.
    If Benitez couldn't handle the strength of a Hamsho how on earth would he have come close to handling Hagler?
     
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  5. FastLeft

    FastLeft Well-Known Member Full Member

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    those 'lesser fighters "" were most still also ranking middleweight
     
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  6. Cobra33

    Cobra33 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    1. Duran savages Cuevas. People start to get to talking about him. Then he takes on a young champion being groomed for stardom: Davey Moore.
    And make not mistake Duran was the underdog going in.
    Duran SAVAGES Moore and people are shocked. Its like the Duran of old. Duran is a big name. Hagler is a big name. So Duran moves up to fight Hagler.

    2. Duran lost to Laing mere months after Benitez so that should tell you Durans mindset at the time.

    3. The Hamsho fight is a huge indicator of what would have happened vs Hagler. His first rated middleweight and Benitez got a beat down. And you forget all he had to do is get past Hamsho and the fight with Hagler is his.
    4. Robbie doesn't fight even close to Hagler. Completely different style.
    5. Hagler vs Duran - I actually had Hagler winning by 5 rounds. You act like people weren't sure who was going to win after the final bell. The winner was never in any doubt. Hagler did give Duran too much respect but guess what? Benitez doesn't have the mystique of a Duran.

    6. Hearns was plagued by hand injuries for a number of years that's what delayed the Hagler fight. He also took Duran out like nobody ever has and of course that's going to peak interest in a Hagler fight - people love knockouts.

    7. And the Moore fight that you causally ignore? He dropped Benitez in the FIRST round. And this was a Moore that had already seen better days.

    8. Arum showcased Roldan on undercards also to peak interest in Roldan who nobody knew anything about.
     
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  7. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    He was also injured going into the Benitez fight though.
     
  8. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 I’m become seeker of milk Full Member

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    Excuse. Hearns lost that fight.