Why didn't Hagler give Hearns the rematch, even after lossing to SRL he couldve had rematch w/Hearns

Ive watched that fight countless times and can never give it to Leonard and I like Leonard so it’s not like I’m being bias,just Hagler did the better work imo.

 

Dude, its been 33 years Let it go. Hagler fought everyone.

 

**** ****ing thread. Hearns landed his home run shot on Hagler, and Hagler took a step back and came roaring back, repeated rocking Hearns towards the end of the round. If the 1st round were 30 more seconds, Hearns would have been stopped then and there. As far as not giving Tommy a rematch, Hagler RETIRED after Leonard as he knew he was psychologically finished with the sport as indicated in Steve Marantz's book when Leonard invited Marvin to the opening of his new restaurant to gauge him for a possible fight. Ffs, Tommy's supporters are so butthurt that Marvin beat his ass that they still can't get over it. Btw, this (****) thread belongs in the Classic.

 

Truth be told, Tommy didn't have enough to keep Marvin off of him. When he tried to jab and stay away in round 2, Hagler was all over him. Tommy, either by boxing or slugging, simply couldn't tolerate Marvin's sustained pressure and keep him off of him.

 

Some dudes know when it's over and are smart enough to walk away. Marvin had a lot of mileage on him and was going to decline faster than Tommy did. A rematch could've easily seen a Hearns win.

 

This. People can imagine scenario's, but the bottom line is he got absolutely destroyed. A great welter no1 or 2 at the weight with SRR for me, and maybe the best 154b fighter ever going in against an equally great fighter at 160 that is maybe the best ever at the weight and a ****ing monster

 

Hagler's toughness never diminished, his reflexes did. If they had a rematch at that stage, I'm certain Hagler would have stopped Tommy again. Tommy simply didn't have enough to keep Hagler off of him. People forget that an inferior to Hagler Barkley stopped Tommy at 160 as well, albeit with a home run punch. But Hagler knew he was finished as indicated in Steve Marantz's book.

 

I'd argue that the very definition of finished is losing to guys you definitely or probably wouldn't have before because you're not the same fighter.

If Hagler knew it, I wouldn't expect to see the same version. When you're done, you're done.

 

Good point. Logical. If you ever get a chance, please read Sorcery at Ceasars by Steve Marantz. Great read as he lays out many of those events in a clear and honest manner, as I personally remember most of those events.

 

I would also add that Hagler was still tough as steel although slower and having worse relexes as indicated by the bombs Mugabi was landing on him in their fight. Punches an earlier version of Hagler would have easily slipped or blocked.

 

Hearns did not hurt Hagler that bad. People really exaggerate this. Hagler was stunned from short right uppercut and then a looping right hand. He held on for a few seconds and then went right back to swarming Hearns. Cyclone Hart hurt Hagler more than Hearns did.

Also, Hearns did not hit Hagler with good shots but I would not call them his “best shots”. Hearns’s best shot was his right hand when he got distance on it so he could get more extension and leverage on it. Cuevas, Duran, Shuler...all right hands with distance on it. Hagler couldn’t box in his usual manner because Hearns was so difficult to outbox at long range, and was most deadly with his right hand when he got distance on it. Hagler turned into a bull for this fight.

Watching that fight, on one hand, it’s hard to picture Hearns winning a rematch. It’s not so simple as “Hearns could box him more in the rematch”, because Hearns did try to box him at range in the middle of the first round, and Hagler closed the distance...Hearns tried to use more movement from the 2nd round on, and Hagler kept getting to him.

On the other hand, it’s far from a lock that Hagler could pull off another performance like that. Hagler put on perhaps the best “out of character” performance ever in that bout. It’s hard to replicate that. Hagler was getting slower with his defensive reflexes since the Roldan fight and it was painfully clear against Mugabi that has legs were also not the same. Hearns was better at 147-154 than 160, his chin issues were more pronounced above 154, and he was one of the most deadly punchers at 147-154. But I think it’s safe to say he was closer to his peak in 1986-87 than Hagler. With better tactical preparation from Steward in the corner, I wouldn’t be surprised to have seen Hearns pull off the upset if they had fought after Hearns-Shuler/Hagler-Mugabi