Why no Hagler Hearns 2 ?

Great fight, conclusive ending. Hagler had other options, and he was aging. He took em.

 

Someone will fill this in, I can't remember but I THINK they were going to fight until Leonard came out of retirement and Hagler choose Leonard over Hearns.

 

exactly. They were going to fight in November of 1986, since Hearns beat the number one contender James Shuler. Ray came out of retirement in Maryland and said he wanted to fight Hagler. Hagler said ok and they had a press conference in November and the fight was in April of 1987 when Hagler retired after losing a decision.

 

That's right.

Hearns hasty disposal of Shuler on the same night Hagler went to war with Mugabi definitely ignited talks of a rematch, before $RL came chirping.

Chicago Tribune - March 12, 1986

LAS VEGAS — The glower that undisputed middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler carries with him into the ring is not just good theater.

For the shaven-headed Hagler remembers well the terrors of his fatherless youth in riot-torn Newark, N.J., his inability to get quality fights for many years and what he perceives to be the continued lack of public and media recognition of his superior boxing abilities.

That`s why Hagler, who legally changed his first name to ``Marvelous Marvin`` when he felt the media would not, isn`t a man given to good humor and displays of merriment.

Yet, Monday night at Caesars Palace, this fierce-looking, proud man was smiling broadly in the seventh and eighth rounds of his fight with John`the Beast`` Mugabi that ended with Hagler`s 12th straight successful title defense, an 11th-round knockout.

Many fighters, when they are hurt, will smile to try to show the opponent that his punch was ineffective. Not Hagler. He has no time for such games.

Hagler would admit later his body was screaming in protest at the time, rarely having suffered as much punishment as he did against the powerful Mugabi, who came into the fight with a 26-0 record.

Yet Hagler was smiling, for he had just dealt out as much punishment as he ever did in one round, statistically even more than he had in that famous first round against Thomas Hearns last year. In that fight, which ended in a third-round knockout of Hearns, Hagler landed 50 of 82 punches he threw. In Monday`s sixth round, a street brawl every bit as exciting as his battle with Hearns, Hagler connected on 59 of 95 punches.

But Mugabi, though collapsing into the ropes under the attack, wouldn`t fall. This assault came two rounds after Mugabi had landed a straight uppercut to Hagler`s jaw, the kind of punch that had knocked out 26 opponents. It shook but did not stop Hagler.

So both men had thrown their best and the fight was still going strong. To Hagler, that`s fun. That`s why he was smiling.

``I love a good fight,`` he said. ``It was a good fight, and I knew it. I loved it.``

But the fight left Hagler aching.

``Marvin`s tired. He`s sore. He`s hurt,`` his manager, Pat Petronelli, said Tuesday. ``Last night was one of his hardest fights ever. He hurts all over, his arms, his shoulders.``

But not his spirit.

That`s why the 31-year-old Hagler, whose record rose to 62-2, smiled through those middle rounds. Because he loves the combat, the feeling of putting your best against another man`s best. Only the winner walks away.

Hagler was so worn out he bleated out to a TV broadcaster after the fight that he might retire. He later corrected that statement, and Petronelli said Hagler anticipates a rematch in November with Hearns, who earned it with a first-round knockout of previously undefeated James Shuler.

 

The ending wasn't seen as conclusive in the aftermath of the first bout as people tend to remember.

Bear in mind that Hearns had broken his right hand in the open minute of the fight, and he managed to slash Hagler's brows wide open. Richard Steele was close to stopping the fight, and he may have stopped it in another round or two if Hearns had been able to keep working on the cuts.

Also, its important to recall that Hagler had a history of getting cut in other fights as well. If the bout had happened after Hearns dispatched Shuler I don't think the results would have been preordained the way people might think on here.

Hearns would have had more time to adjust to the weight, Hager was fighting less frequent and was known to be on the slide, with a dwindling interest in the sport, his scar tissue would have been more vulnerable than ever, and Tommy would have had a healthy hand, and a greater emphasis on sticking to play to his strengths.

I think Hagler by Kayo would have still be a likely scenario, but it still would have been a classic in its own right, and Hearns would have been more of a live dog than in the first fight.

Just my opinion.

 

``I`ll go right after him again,`` Hearns promised, noting strategy that many thought ill-founded last year. ``I`m a different person than the one who fought Hagler last year. I feel great, my legs are strong and I can execute everytime.

``I have something to prove. There`s never a day that goes by that I don`t think about a rematch. It was difficult for me to train with Hagler here. I kept thinking about him and it was hard to concentrate on Shuler.``

Hagler, who initially said he would think about whether he wants a rematch with Hearns, later added: ``I`ve worked through them all and I don`t think anyone`s left. I`m going around again.``.


Yup.

 

Hmm, interesting quote from the Hitman. I think it would have been stupid to use the same game plan.

 

Not much else he could do, Hagler would def. implement the same game plan because it worked just fine and like Hearns said after the 1st fight 'I tried to box him but he wouldn't let me!'

 

I could have sworn Hearns' startegy was to box Marvin and especially in the early rounds. Tommy was asked about this some time after the fight and he replied when asked why he didn't box as planned..."Hagler didn't let me"

 

On the Hagler-Hearns Legendary Nights, Emmanuel Steward (RIP) talked about how Tommy got a leg rubdown or something before the fight which basically exhausted Tommy's leg strength which prevented him from moving around properly.

Hearns said Hagler wouldn't let him box, but we see cases in Hagler's career where men with less prowess than Hearns were able to give Hagler trouble by fighting conservatively, by sticking and moving, and disrupting his rythm.

Tommy didn't talk about this much in the aftermath of the fight to my knowledge, because he didn't like excuses but I really take Steward at his word because a.) he knew boxing, and b.) he didn't make alibis or offer propaganda for the benefit of his fighters.

In any universe could Tommy have outboxed Hagler for twelve or fifteen rounds? Not likely in my opinion. But attempting a more conservative strategy with proper legs under him would have given him a better chance than trying to bomb again.

 

As for Hagler`s cuts, the one he suffered was nothing compared to some of his other fights. No worries though, he had the doctor of cuts, Goody Petroinelli in hs corner. Hearns,(while being a great fighter) lacked the chin or durability to ever beat down a Marvin Hagler. Goody told me they took the SRL fight for money reasons, period. It paid substantially more than Hearns 2 would have. Smart move, take the money. MMH and his braintrust dod a marvelous job wth Hagler`s career and finances. Hagler today, is still incredible well off ...

 

Right on that. People seem to conveniently forget this ...

 

Tommy always had a chance to beat Marvin. He would always be able to hit him clean, and had the fight been slower pace he would have . There is no doubt. The question is would Marvin take it and not get cut up and come back and stop Hearns. But he beat Tommy fair and square the first fight. I would have liked to see if Marvin could fight that style again in the rematch. I think it would have been slower pace.

By the way Marvin's cut was caused by Hearns mouthpiece at 1:20 left in round one. Marvin was throwing a right and he moved his head into Hearns mouthpiece as Hearns was throwing a right to Hearns body.

 

aside from boxing Hearns and Duran were terrible with money both going into bankrupt!!! Leonard and Hagler were smart and Hearns and Duran have no one to blame but themselves after all those superfights!!!!!! I saw Duran and Hearns in the UK a few years ago on some tour with each other desperate for $$$$