Would Calzaghe have been able to beat prime Marvin Hagler?

You have a strange and ever present obsession with size, now I'm not suggesting there's anything Freudian to it or maybe I am but seems like on every single thread you post in on the Classics forum your posts seem to be about size, the McClellan-Hagler thread was the height of it.

OP - This fight is a close probably controversial decision, I'd slightly favour Calzaghe but there's little in it. I do wonder if the people claiming Calzaghe wins easily have only watched the tail end of Hagler's career rather than when he was in his prime during the early 80's, that fighter would not be overwhelmed by an opponent who went life and death with a 50 year Bernard Hopkins.

 

Welcome back btw. Youve always been a good poster.

 

Thanks Clinton. I had forgotten that about Hagler in the AAU's. That would have been at about age of 19-20. As we all know pro MW is 160, so in effect MMH was "training down" to 160 as a tyro pro.

Reading this thread, most posters plumping for a JC win in this match seemed to attributing their pick to the size differential - I'm nt so sure that's quite so pronounced, on second thoughts.

I might have to review my own prediction on this one EVEN MORE in MMH's favour now!

One thing I am sure of, P4P between this 2, it's not even close. If there was ZERO size issue here, I go for Marvin by stoppage.

P4P, I think Calzaghe vs Minter would be a close one.

 

Thank you very much Clinton, the feeling is mutual. I don't get on here as much as I would like these days...I will try to get on more frequently!

 

You have a point, they should merge all the divisions into a single category, because size doesn't matter.

Excellent reply, cherrypicking a fight from Calzaghe's tail end career while saying people picking Calzaghe only watched Hagler's tail end career

 

Didn't say size doesn't matter but clearly it isn't the be all and end all otherwise the numerous ATG's that won world titles in multiple divisions wouldn't have been able to do so, would they ??
Hopkins - It's hardly cherrypicking is it ?? Hopkins was I think most people agree the best opponent Calzaghe faced and he was 43 and well past his best and yet came closer than anybody before to beating Joe.

 

Hagler showed no inclination whatsoever to go up in weight.

Let me tell you about a guy called Sugar Ray Leonard ...

 

Was going to reply to this and you taking the time to mention me in another post but then had a quick look through your recent posting history, after that think I'll just leave you to it, take care my friend.

 

This is so hard to call. As previously mentioned Hagler was a monster in the early 80’s.
One of the best 2/3 MWs ever.
Calzaghe always found a way to win & fought the best around from memory, and beat them all convincingly.
I see it going to points. As the old saying goes ‘A good big ‘un always beats a good little ‘un’. So I just, only just favour Big Joe.

 

Hagler was not tops 155 fight night, he normally weighed in a bit below 160, no reason to believe he was even ligher in the ring-when everyone else was normally at least a bit heavier.

However you have to favor someone who was a World Class fighter & so much larger.
With Hagler's chin, we cannot say he would go very soon.
But he would likely lose.

 

Nervous energy will take a few lb off, breaking sweats warming up too.

 

if hagler were a natural 168 pounder, he might give Calzaghe some trouble, but other than that it would be a mismatch.
calzaghe too big, too much range, to fast, and too good of footwork.
hagler would plod forward and get chopped up all night

 

Unless someone is moving a great deal in the sort time between the old weigh ins & the fights, no appreciable change.
In fact they usually would *eat* after weigh in to make sure they made weight, right?

Also no athlete is gonna try to do extreme sweating that would drain their energy & lose any significant water weight unless they were trying to make weight-just before a bout for a short time they work up some sweat.
Which not all do, but anyway would not change weight to any notable degree.