Could Hearns ever beat Hagler?

[IronDanHamza]

Yes.... if he would've box'd him.

Similar to the second half of the first Leonard fight.


It wouldn't be easy but Hagler would slow down a little bit after repeatedly getting caught with Hearns right over and over.

Look at this, Maniac when he first joined the forum and had good posts.

[djtmal]

I think hearns had a shot if they rematched in 87,, instead of hagler-srl, if we had hearns-hagler 2, i think tommy would have boxed from the beginning, and age had overcame hagler, so i think hearns had a great chance to outbox him for a decision, as hagler no longer had that extra gear to kick it up a notch and take guys out,,,,

I honestly think that the hearns fight took alot out of hagler, even though he won,,, I dont think he was ever the same after takiing tommy's shots,,, Hagler had alot of mileage and age and fights on his record, and SRL timed the fight perfectly, i think if hearns had fought that version of hagler, hearns could win a decision,,, that is the only plausible scenario i see hearns winning,,,

Great post I concur

[Anthony342]

Maybe if they fought now Hearns would have a shot. That's about it though.

[toooooool]

I always thought that fight was overrated..Right from the start when they started
throwing bombs,you just knew in your heart that Hearns was shooting his bolt
and would be done soon..Plus,he was missing a lot of punches,looked awkward and
unstable,and had terrible balance.If Hagler was forcing the aggressive tempo
Hearns should have fought of the ropes till Hagler slowed down because if he started
dancing and boxing he would have gotten fatigued too...no I dont think he would
ever beat Hagler

[notrecondite]

I always thought that fight was overrated..

Definitely! Best round ever?

[Ham Porter]

Of course he could have. You match two elite fighters together and more often than not, you've got a 50/50 matchup, even when one boxer wins the first fight in the most decisive manner.


I've always felt that this fight flattered Hagler a great deal with regards to his ability as a pressure fighter and that Hearns had as much to do with the fight turning out the way it did as Hagler did.

[sleazyfellow]

If they had a rematch after haglers fight against mugabi, hearns may of had a shot. For those saying hagler only got hurt in his fight with hearns, watch the mugabi fight, its brutal and a clear sign hagler was on the downslope, he won that fight just because he was damn tough as nails. If hearns runs and picks at hagler, the hagler that chased ray around all night he has a good shot at winning, but hagler of the early 80s would always, always beat hearns.

As for the people who say hearns had a glass chin, if he had a glass chin he would not of been as great or remembered as he is these days, hearns problem was always recovering from big shots, the srl first fight showed it, took hearns a good while to get back on track after being initially hurt by leonard.

[greynotsoold]

If they had a rematch after haglers fight against mugabi, hearns may of had a shot. For those saying hagler only got hurt in his fight with hearns, watch the mugabi fight, its brutal and a clear sign hagler was on the downslope, he won that fight just because he was damn tough as nails. If hearns runs and picks at hagler, the hagler that chased ray around all night he has a good shot at winning, but hagler of the early 80s would always, always beat hearns.

As for the people who say hearns had a glass chin, if he had a glass chin he would not of been as great or remembered as he is these days, hearns problem was always recovering from big shots, the srl first fight showed it, took hearns a good while to get back on track after being initially hurt by leonard.

the mugabi fight was a war and hagler was certainly hurt several times, but fought through it. Ray leonard should have given john Mugabi a very nice gift for all he took out of hagler.
I don't think hearns had a glass chin, but he did not take body punches well at all. watch the barkley fight. Barkley is hitting his body and hearns gets unsteady before he gets hit on the chin. maybe the drain of being 6'2" and very broad shouldered and getting down to 160 made his legs shaky?

[Ham Porter]

Looking at Hagler's resume from the time he won the title up until his very last fight and it's difficult to find another long reigning champion in recent memory who benefitted from so many stylistic matchups that favoured him. Hamsho, Roldan, Antuofermo, Minter, Lee, Scypion, Sibson - a dream for any proficient counter puncher.


I do often wonder how Hagler would have coped with slicker, more mobile boxers like Graham, Nunn and Kalambay. Hearns had his flaws but with a bit more intelligence, I'm not convinced Hagler does maul him in the manner that he did in 1985. He learned a harsh lesson then, and that's no middleweight could outfight Hagler - too tough, too sharp and too well conditioned.