Hearns beats Hagler in a rematch

[Ezzard]

Okay...

Hearns starts by boxing... Doesn't break his hand in round one, or any other round...

Hagler gets cut again...

This isn't the Hagler who fought Hearns the first time. It's not even the Hagler who beat Mugabi. I don't think the guy who fought Leonard could have sat on Tommy's chest.

I don't see Hearns stopping Hagler. But him winning is a definite possibility.

[Sound Judgement]

IMO leonard was fighting at an equal or higher level in the second hearns fight compared to the hagler fight. At worst he was the same fighter. whereas in 89 hearns had started the slide and still IMO beat Leonard that night

[Ezzard]

That reminds me of another factor at play here...

You can wave your flag for Ray or Marvin or Tommy or Roberto...

But there was really very, very little between them. And the loser of the first fight always came back harder in the next one.

It wouldn’t have surprised me if Hagler beat Ray in a rematch. Or if Tommy beat Marvin. These are people, not machines.

Ray knew how to beat Hearns. Put the right tactics in place in their second fight. Trained for power and to land the game changer. He did everything right…and nearly won. But Tommy, who was more shop-worn than Ray, upped his game for that night.

My instincts tell me this would always happen.

[Sound Judgement]

Great comments!!

[elmersalsa]

The great Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns was not the same ever since that fateful and unforgettable night of April 15, 1985. He gave everything he had in that fight. He slipped a lot after that. That fight took a big toll on him. A rematch would not be different. The great Marvelous Marvin Hagler was much stronger and bigger, with better chin. Hagler knew how to beat him.

[Sound Judgement]

Hagler was done. Hearns put him into semi retirement... Then Leonard retired him forever. Hearns went on to win the middle weight title and several more world titles after hagler. Fact: Hagler never gave Hearns a rematch.... Why: Because Hearns was knocking everyone down or out... Including SRL....

[loaded_gloves]

SJ, the only reason Hagler retired was because Leonard wouldn't grant him a rematch. He pursued one for a long time.

I know you love Tommy but you can't serious expect MMH to endure another long arduous training camp at that point to fight a guy he'd already blown out.

Can you cite examples of boxers in history who have done this?

[Sound Judgement]

Leonard to Hearns and Duran
Ali- Frazer
Hagler I believe Roldan
SRR-Lemotta
There are many many more...
He didnt fight Hearns again because of the risk...didn't want to unravel his finest moment. If It was "just that easy" he would have.....

[orbtastic]

SJ, the only reason Hagler retired was because Leonard wouldn't grant him a rematch. He pursued one for a long time.

I know you love Tommy but you can't serious expect MMH to endure another long arduous training camp at that point to fight a guy he'd already blown out.

Can you cite examples of boxers in history who have done this?

Rematches were fairly common place "back in the day".

Two ones straight off the dome:

Patterson/Liston II
Patterson/Ingo II/III

Now you can make a case for them being an ex-champion's prerogative but they happened.

Patterson & Ingo tied that title up for a good couple of years, denying Liston his shot.

[Sound Judgement]

Commom...Hearns beat the guy MMH lost to 18 months later...and knocked him down twice. Enough of using Haglers finest moment to judge another rematch. Anyone with sound boxing ability (duran, leonard ) who boxed hagler gave him fits... Hearns was the best at the sweet science of all 4

[orbtastic]

Except not when it mattered most, which is the point most people are making.

[Sound Judgement]

Same with MMH against SRL!!

[loaded_gloves]

Leonard to Hearns and Duran
Ali- Frazer
Hagler I believe Roldan
SRR-Lemotta
There are many many more...
He didnt fight Hearns again because of the risk...didn't want to unravel his finest moment. If It was "just that easy" he would have.....

Your listing long grueling distance bouts of epic proportions when Hagler/Hearns was a brief blowout.

Why didn't Hearns rematch Roberto Duran, to use your own logic? I guess he must have feared Hands of Stone outboxing him in a rematch?

[Sound Judgement]

Duran never asked for one pro!!!
Hearns blew out Duran which MMH and SLR couldn't dp
Hearns beat SLR something your man couldnt do
Hearns would have beat MMH had he given him the return..... Now what junior......

[Sound Judgement]

Also i remember Hearns Hagler being the fight of the year . Hearns almost put hagler horizontal in the first 20 seconds. He also had haglers face looking like blood covered pancake batter in the third.
Hearns Duran was a victory parade for Hearns. He thew Duran around like a rag doll. Something MMH could not do.

[gilgamesh]

I don't believe Hearns could've ever beaten Hagler. I think in a rematch he would certainly have a better gameplan and would try to box more and would probably win his share of rounds, but I figure Marvin would still KO him or stop him sometime between the 7th and 9th round.

Marvin's just too tough and too strong for Tommy in my view.

[Sound Judgement]

Yet hearns beats leonard? MMH loses anytime after 85. No way he beats hearns or leonard. Both beat MMH in any rematch....

[gilgamesh]

Yet hearns beats leonard? MMH loses anytime after 85. No way he beats hearns or leonard. Both beat MMH in any rematch....

I never said Hearns beats Leonard for the record. Though I did think he won the rematch close. If Hearns would've rematched Hagler I don't figure it would've been any later than 1986 or 1987...I think Hagler would've beat him in either case.

Though it certainly would've been a much tougher fight if he fought him post-Mugabi.

I had Leonard-Hagler a draw when I watched it. So I wouldn't say Leonard was clearly better than Hagler or nothing if that's what you're suggesting.

[Sound Judgement]

Fair enough

[elmersalsa]

Hagler was done. Hearns put him into semi retirement... Then Leonard retired him forever. Hearns went on to win the middle weight title and several more world titles after hagler. Fact: Hagler never gave Hearns a rematch.... Why: Because Hearns was knocking everyone down or out... Including SRL....

Do you really believe that the great Hitman would have beaten Marvelous in a rematch?

How and when?

Hearns looked like he slipped a lot after that slugfest with Hagler. He fought a full fight in 3 rounds. Hagler would have won again because he knew the ONLY WAY TO BEAT TOMMY was to pressure. There was not another option. He cannot outbox the great Thomas Hearns. Nobody outboxed Tommy anyway.

Juan Roldan almost knocked him out. He did not pressure long enough.
Sugar Ray beat Tommy with pressure
Hagler did the same.
the great Aaron Pryor proved it in the amateurs
Iran Barkley did it twice, with pressure, pressure, pressure.

That is the only way to beat Tommy Hearns.

[Rover]

Leonard to Hearns and Duran
Ali- Frazer
Hagler I believe Roldan
SRR-Lemotta
There are many many more...
He didnt fight Hearns again because of the risk...didn't want to unravel his finest moment. If It was "just that easy" he would have.....

Your listing long grueling distance bouts of epic proportions when Hagler/Hearns was a brief blowout.

Why didn't Hearns rematch Roberto Duran, to use your own logic? I guess he must have feared Hands of Stone outboxing him in a rematch?

Good one.

[Rover]

Duran never asked for one pro!!!
Hearns blew out Duran which MMH and SLR couldn't dp
Hearns beat SLR something your man couldnt do
Hearns would have beat MMH had he given him the return..... Now what junior......

So what if Hearns asked?
And Hearns/SRL II was a draw; I'll quote that post of yours about how only judges' cards count.
And as for Hagler/Hearns being FOTY--that was a media designation (Ring and KO Magazine). Those are the sources you can cite for that--media. But according to you (and I can quote your post) media doesn't count.

[Sound Judgement]

The media and ring magazine blow just like you Rover....tired of your BS...how old are you 12?

[Ezzard]

Hagler was done. Hearns put him into semi retirement... Then Leonard retired him forever. Hearns went on to win the middle weight title and several more world titles after hagler. Fact: Hagler never gave Hearns a rematch.... Why: Because Hearns was knocking everyone down or out... Including SRL....

Hearns should 100% been given a rematch. But Hagler didn't avoid him. He would have rematched him if not for Leonard coming out of retirement.

[ThePhillyShell]

Hagler was done. Hearns put him into semi retirement... Then Leonard retired him forever. Hearns went on to win the middle weight title and several more world titles after hagler. Fact: Hagler never gave Hearns a rematch.... Why: Because Hearns was knocking everyone down or out... Including SRL....

Hearns should 100% been given a rematch. But Hagler didn't avoid him. He would have rematched him if not for Leonard coming out of retirement.

Thats right. Leonard was the big money fight at the time. Maybe its why Hagler made so many concession to SRL? 12 rounds etc etc strange for the champ to conceded so much to a challenger - anything to get it on I suppose