What if Hagler never retired when he did?

[KO Artist]

Could being the right word. His chin was far too susceptible though.

McCallum was never stopped, was very tough and wasn't KOed by big punches like Jones or Jackson so I doubt Hearns would do it. By the way I think McCallum struggled against good technical boxers more than someone throwing a lead right hand. McCallum would be too tough for Hearns and win by middle to late rds TKO.

Watch the films of McCallum. I saw almost every fight of his from David Braxton on and the punch he is hit with most frequently is a lead right hand. Plus he was a give-and-take kind of fighter. Not a good thing vs. Hearns. Watch the McCrory fight and just imagine a larger, stronger, faster and more powerful fighter(Hearns) in there instead. Milton gave Mike all he could handle for several rounds, and he didn't have even half the firepower, speed or durability as Tommy.

Jones was not a puncher in Hearn's league. Not even close. Jackson was, but couldn't get his china chin past the first round. If so he may have had a chance of really testing Mike's chin. Hearns is twice the fighter that Jackson was. He had a longer reach, a rapier jab and was much faster.

If Milton McCrory could take McCallum's best for 9-plus rounds, I have no doubt that a prime, 154 lb Hearns could. And he would be detonating big, right-hand bombs on McCallum's chin the whole way(Curry hurt Mike with a right. Imagine what Tommy's would do to him). McCallum punched well, but was not some big-time banger who's power Hearns would have to be cautious of.

BTW....Cuevas and Duran had never been stopped, either.

? Hearns KO'd the pair of them

[surf-bat]

Could being the right word. His chin was far too susceptible though.

McCallum was never stopped, was very tough and wasn't KOed by big punches like Jones or Jackson so I doubt Hearns would do it. By the way I think McCallum struggled against good technical boxers more than someone throwing a lead right hand. McCallum would be too tough for Hearns and win by middle to late rds TKO.

Watch the films of McCallum. I saw almost every fight of his from David Braxton on and the punch he is hit with most frequently is a lead right hand. Plus he was a give-and-take kind of fighter. Not a good thing vs. Hearns. Watch the McCrory fight and just imagine a larger, stronger, faster and more powerful fighter(Hearns) in there instead. Milton gave Mike all he could handle for several rounds, and he didn't have even half the firepower, speed or durability as Tommy.

Jones was not a puncher in Hearn's league. Not even close. Jackson was, but couldn't get his china chin past the first round. If so he may have had a chance of really testing Mike's chin. Hearns is twice the fighter that Jackson was. He had a longer reach, a rapier jab and was much faster.

If Milton McCrory could take McCallum's best for 9-plus rounds, I have no doubt that a prime, 154 lb Hearns could. And he would be detonating big, right-hand bombs on McCallum's chin the whole way(Curry hurt Mike with a right. Imagine what Tommy's would do to him). McCallum punched well, but was not some big-time banger who's power Hearns would have to be cautious of.

BTW....Cuevas and Duran had never been stopped, either.

? Hearns KO'd the pair of them

My point exactly. McCallum would have been, too.

[Cojimar 1945]

Cuevas was ko'd by guys aside from Hearns.

[surf-bat]

Cuevas was ko'd by guys aside from Hearns.

Up to the Hearns fight Cuevas had only been KO'd once, and that was in his pro debut, so we'll never know the circumstances behind that. Otherwise he displayed an iron chin throughout his career...that is, until he faced the Hitman.

[Cojimar 1945]

I don't see any reason to ignore all the other kayo losses simply because they followed the Hearns fight.

[surf-bat]

I don't see any reason to ignore all the other kayo losses simply because they followed the Hearns fight.

So you're saying that Pipino didn't have an iron chin before the Hearns fight?

[dr_devious]

Nero, the post was about if Hagler had never retired. Since Hagler retired in 1987, the post refers hypothetically to the late 80s when both Hearns and McCallum were fighting beyond the 154lb division.
Hearns was at his peak in the early 80s in the 154lb division, in my view he was the best fighter in the divisions history. In the late 80s however his punch resistance wasnt the same in the higher weight decisions, which is fact. This may have been an aftermath of the war he fought with Hagler in 1985. I've never bought into the fact that Hearns was "chinny", as he was durable at 147-154lbs. The fact remains that he was troubled by lesser fighters in the higher weight divisions in the late 80s. The fact also remains that McCallum was never ever stopped in his career, even against Roy Jones in a light heavyweight contest aged 40 in 1996! So if hypothetically they had fought, in the late 80s as this post refers to, Hearns would be more likely to have been stopped than McCallum. McCallum was at least two levels higher than Roldan, Andries, Barkley and Kinchen who between them in 1987 & 1988 either wobbled Tommy very badly, knocked him down, or knocked him out in Barkley's case.

[surf-bat]

Nero, the post was about if Hagler had never retired. Since Hagler retired in 1987, the post refers hypothetically to the late 80s when both Hearns and McCallum were fighting beyond the 154lb division.
Hearns was at his peak in the early 80s in the 154lb division, in my view he was the best fighter in the divisions history. In the late 80s however his punch resistance wasnt the same in the higher weight decisions, which is fact. This may have been an aftermath of the war he fought with Hagler in 1985. I've never bought into the fact that Hearns was "chinny", as he was durable at 147-154lbs. The fact remains that he was troubled by lesser fighters in the higher weight divisions in the late 80s. The fact also remains that McCallum was never ever stopped in his career, even against Roy Jones in a light heavyweight contest aged 40 in 1996! So if hypothetically they had fought, in the late 80s as this post refers to, Hearns would be more likely to have been stopped than McCallum. McCallum was at least two levels higher than Roldan, Andries, Barkley and Kinchen who between them in 1987 & 1988 either wobbled Tommy very badly, knocked him down, or knocked him out in Barkley's case.

You are right. I let my mind wander and turned this into a "Prime vs. Prime" dream fight.

As the kids nowadays say "my bad".....*s*

[Cojimar 1945]

I can't be certain about his chin but I woulden't think it would be much different after the Hearns fight than it was previously considering he was still quite young.

[dr_devious]

You are right. I let my mind wander and turned this into a "Prime vs. Prime" dream fight.

As the kids nowadays say "my bad".....*s*

I'll forgive ye nero , I'd agree that Hearns would have been a strong favourite pre-Hagler against McCallum, still think Big Mac would have gone the distance and given Tommy a good fight. 2 of my fave fighters, both guys are all-time greats and class acts

[surf-bat]

I can't be certain about his chin but I woulden't think it would be much different after the Hearns fight than it was previously considering he was still quite young.

Well, over the next 16 months he lost 2 of four fights. He was knocked down by Stafford in losing a dec. and floored twice by Duran and tko'd. Not the signs of the same granite chin as before.

[surf-bat]

You are right. I let my mind wander and turned this into a "Prime vs. Prime" dream fight.

As the kids nowadays say "my bad".....*s*

I'll forgive ye nero , I'd agree that Hearns would have been a strong favourite pre-Hagler against McCallum, still think Big Mac would have gone the distance and given Tommy a good fight. 2 of my fave fighters, both guys are all-time greats and class acts

Both top 10 favs of mine as well.