How Would Marvin Hagler Done In The 1950s and 1960s Middleweight Era

[GordonChen]

Could he still dominate the middleweight division or nah

[Expug]

He’s an all time great and his versatility would make him a champ in any era.

[elmersalsa]

He’s an all time great and his versatility would make him a champ in any era.

X2. Marvelous was a complete boxer. As a matter of fact, the 50s and 60s middleweight era would have been perfect for him. This was a guy that took all comers and had that warrior's mentality and always in great shape. He was completely old school.

It took him over 50 fights for him for a title shot. Like you said, expug, he would have thrived in any era of boxing. He was that great.

[goose 5]

He wouldn't be nearly as dominant as in the 80's.

[elmersalsa]

He wouldn't be nearly as dominant as in the 80's.

Well, you got a point. The 50s and 60s talent pool of middleweights and welterweights were very deep. You can't beat everybody. You can't fight everybody either. But it's most likely that he would not be that dominant like in the 80s decade.

[elmersalsa]

The other question would be, if Marvelous would have gotten a title shot much sooner than in the 70s and 80s? I don't know. But, it would have been a harder decade for him to beat all those terrific boxers of that era.

[gilgamesh]

If Hagler had been around in that era then guys like Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, and Bobo Olsen probably would've never held the Middleweight title. It would've went back and forth between him and Robinson a few times.

Of course, the Politics of the time may have frozen him out of the title picture for a long time just like it did in his own era, but once he reached the top, he'd have been a threat for anybody of that era.

And I honestly can't see some of the guys who were Champions in that era being a threat to beat him.

In the 60's he'd have been bad news for Benvenuti and Griffith, but I think Monzon and Rodrigo Valdes would've been a handful for him as they were for most anybody.

[JC]

If Hagler had been around in that era then guys like Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, and Bobo Olsen probably would've never held the Middleweight title. It would've went back and forth between him and Robinson a few times.

Of course, the Politics of the time may have frozen him out of the title picture for a long time just like it did in his own era, but once he reached the top, he'd have been a threat for anybody of that era.

And I honestly can't see some of the guys who were Champions in that era being a threat to beat him.

In the 60's he'd have been bad news for Benvenuti and Griffith, but I think Monzon and Rodrigo Valdes would've been a handful for him as they were for most anybody.

Solid post. I agree.

[Ambling Alp II]

He wouldn't be nearly as dominant as in the 80's.

That kind of how i see it. He certainly would have been the champion at one point. He was a great fighter. However, his title defenses would not have been against people like Caveman Lee. LaMotta, Robinson, Turpin, Fullmer, Tiger, Giardello, Griffith, Benvenuti etc. Wow. It would have been one tough title defense after another. Hagler was great, but he had off days that would have cost him against these guys. Would have been fun to watch.

[goose 5]

Add George Benton and Henry Hank to the mix, also.

[elmersalsa]

Add George Benton and Henry Hank to the mix, also.

And Ellsworth "Spider" Webb. What a fighter he was!