BoxRec

Hearns beats Hagler if he comes out and boxes. Possibly by knockout. Hearns never landed a clean sharp punch on Hagler including the first round. Hearns was never an accurate puncher in flurries. However he was deadly from the boxing position with the left hook to the body or right cross. He needed to feed off the jab. He beats Hagler with that strategy. If Tommy landed a clean right cross to Haglers chin…trust me when I say Hagler would have been in big trouble…. Hats off to Marvin for avoiding the straight right cross in the first fight…
Either way we all would have loved to see a Hagler Hearns rematch!

Sound Judgement wrote:Hearns beats Hagler if he comes out and boxes. Possibly by knockout. Hearns never landed a clean sharp punch on Hagler including the first round. Hearns was never an accurate puncher in flurries. However he was deadly from the boxing position with the left hook to the body or right cross. He needed to feed off the jab. He beats Hagler with that strategy. If Tommy landed a clean right cross to Haglers chin…trust me when I say Hagler would have been in big trouble…. Hats off to Marvin for avoiding the straight right cross in the first fight…
Either way we all would have loved to see a Hagler Hearns rematch!

I started a topic here and on ESB once with the hypothetical question of what if Hearns landed the EXACT same right hand bomb on Hagler that he did on Duran. Same timing, power, positions, etc.

What would happen?

The generous consensus was that Hagler would stay up.

I was incredulous. I think Hagler goes down.

No, Hearns doesn't beat Hagler, and he doesn't stop him.

Hearns would give Hagler fits if he boxes. He would also inflict alot of damage. Both were great. Too bad we never saw a rematch.....

Hearns didn't show the discipline to do that at the very highest levels for a whole fight.

He did in his other fights.

Sound Judgement wrote:He did in his other fights.

Not at the very top level, though. I go by what Hearns showed when he was put to the biggest tests.

Same could be said about Hagler in his biggest fight.... His weaknesses were exploited as well...

Sound Judgement wrote:Same could be said about Hagler in his biggest fight.... His weaknesses were exploited as well...

Hearns isn't Leonard, and Hagler proved himself against Hearns.

In a slugfest. Not in a tactical fight. Hagler isnt Leonard either....

Sound Judgement wrote:In a slugfest. Not in a tactical fight. Hagler isnt Leonard either....

He doesn't have to be to beat Hearns. Hearns boxed in many other fights successfully to victory. Hagler isn't those fighters. When (and against whom near Hagler's level) did Hearns fight like that? And let's keep it at middle, too.

Roldan for wbc middle title, andries light heavy title, leonard (draw that hearns won and leonard admitted too) super middle, hill light heavy..... Hearns clearly was the best boxer of the 3 fighters.. Leonard even confirmed...
I will be nice and say both hearns and hagler both let their biggest moments in the ring define them... They didn't define the moment....

Hearns slugged quite a bit with Leonard and almost got stopped.
Roldan, Hill and Andries aren't near Hagler's level.
Also, the Roldan bout was pretty much a wild slugfest. Hearns also got badly hurt v. Andries. I doubt he survives that v. prime Hagler.
As for the SMW Leonard, obviously it wasn't the version Hearns first fought, who finished him off. But Hearns got hit quite a bit there.

Almost doesn't count. Leonard was on the canvas as much as hearns throughout both fights... If you compare top level common opponents hearns by far performed better than hagler. Hagler won a slugfest. Hearns never landed cleanly. In a tactical fight hearns lands at will. Better boxing skills and footwork.
I just wanted to see the rematch...Just as hagler fans wanted a leonard rematch...it amazing hagler fans think he beats hearns in a rematch... But hagler fans also think he beats leonard in a rematch...? They want it all their way with no consideration. If I keep an open mind and say there is a decent chance hagler beats leonard in a rematch then the same is true for hearns chances to win in a hagler rematch.....

Sound Judgement wrote:Almost doesn't count. Leonard was on the canvas as much as hearns throughout both fights... If you compare top level common opponents hearns by far performed better than hagler. Hagler won a slugfest. Hearns never landed cleanly. In a tactical fight hearns lands at will. Better boxing skills and footwork.
I just wanted to see the rematch...Just as hagler fans wanted a leonard rematch...it amazing hagler fans think he beats hearns in a rematch... But hagler fans also think he beats leonard in a rematch...? They want it all their way with no consideration. If I keep an open mind and say there is a decent chance hagler beats leonard in a rematch then the same is true for hearns chances to win in a hagler rematch.....

What's the point of combining KDs from different fights?
And Leonard/Hagler was disputed. No dispute about Hagler/Hearns.

How was it disputed? Leonard won the fight on the judges cards? Disputed how? hagler fans aside??

Sound Judgement wrote:How was it disputed? Leonard won the fight on the judges cards? Disputed how? hagler fans aside??

You'd like to go by judges' cards?
Leonard/Hearns II--draw.
Next.

You mean leonard admitting hearns won? That is well documented. Also hearns knocked him down twice. Hearns dominated leonard at times in both fights. Something hagler couldn't do against a fighter 5 years removed from his last fight.

Sound Judgement wrote:You mean leonard admitting hearns won? That is well documented. Also hearns knocked him down twice. Hearns dominated leonard at times in both fights. Something hagler couldn't do against a fighter 5 years removed from his last fight.

Hagler only stopped the very guy you praise.
Hearns didn't quarrel with the draw at the time, which is well documented also.
And you mentioned judges' cards. Well, there you go.
Leonard-Hearns II - draw.
Yes, several media scored for Hagler.

Media doesn't count... Cant emphasize enough I give hagler and trainers all due respect for hearns fight. Bad strategy by hearns manager to slug it out. I really wanted a rematch. I believe anything could have happened not a one way wipe out. Hagler should have shut leonard out and gave hearns the rematch....haglers criticism will always be that his toughest and most skilled opponents came from lighter weight classes. Had he fought spinks or holyfield at a catch weight (168) he may have gone down as the greatest....... I give duran, hearns, leonard huge credit for fighting up in weight class throughout their careers (leonard not so much- donny lalonde fight was a joke for light heavy at 165 shouldn't have counted)

Media doesn't count?
You claimed only Hagler's fans disputed the decision.
Several media scored for Hagler or a draw. It was a close fight that is, to this day, disputed.
Who exactly counts?
But I'll give my own view of what doesn't count: statements by a fighter a couple decades later don't count, either.

Last I checked the judges scorecards were all that mattered? Go ask hagler who he thought win the hearns leonard rematch. Better yet listen to the tapes of hagler calling the fight and after the fight and report back...

Sound Judgement wrote:Last I checked the judges scorecards were all that mattered? Go ask hagler who he thought win the hearns leonard rematch. Better yet listen to the tapes of hagler calling the fight and after the fight and report back...

Judges' scorecards are all that matter?
Very well.
Leonard-Hearns II=draw.
Next issue.

Not the issue at all..... Leonard beat hagler...

Sound Judgement wrote:Not the issue at all..... Leonard beat hagler...

And drew with Hearns...