Thread: How Great was The Marvellous Marvin Hagler..

I just loved Marvin for the fact that he got hit with monster power shots by Hearns that would have sparked most guys, and marvelous just wobbled slightly then kept coming forward!

There is no doubt about the Hagler legacy, the Hearns fight alone proves what a great champ he was.
It's a shame we never saw him fight Monzon, he had 36 fights up by the time Monzon retired so it could have happened, what a fight that would have been!

Originally Posted by THE THIRD MAN

There is no doubt about the Hagler legacy, the Hearns fight alone proves what a great champ he was.
It's a shame we never saw him fight Monzon, he had 36 fights up by the time Monzon retired so it could have happened, what a fight that would have been!

I was actually thinking of writing the same thing myself. cc

Hagler has to be considered one of the all-time greats. He was never KO'd, and arguably never hit the canvas (he had a slip that was called a knockdown once) so he may have had the greatest chins in boxing history. One could even argue he was never beaten. Though I believe Leonard out-boxed him, I concede an argument can be made for him winning that fight. Either way, in boxing, more than any other sport, its not if you win or lose, but how you play the game. Thus, its safe to say he was never thoroughly defeated.

Concerning Duran, Leonard, Hearns, and Mugabi...only Duran was truly "blown up." Leonard and Hearns looked more natural as middleweights than welters (where they looked very skinny, especially Hearns) so I don't think Hagler had a natural size advantage. Hearns was even taller thatn Hagler and by age 30 Leonard was a natural middleweight. Mugabi was his best at Jr. Middle, so not much of a difference.

Great power, arguably greatest chin ever, great technician, never KO'd, knockdown, or thoroughly defeated, fought all comers...i put him right up there with Leonard, Hearns and Duran...who all belong together.

Originally Posted by X

To me, Hagler is the greatest middleweight that ever lived.

He came up the hard way, never got any breaks on the way up (as Joe Frazier told him, "Son, you got three strikes against you.. you're a southpaw, you're black and you're good"). The ultimate blue collar professional in an era where the media first began to hype people up.

Hager came from a tough background and paid his dues in the notorious gym wars of Philadephia, he got in the ring with world class man like Bobby Watts etc while he was still learning his trade. He had a chin like iron and was only 'dropped' once in his entire career (a very debatable slip/knockdown against the brawling Mustapha Hamsho). That is some feat when you consider he fought everyone who mattered in the 80's - Duran, Hearns, Mugabi, Leonard etc.

The thing with Mrvin was that if you wanted to box, he could outbox you. If you wanted to brawl, he would outbrawl you. He could do everything and had every punch, plus was ALWAYS in weight, well conditioned and well prepared. As a mark of the man, did you know that he never had a contract with his managers or trainers, he shook hands with them when he was a teenager and stuck with them all the way through his career. Similarly, he never moved from middleweight (and i think many fighters move weight divisions because they lose discipline) and was one short of breaking Carlos Monzon's then record for title defences.

Ray Robinson won the middleweight title five times, but that meant he lost it four times.

Hagler was the ultimate technician, a proud and hard professional and (for me) one of the greatest fighters to ever grace that high-profile division.

Actually, the knockdown was in his match with Roldan and not Hamsho

Yes, I think you might be right, now that you make me think about it ...... apologies for getting it wrong, but I think my point still stands about his chin being like concrete?

Originally Posted by eagle

I just loved Marvin for the fact that he got hit with monster power shots by Hearns that would have sparked most guys, and marvelous just wobbled slightly then kept coming forward!

The shots he recieved from Hearns were nothing compared to the monster shots he ate from Mugabi and walked through them during the early rounds

Originally Posted by DaxxKahn

Originally Posted by eagle

I just loved Marvin for the fact that he got hit with monster power shots by Hearns that would have sparked most guys, and marvelous just wobbled slightly then kept coming forward!

The shots he recieved from Hearns were nothing compared to the monster shots he ate from Mugabi and walked through them during the early rounds

Mugabi vs Hagler was brutal Mugabi could of gotten up in the 11th but he knew he couldn't win so he just stayed down and took the 10 count that fight ruined Mugabi it took so much out of him.

But in Mugabi we still have a guy coming up from light middle weight to fight Hagler...as I remember...could be wrong tho...

And to take another scenario I remember Nigel Benn saying when being asked about Mc Clellands power, He said before the fight something on the lines of Ive been hit by middle weights and Ive been hit by super middle weights, and let me tell you super mids hit back harder and stand up longer...and so it proved to be...

So would or could that not also be the case here with Mugabi and Hagler...I dont dislike Hagler so dont sad click me on those grounds Im just bringing a debate to the table boys no more no less....He was a fine warrior of that Im in no doubt at all..

Originally Posted by ICE COLD BOXING

Originally Posted by DaxxKahn

Originally Posted by eagle

I just loved Marvin for the fact that he got hit with monster power shots by Hearns that would have sparked most guys, and marvelous just wobbled slightly then kept coming forward!

The shots he recieved from Hearns were nothing compared to the monster shots he ate from Mugabi and walked through them during the early rounds

Mugabi vs Hagler was brutal Mugabi could of gotten up in the 11th but he knew he couldn't win so he just stayed down and took the 10 count that fight ruined Mugabi it took so much out of him.

Agreed...The first part of that fight Mugabi unloaded shots that would KO some top notch HWts of Today....First few rds I thought Hagler was in trouble that night....Mugabi started to wear down around the 6th and Marving just gave him a beating......Your right Mugabi was never the same again....

Originally Posted by bambamdaddio

But in Mugabi we still have a guy coming up from light middle weight to fight Hagler...as I remember...could be wrong tho...

And to take another scenario I remember Nigel Benn saying when being asked about Mc Clellands power, He said before the fight something on the lines of Ive been hit by middle weights and Ive been hit by super middle weights, and let me tell you super mids hit back harder and stand up longer...and so it proved to be...

So would or could that not also be the case here with Mugabi and Hagler...I dont dislike Hagler so dont sad click me on those grounds Im just bringing a debate to the table boys no more no less....He was a fine warrior of that Im in no doubt at all..

I think you are confused on some things there mate...I am not sure what your version of blown up or how well you know the scientifics of the sport.....Just because a guy starts at WW lets say...that does not mean that is his natrual weight....You have to remember at ages 21-25 your body is still growing not so much in height but in mass....you do not settle down until you are about 25 or so...a guy who is at WW in the beginning of his career and moves up to lets say 154 after 10 or 15 fights and stays at 154 his natrual weight is 154....the only difference is he is not sucking the weight he usually is...also many guys will punish themselves to make a lower weight class for the advantage....

Look at Marvins comp and look at what they accomplished after moving up in weight...weight you would consider not their natrual weight....

Ray Leonard--wins robbery against Hagler...Moves all the way up to LHW and wins a title...

Tommy Hearns--Loses to Hagler but goes on to win SMW,,LHW,,and some minor cruiserweight titles....First man to beat future HOF bound Virgil Hill at LHW,,Beats Olajide at SMW...has wars with Barkley,,,beats nate miller at CW...Blows out James Shuler at MW right after Hagler fight....Hearns is 6'1" to Hagler's 5'9 1/2"'s

John Mugabi fought as high as SMW before fighting Hagler and averaged about 155-160 most of his productive career...

Minter,,Antuofermo and most the others all middleweight for 98%of their productive careers...I say productive because the first few fights are not counted as anything because it is not until something is accomplished that the career really starts IMO....

The only blown up guy was Duran...who even though was a small guy went on to have some tough fights against much younger guys all the way until the late 90's...guys who he would have beaten 10 years prior even at 160....

If these guys like Hearns, and them came up from 147 or 154 for just that fight and were blown out never to return to the division or not have any success later on I can understand what you are saying but thats not the case...


BTW I don't think anyone will give an SC over the debate good topic got everyone in on it....

I think Marvin had everything. Recently watched a few of his older fights and he was alot quicker than I had originally thought. Definately one of the Greats.

Daxx i have to disagree with you i do not think hagler was robbed i thought Leonard beat him fair in square

Yeah me too there, I just thought he felt he would catch up with Ray and did nothing in the early rounds knowing that he would pin him in a corner eventually and then work him over, which of course did'nt happen....

but to me the result didn't matter because morally Ray had won by going the distance and win or lose, he had gone close enough for the argument, which in itself was a great deed done..

as I said in opening this debate, should Hagler have been caused so much trouble by a guy he totally dis regarded, and as well as having only the one fight in five years which saw him,Leonard that is floored by Kevin Howard I think it was) not to mention coming up in weight and off a detached retina injury...So back to the point......Was Hagler that great then??

Don't kill me for asking just finding out the consensus of opinion as I respect the forum and most writers opinions on here...which is why Im asking you guys about the man while also putting across my own points of view, I do not dislike Hagler...just wondererd where you guys have him in the big picture of all time greats..

PS...forgive the spellings, checker aint working for me at mo

Bam great posts, you know Boxing cc