Could Hearns have beaten Hagler if he didn't try to knock him out?

[Galaxy]

Hearns almost had him and by round 3 Hagler was getting desperate and Hearns fell for the 3 card trick. Hagler was a natural Middleweight and could withstand the Hearns power while Duran was a blown up Lightweight. (Big difference) Hearns needed to calm down after the first round and box, use his reach and continually move. Instead he wanted to mix it with Hagler and played into his hands. The marvelous one was close to losing this fight, but he simply outsmarted Hearns and Hearns allowed him to do it. Should've been a rematch and Tommy Hearns would've fought a different fight.

If Hearns could have some how lasted another round or 2 he may have won because of Hagler's cuts.

[X]

Despite Hearns' reputation as afearsome puncher, he started off in the amateurs as a slick stylist, and he was never outboxed in his career ....... even by Ray Leonard and Wilfred benitez, two of the finest pure boxers you will ever see in the ring.

I think there is no question that Hearns could have outboxed Hagler (the Marvelous One was aften strangely passive against pure boxers, and Hearns was by far the better technician. Tyhe question would really be whether Marvin would have caught up with Tommy - because there is no way Hagler wins a points decision gainst Hearns

[johnsebastianmiran]

Hagler was defeated by two tough Philly fighters early in his career but he got his pound of flesh in the rematch. One of them was tough Willy Monroe. Hagler was cut in a bad place by Hearns who got excited when he saw Marvin bleeding badly. This changes most fights and fighters panic. Marvin did not and Hearns thought it would be over soon. Marvin got in close and Hearns made the mistake of obliging him because he thought he had the great one in big trouble and he did but Hearns simply wounded a tiger and got bit. The truth is that Haglert is a workman and Hearns did not learn from the Leonard defeat because Marvin made him fight a fight he should not have fought, Hagler's fight. It was for all sense and purposes a great fight the first, the second and the twenty second time I watched it and all I could coclude was that the tiger devoured the cobra.

[Syntax Error]

Very possible, especially against the snail like 1985 version of Hagler, but ultimately, I think Hagler would have been too physically strong & put Hearns under so much pressure that Tommy's stamina would have let him down at some stage.

[Manju]

Did Hearn's try to KO Hagler?

Marvin initiated the brawl. That was smart b/c Hearns had the reach advantage and weak chin. So pressure him...don't let him outbox you from the outside. Make it an inside fight.

As for Hearns, he reacted not so much by trying to KO Hagler but by catching him with a big right as he came in. The result: probably the most we've ever seen Hagler in trouble. With that wobble, of course Hearns would throw some more bombs to see if he could finish him. But even then, he was doing this either against the ropes or as he backpedaled.

As Hagler kept bulling forward, Hearns indeed started to move and box, throwing big long rights while in a backward slash posture: /.

Then he's pinned against the ropes but that isn't exactly where someone who is looking for a KO wants to be, Ali v Foreman notwithstanding. The rest of the fight he backpedaled even more so I don't see trying to KO Hagler as the culprit.

Hagler's fury was the culprit.

[Dia bando]

Hagler would box when his opponent would brawl,and would brawl when they would try to box,Marvin had the lot chin punch power hell of a jab. Hearn's Punch power good jab good left hook, but not a great chin.
Tommy was a great fighter, but Marvin had his number over 12 or 15 round's

[greynotsoold]

Hearns didn't choose anything that night. Hagler MADE him fight, and, if he hadn't, he'd have been run out of the ring.
Hagler would always beat Hearns. He proved it in a slugfest, and he'd do it in a boxing match. Because Hagler was just as good a boxer, a harder puncher (punch after punch, rpund after round) and a much stronger more determined more durable man.

[Violent Demise]

I think Hearns breaking his hand in the first was the difference more than anything. Hearns showed everybody he had the power to hurt Hagler. And he did. But once he broke it, it was over. He couldn't hurt Hagler after that.

[zhubin]

Styles make fights...and Hagler certainly was a tough style for Hearns. That being said...Hearns had great reach and a great jab. He COULD fight a technically great fight...but as others have mentioned...that was not his style. He had dynamite in those hands and wanted to use them. But these guys where warriors...and neither of them was going to back down. In a weird way...it reminds me of Morales vs. Barrera. I always felt that Morales had the superior skills and physical tools (reach, jab, etc.) compared to Barrera. But when the bell rang...a technical game plan just flew out the window. He wanted to brawl against Marco...which I always felt was to his disadvantage. Part of it was their great disdain for each other...but it came down to them being two warriors who where going to leave all out in the ring.

[LobowolfXXX]

If he couldn't keep Leonard off of him, he wouldn't have been able to keep Hagler off of him. Yeah, if they fight 100 times, Hearns wins some of them...stays away for the whole fight, cut-eye TKO, etc. But by far the most common outcome, if Hearns goes into stick-and-move mode, is that it still ends with Hearns flat on his back; it just takes longer.