Why Marvin Hagler Is The Best Middleweight Of All Time.

[Youngblood]

© JamesSadler2005

[DAWGSWIN]

I love it!!

[JazMerkin]

Excellent post, even if I'm quite split between him & Hopkins on the best MW of all time, but its very well reasoned & a good read.

[kingfrnk]

Excellent post, even if I'm quite split between him & Hopkins on the best MW of all time, but its very well reasoned & a good read.

Agree, too close for me to choose but I say Hopkins is the Greatest MW ever but Hagler can be considered as well.

[holmcall]

Monzon

[Mr140]

Seems that no one brings up Carlos Monzon who never lost in prime had a long reign over the middle weight division and retired the champion.

[Taeth]

IMO Hagler clearly beats Monzon who great smaller guys as well, but not as great Duran or Leonard or Hearns.

IMO Bernard is the best middleweight ever that I've seen and I think he beats either Monzon or Hagler because he is too crafty while still having all of Hagler's mean streak.

[KananKrus]

Marvelous piece of writing ICB! Hats off, you outdid yourself on this one, if at all possible!

The Marvin Hagler I followed (boxing career), beats anybody and everybody. I don't know if that is just the huge fan in me, or reality. Hard decision, especially after many, many years, have already gone past the real scores of those fights. The years have dulled or blurred the detail, and it seems memory will enhance by default.

Too much appreciation of the "Marvelous One" I guess... makes it incredibly hard for me to think any fighter can come close to eclipse, nor even equal his dominance in the middleweight division in boxing!

By the way... as I scrolled through the list of Hagler's opponents in the championship years, from ICB's list, only the Lee fight stand as the only fight I did not see on TV live (with a little tape delay).

I would think by the coverage given Hagler around that time, by the TV network from my ol' neck of the woods, you can't help but be a fan, easily... the product on display is first class bar none!

[rjj tszyu]

Personally I think you got it the wrong way round. I think that Hagler is the greatest Middleweight of all time and maybe not the best. I think that RJJ is ther best ever and would have been the greatest MW champ of all time had he stayed there and if him and Hagler could have faced each other in their primes in some kind of dream match I think Jones would take a decision win.

Absolutely excellent write up though. Probably the best I've ever seen on here!

[BIG H]

Can anybody using people's work please give credit to the author. Also, please just post a few lines from the original work and then a link to the host website. This protects us from any legal issues, that we have been threatened with in the past

Cheers


Original author/link

Marvin "Marvelous" Hagler

[Wayne]

Not really disagreeing with you, but I want to play Devil's advocate here. Ray Leonard had been retired before he fought Hagler and had last fought above the welterweight limit. Did he really deserve a shot at Hagler above the guy who had been the no. 1 contender? Of course the fight should have been made because they were both legends, but Ray Leonard wasn't really a legit no. 1.

[MJay]

As one who grew up in Brockton, MA and followed Marvin (and even stood next to him a few times) It would be hard to not consider him as one of, if not the greatest middleweight of all times.

No one had a better chin than Marvin. You can talk punching power all you want but when you are Tommy Hearns and you're fighting Marvin and land your best punch and Mr Hagler doesn't even flinch you have problems. Also Marvin knocked out more opponents with short punches than any fighter I've witnessed. He did not need the big Michael Spinx punch that started from 3 feet behind his head to do damage. Marvin could take you out with something resembling a jab.

Marvin's worst fights were against Duran and Leonard. Don't know what as up with Duran as Marvin should have quickly wiped the floor with him but I guess in the end Roberto's rings savy and defensive abilities gave Hagler problems. Leonard I have less respect for. He ducked Marvin and waited for age and loss of speed to kick in. Even then Sugar Ray's victory, if you can call it that was not impressive at all. He ran and ran. Winners don't run. I do believe that Marvin made a tactical error when fighting Leonard. Simply put he tried to be cute like Sugar Ray and prove he could fight that style. Marvin needed to cut that ring off and get down and dirty inside where he was most effective and in the end Hagler failed to do that. When you fight the media darling (Leonard) you need to take their head off for a win.

[RozzySean]

Seems that no one brings up Carlos Monzon who never lost in prime had a long reign over the middle weight division and retired the champion.

Monzon was a great champion, but he wasn't as complete a fighter as Hagler. They have similar resumes, but based on my eyes, Hagler had more speed and overall game. Monzon was a great champion, and it's completely legit to bring up his name, but I would pick a prime Hagler over Monzon any day.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

© JamesSadler2005

Anyway. Great read.

prime Hagler v Hopkins would have been a Classic.

[Trainer Monkey]

© JamesSadler2005

Anyway. Great read.

prime Hagler v Hopkins would have been a Classic.

That really would have been a great fight,one of them would have had to stop trying to outclever the other and really let it go.
As much as Im a fan of Hopkins,I think Hagler would have let his hands go first.
Neither one of them would have gone down,but I think Hagler's early work would have taken it.