So How Good was Marvin Hagler Exactly?

[Nameless]

Monzon was a great fighter, Hagler was a total beast. I go with the Marvelous one by a K.O around the 7 against a tired and smothered Monzon.

[THE THIRD MAN]

Monzon was undefeated in his last 81 fights, had power in both hands and possessed one of the most lethal right hands in boxing history. 59 Ko's! His size, power and boxing ability (Monzon was no slugger) would see him win a late round stoppage or a UD over a frustrated Hagler.
I think Monzon's low proifile in the US goes against him in discussions like this, overall i think you will find that Monzon is ranked the number one Middleweight of all time. What a fight it would have been though, it was talked about and nearly came off. Monzon was 36 when he retired.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

I have to be honest, I know absolutely nothing about Carlos Monzon as a fighter :/
I should make the effort!

But goin back to Hagler... When roughly did it become common knowledge (or at least when was it suspected) that he was a right handed southpaw?

[THE THIRD MAN]

I have to be honest, I know absolutely nothing about Carlos Monzon as a fighter :/
I should make the effort!

But goin back to Hagler... When roughly did it become common knowledge (or at least when was it suspected) that he was a right handed southpaw?

I did see somewhere that Angelo Dundee asked a kid to go and get Hagler's autograph before the Leonard fight, he signed it right handed! He was a switcher, but fought predominantly as a southpaw most of the time.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

I have to be honest, I know absolutely nothing about Carlos Monzon as a fighter :/
I should make the effort!

Okay I've seen a probably about 2 hours worth of footage on Monzon ( not enough I know...) and I can see that Monzon is physically strong, tough and can hit real hard... plus he is deceptively accurate but his style is just wired I think his height and reach had a LOT to do with his success... I mean, he strikes me as a bit of a bully in the sense that he isn't very subtle and crude... I think Hagler is levels above him in the skill dept. and just as tough.

Although oddly enough, Monzon reminds me of Vitali Klitshcko

But you know, this is a typical post from someone who wasn't there to witness it so of course, it's in now way definitive. I just think Monzon was a big crude tough guy

[The Fightfan]

I just don't know. I think the snip-its on Monzon show he is extremley strong. He does have a solid jaw,and he punches with great precision. If Hagler were to stand up to him as he did Hearns I think he would be in trouble, but if he boxed a bit he could win the desicion. Monzon is very underrated because you simply can't find anything on him but we do know one thing he can punch. America and the world grew up watching Hagler's rise through the ranks therefore making it much easier to assess the way this fight would turn out. To close to call but it would have been one helluva a fight.

[kingfrnk]

That book is the business. Read it twice already.

[X]

Hey, interesting article, thanks for posting it up.

I think Hagler is the best middleweight to ever step into a ring. Technically, he had it all .... good skills, ampidextrous, had power, never undertrained, chin like an anvil.

On the downside (as Joe Frazier said to him) he had three strikes against him - he was black, he was a southpaw, and he was good. Marvin was avoided for years and he nearly blew it against Antuofermo before he managed to get Minter in the ring with him. Just like Sonny Liston, there was a hit iof mystery as to how old he really was once he was champ and I think he may have really been thr best middleweight around for some time prior to being noticed by anyone.

He had to struggle to the top, nobody ever gave him the glory that SRL got so early and it always ranked with hagler.

I still think that Leonard didnt do enough to get the decision over Marvin, he pulled off a great con job on the judges .......... but I also think marvin treated ray with a bit too much respect in the ring that day, just as he did with Duran.

[THE THIRD MAN]

I just don't know. I think the snip-its on Monzon show he is extremley strong. He does have a solid jaw,and he punches with great precision. If Hagler were to stand up to him as he did Hearns I think he would be in trouble, but if he boxed a bit he could win the desicion. Monzon is very underrated because you simply can't find anything on him but we do know one thing he can punch. America and the world grew up watching Hagler's rise through the ranks therefore making it much easier to assess the way this fight would turn out. To close to call but it would have been one helluva a fight.

This is correct, people just don't know how good Monzon was, he beat everybody who was put in front of him and make no mistake in any other era Rodrigo Valdez would be recognised as a great Middleweight yet Monzon handled him twice. Monzon never wasted a punch, he was accurate, powerful and tough. The Monzon right hand was devastating and that is the southpaws worst enemy. Monzon was also a technically skilled boxer, his ability to box and use his long legged frame to avoid punches was outstanding, then he would strike like a cobra and when he did it was lights out. All this from a man who didn't really train for a fight, smoked like a chimney, drank like a fish and fucked everything in a skirt (it also got him shot in the leg once) Imagine if he had of put his mind to boxing? Monzon was a phenomenon, coming from Argentina doesn't help his profile in the US all that much and his out of the ring behaviour cloud people's judgement of him. His story would make an incredible film.

[daptone]

One of the toughest men to enter the ring and an inspiration to inside fighters.

[TitoFan]

Monzon was undefeated in his last 81 fights, had power in both hands and possessed one of the most lethal right hands in boxing history. 59 Ko's! His size, power and boxing ability (Monzon was no slugger) would see him win a late round stoppage or a UD over a frustrated Hagler.
I think Monzon's low proifile in the US goes against him in discussions like this, overall i think you will find that Monzon is ranked the number one Middleweight of all time. What a fight it would have been though, it was talked about and nearly came off. Monzon was 36 when he retired.

I think that's the key right there. It's hard to compare unless you've seen plenty of both. My hat's off to both of them... ATG's at middleweight. Never saw much of Monzon, but Hagler was awesome. The fight with Hearns is probably the best 3-round fight of all time. No one (especially Hearns) thought Marvin would just shake off The Hitman's best shots like they were flies buzzing around. How demoralized Hearns must've been at that moment.

[THE THIRD MAN]

Monzon was undefeated in his last 81 fights, had power in both hands and possessed one of the most lethal right hands in boxing history. 59 Ko's! His size, power and boxing ability (Monzon was no slugger) would see him win a late round stoppage or a UD over a frustrated Hagler.
I think Monzon's low proifile in the US goes against him in discussions like this, overall i think you will find that Monzon is ranked the number one Middleweight of all time. What a fight it would have been though, it was talked about and nearly came off. Monzon was 36 when he retired.

I think that's the key right there. It's hard to compare unless you've seen plenty of both. My hat's off to both of them... ATG's at middleweight. Never saw much of Monzon, but Hagler was awesome. The fight with Hearns is probably the best 3-round fight of all time. No one (especially Hearns) thought Marvin would just shake off The Hitman's best shots like they were flies buzzing around. How demoralized Hearns must've been at that moment.

I just watched it again last night, Hearns hit Hagler with his best shots and although Hagler was wobbled a couple of times he just kept on coming, the thing with Monzon compared to Hearns is Monzon was a Middleweight all his career and Hearns built himself up from a skinny Welter. Monzon also had a chin made of granite!

[bchristian620]

I would go with Hagler over Monzon. Marvin was a wrecking ball.

I heard that Marvin was never down as a pro or an ametuer. And I also read that he was never really hurt or in trouble in all of his fights. He was simply chisled granite.

Ray Robinson/SSR are the only type of styles that could beat Marvin. Speed, craftiness, and tons of footwork and rely on a decision. That is the only way to beat Hagler.

[Mr140]

Come on Daxx Hagler lost the first half of the fight and came on late in the Leonard fight. I think it was chicken shit he left because he lost a close fight to a fucking one eyed Leonard.

[bchristian620]

Plus, Marvin fought in the Golden Era of his division while Monzon did not. All those guys he fought, and nobody even hurt the man.