Hagler/Hearns - May 24/1982...

[LayItDown]

- I was just watching HBO's Legendary Nights on Hagler/Hearns and it reminded me this fight was scheduled then cancelled. How do you all think the fight would have played out if it occurred when it was supposed to originally; a few years prior...? Interesting article here for those interested:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1982/05/06/hearns-pinky-causes-thumbs-down-on-may-24-hagler-fight/dd9e0b1d-173d-49ed-8512-7f802e71bbcc/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ca920734fd8c

 

[Davie]

Probably entirely differently.
Haven't read the article so might make similar points but the fight they had seemed very emotionally charged and they had a point to prove after, as you point out, a 3 year wait. Hagler was also a bitter man determined to get the plaudits and paydays he felt he desevred

There might very well have been a different mindset and in turn a slightly different approach from both fighters, neither man was famed for coming out like a man possessed from the opening bell, as they did that night

 

[ThinBlack]

I think Marvin flattens Tommy a bit earlier. A reason why Ray and Tommy didn't fight Marvin around that time was that he was in his prime. They knew better.

 

[homebrand]

The time they did actually fight popped onto my Facebook feed the other day. And i watched it with the sound off. Because of the crowd, the commentary, the hype, I'd always watched it as a war, but, hate to sound like a cliche , but watching with the sound off, it became apparent what actually happened was a beat down, it really wasn't competitive at all. The whole fight Hagler is landing bombs, pushing Hearns backwards, and the punches Hearns does land are shrugged off like they were nothing.

Hagler basically rag dolled Hearns until he went down.

I always thought there were a lot of "ifs" and "maybes" in that fight, but I'm not so sure anymore.

The difference between the two was Hagler had the chin, balls and grit to get passed Hearn's bombs, Hearns had all the grit and balls in the world but not the chin.

If they had met earlier I'm not sure the result would have been much different.

However, Hearns was a great boxer and had the rematch ever occured, he would have come in with a completely different game plan, and boxed.

Maybe the first fight was always going to play out the way it did, whenever it happened, but the rematch would definitely played out differently for me. Most likely still a Hagler win, but more competitive.

 

[JeffJoiner]

Does Hearns still hurt/break his hand in the first round? That was the most critical element of the actual fight.

I love Hagler, and think he wears Hearns down every time, but if 1982 Hearns is able to land a couple of right hands, get some respect, and get some room to box, the fight is entirely different.

 

[Stoneybridge über-alles]

The most critical element of the actual fight was Tommy blowing out of his arse after 3 minutes. I see this not being much different. The rematch may have been, say, set for summer 1983.

 

[Frank L Beano]

If Tommy did fight Marvin, the rest of his career would not have gone well like it did. A brutal loss at this point in his career? Would render him another good fighter.

 

[Duo]

After SRL seemingly buckled Tommy with body shots in their first bout, Hearns was in serious trouble with MMH. Shields had already reported on how Tommy's punching power and physical strength were diminishing as their match went past round eight, and Randy wasn't known for his physical strength.

By cutting Marv open, Tommy probably came as close as he ever could have gotten to stealing a win. If Hearns went for a stoppage and couldn't hurt his opponent or inflict physical damage, he could be in very serious trouble at that stage of his career. He may have dodged major bullets against Weston and Shields, but even if his hand hadn't been injured, cutting Hagler open like that was death in spades.

Charging Tommy the way Marv did may not have been necessary for Hagler to take him out early either. Hearns was going to have to withstand that southpaw jab, and I just don't see Tommy ever being able to survive it.

Hagler had quickly chopped down and ruined tall guys like Seales, Bogaloo and Obel before. Tommy's height and reach were no kind of novelty to him like it had been to SRL in 1981.

Getting Marv's respect with power was never the way to go. Confusing him was, but once Hearns blew out Duran, that prospect went out the door.

 

[Frank L Beano]

After SRL seemingly buckled Tommy with body shots in their first bout, Hearns was in serious trouble with MMH. Shields had already reported on how Tommy's punching power and physical strength were diminishing as their match went past round eight, and Randy wasn't known for his physical strength.

By cutting Marv open, Tommy probably came as close as he ever could have gotten to stealing a win. If Hearns went for a stoppage and couldn't hurt his opponent or inflict physical damage, he could be in very serious trouble at that stage of his career. He may have dodged major bullets against Weston and Shields, but even if his hand hadn't been injured, cutting Hagler open like that was death in spades.

Charging Tommy the way Marv did may not have been necessary for Hagler to take him out early either. Hearns was going to have to withstand that southpaw jab, and I just don't see Tommy ever being able to survive it.

Hagler had quickly chopped down and ruined tall guys like Seales, Bogaloo and Obel before. Tommy's height and reach were no kind of novelty to him like it had been to SRL in 1981.

Getting Marv's respect with power was never the way to go. Confusing him was, but once Hearns blew out Duran, that prospect went out the door.

Often wondered what would have happen if Harold wasn't stopped in that fight. Could he have beaten Hearns and derailed the Hitman's progress to the title?