Boxing History Hot Take: Hearns-Hagler rematch

    I wish I had a better title than Boxing History Hot Take but it'll do for now as we start the first of an occasional series of posts that deal with a take that might not always be in step with the average observation.

I'm going to start with this hot take- If there had ever been a rematch between Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns- Hearns would have won.

The rematch was supposed to happen, should each man win their fights on s closed circuit/PPV card that saw Hagler defend his middleweight titles against undefeated knockout artist John "The Beast" Mugabi with Hearns in the co-feature facing unbeaten 1980 Olympian James Shuler.

Hearns stopped Shuler in the first round to win the then-important NABF title (the NABF and USBA were valued in their day as the top steppingstone championships) and seemed to be in position for a rematch that almost everyone wanted to see.

However, after watching Hagler have his problems in a very good fight against Mugabi before winning via eleventh round stoppage, Sugar Ray Leonard announced his plans to return from retirement to face Hagler.

Seeing the even larger dollars for a thought to be easier fight against the inactive Leonard (Leonard had fought only once in the five years leading up to the Hagler fight and that fight was just short of three years before fighting Hagler), Hagler decided to take the more lucrative Leonard fight as he expected to win and then could have the natural return match with Hearns for another large payday.

Of course, Leonard would win a controversial split decision over Hagler, who would stomp into retirement, and never return to the ring- depriving Hearns of his rematch.

Why do I think Hearns would have won the rematch?

Let's start with this- Hearns would have learned his lesson and boxed more against Hagler.

Hagler wore down the powerful Mugabi but he was hit often by the oft-wide open Ugandan and Hearns could be a very skilled boxer when he chose to.

The Hagler-Leonard fight was two years after the Hagler-Hearns affair and the punches that Leonard landed are punches that Hearns likely would have landed as well- punches that the slowing Hagler didn't get hit with in the past.

If Hearns is able to resist the temptation to slug with Hagler, Hearns is more than likely to win a pretty lopsided decision as Hagler's best chance is for a toe to toe war despite the punching power of the "Hit Man".

However, it's not out of the question that Hearns knocks Hagler out in the rematch.

I know it seems unlikely, but remember that Pipino Cuevas and Roberto Duran were fighters with chins of granite and Hearns dispatched both with spectacular knockouts.

And watch the first round of fury between Hagler and Hearns and watch the right hand that Hearns lands on Hagler as you can see Hagler's knees visibly dip.

That is likely the punch that broke the feared right hand of Hearns, handicapping him during the rest of the famous battle- If Hearns's right hand holds up and the circumstances are favorable, Hearns might score a knockout in a second encounter, although a decision is more likely.

Hearns also might have scored a stoppage on cuts.

Hearns badly cut Hagler in their fight and had the fight continued for another few rounds, it may have been stopped and Hagler did have a history of being cut in other bouts, so I could see Hearns cutting Hagler, standing on the outside with his long jab and slicing Hagler apart.

I can see a scenario of Hagler stopping Hearns again as the "Hit Man's" chin was never his strong suit as Hearns was stopped by the limited Iran Barkley one year after Hagler-Leonard and it could be that (like Barkley) Hagler may have the perfect style to defeat Hearns.

However, Hearns still had plenty left in the tank as even after losing to Barkley the first time (Barkley would win a split decision in their 1992 second bout ), Hearns would draw with Sugar Ray Leonard in a fight that even Leonard admits Hearns won, Hall of Famer Virgil Hill at light heavyweight and wins over solid contenders such as Michael Olijide and James Kinchen as well as a late-career win over veteran cruiserweight contender Nate Miller, and while I cannot conclusively say Hagler was closer to the end of the line than Hearns, it seems like it to me.

Thomas Hearns would have beaten Marvin Hagler in their rematch and that's my boxing history hot take.