In other news This is the anniversary of Hagler vs Hearns

I think we can all agree that was a Brutal short fight! Because of the fierce attacking and short duration, I reckon it probably is the most re watched fight of all time.

I've re watched it a few times. Great fight between the top 2 P4P at the time which didn't disappoint. Both of them went in there to win. I don't mean to play it safe and try to nick a points win, they went at it and gave it 100% from the first bell. Great fight!

There was another anniversary of a big fight that took place 30 years ago last week, but I thought it best not to mention it.

I can't think which fight you are referring to

Hagler v Leonard

I was referring toward the fight that took place on April 6th, 1987 in Las Vegas Nevada. It was the 3rd fight of the night between a young Micky Ward and his opponent Kevin Koble.

Little did those in attendance know, he would be the fighter with a movie based on his life that would win the lead actor, Christian Bale an Oscar.

Remember the build up well....Hagler reminding Hearns about pulling out of the fight in 83 because he had a poorly finger...."You're poor little pinky"...Hearns boogeying with a couple of tasty looking broads in the Caesars indoor arena in fight week and looking like he didn't have a care in the World...

Could Marv take the right hand ??..

Holmes v Cooney of course was the fight of the 80s......and the last truly bigger than Boxing match....Albeit not for the right reasons.

Last truly great era...Loved it.

AdamT wrote:Hagler v Leonard

Thanks for clearing that up Adam. It had been bugging me and I was too embarrassed to ask.

I actually guessed, because I knew they fought in 87. Wasn't sure what month. Before my time!

To be fair Truss, the 80's were golden. 90's weren't bad either!!

The old boy always said the 70:s were golden era for Heavies and 80's for the lighter categories.

Though my Grandad listened to fights on the radio when he was a kid and he was more excited by that, than watching guys slug it out years later.

Sport always seemed so much better when younger. I still watch football, but the premier league will never be like it was, when younger.

I guess when you're a kid everything seemed so much larger than life.

The best era will always be the one you grew up with.

The A- Team....Mullets...Designer stubble....Padded shoulders on women....Sequels....I was free and single most of it...Lost my virginity...Arnie....Sly...Don Curry.....won my first couple of fights...We won't talk about the rest!!.....Jr and Sue Ellen....Joan Collins...Just say no...HIV..Meg Ryan...Porn tapes left in the recorder..Blaming it on my brother...Being grounded anyway because I was a crap liar !!!..Pumping iron.....Steroids..

I F**kin lived it !!!

Then I met Red.....Can't all be good can it ??

The 80s....Loved it.

AdamT wrote:I actually guessed, because I knew they fought in 87. Wasn't sure what month. Before my time!

To be fair Truss, the 80's were golden. 90's weren't bad either!!

The old boy always said the 70:s were golden era for Heavies and 80's for the lighter categories.

Though my Grandad listened to fights on the radio when he was a kid and he was more excited by that, than watching guys slug it out years later.

Sport always seemed so much better when younger. I still watch football, but the premier league will never be like it was, when younger.

I guess when you're a kid everything seemed so much larger than life.

The best era will always be the one you grew up with.

I actually listened to Hagler v Hearns on the radio. The only way I could have seen the fight live was to drive into Manchester for closed circuit television (I think that's what it was called?). The fight was broadcast at a cinema.

Great fight to watch on TV and great to listen to on the radio. Commentator, I think Ian Darke, couldn't keep up with the action in the first round. I screamed and woke up my parents when Hagler won. Liked Hearns but just liked Hagler more.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:The A- Team....Mullets...Designer stubble....Padded shoulders on women....Sequels....I was free and single most of it...Lost my virginity...Arnie....Sly...Don Curry.....won my first couple of fights...We won't talk about the rest!!.....Jr and Sue Ellen....Joan Collins...Just say no...HIV..Meg Ryan...Porn tapes left in the recorder..Blaming it on my brother...Being grounded anyway because I was a crap liar !!!..Pumping iron.....Steroids..

I F**kin lived it !!!

Then I met Red.....Can't all be good can it ??

The 80s....Loved it.

You lost your virginity to Arnie, Sly and Don Curry? Hell of a night.

I watched this on a black and white portable TV in my room when still only a whippersnapper. Amazing how I can still recall watching it. Boxing was so much bigger back then. I can remember kids talking about Hearns being bombed out by Iran Barkley during a swimming lesson (and pretending I'd seen it while secretly sinking inside at the thought Tommy could have lost). Those guys were like Marvel characters back then.

85 was a vintage year for weight classes.

Hagler
Curry
Spinks
Holmes
Camacho
Chavez
McCallum
Hearns
Pryor
Bramble
Nelson
Gomez
Mcguigan
Lora
Arroyo
Thomas
Tubbs

Big fights every weekend....

The 80's was a golden era for the Americans in the lower weight classes, they'd been stacked with talent for decades before that but due to a combination of Muhammad Ali and their nationalities they're often overlooked.

Roberto Duran gets chucked in with the Americans but he spent the bulk of his Lightweight title reign fighting in Panama and South America in general. From 1965 through to 1980 Lightweight to Middleweight was dominated by non-Americans, I do sometimes feel that Hagler and Hearns in particular get an elevated reputation for bucking that trend.

Boxing has always been about the higher weights.

Leonard was the golden boy....Hearns destroyed Cuevas in a way that catapulted him on the scene...Hagler was the beast..

Personalities and great talent are the reason these guys were the bollox..

Your analysis to me is too deep...Hammer

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Boxing has always been about the higher weights.

Leonard was the golden boy....Hearns destroyed Cuevas in a way that catapulted him on the scene...Hagler was the beast..

Personalities and great talent are the reason these guys were the bollox..

Your analysis to me is too deep...Hammer

Leonard, Hearns and Hagler are revered to near mythical status largely because they were Americans fighting in America. I'm not for one second doubting their ability, they all excel in any era but it's hard to overlook how much American boxing was in the doldrums in the lower weights. There's a multitude of reasons why they became such big stars and I just feel their actual ability was a secondary consideration.

Napoles, Griffith and Monzon were every bit their equal but don't have anywhere near the same status because they weren't.

hazharrison wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:The A- Team....Mullets...Designer stubble....Padded shoulders on women....Sequels....I was free and single most of it...Lost my virginity...Arnie....Sly...Don Curry.....won my first couple of fights...We won't talk about the rest!!.....Jr and Sue Ellen....Joan Collins...Just say no...HIV..Meg Ryan...Porn tapes left in the recorder..Blaming it on my brother...Being grounded anyway because I was a crap liar !!!..Pumping iron.....Steroids..

I F**kin lived it !!!

Then I met Red.....Can't all be good can it ??

The 80s....Loved it.

You lost your virginity to Arnie, Sly and Don Curry? Hell of a night.

I watched this on a black and white portable TV in my room when still only a whippersnapper. Amazing how I can still recall watching it. Boxing was so much bigger back then. I can remember kids talking about Hearns being bombed out by Iran Barkley during a swimming lesson (and pretending I'd seen it while secretly sinking inside at the thought Tommy could have lost). Those guys were like Marvel characters back then.

Don't know about arnie and sly but truss would willingly have popped his cherry with don.

Actually I was forgetting this was roid truss... it could be his dream foursome!

Sport on the radio I've always found more nerve racking than watching it... and you hear the crowd reaction before being told what's happened.

You always have a soft spot for your rites of passage era, so I love pretty much everything about the 80's bar the fashion. Certainly spoilt for riches from a boxing perspective.

You could say the same about Rigondeux now..

My argument is with your attempted correlation of Hagler etc with the paucity of US representation in the lighter weights pre 1980..

You don't have to convince me of the advantages of being a Top "American" fighter..

I'd willingly pop my cherry with anybody now..

I'll even be Don if it helps..

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

Leonard, Hearns and Hagler are revered to near mythical status largely because they were Americans fighting in America. I'm not for one second doubting their ability, they all excel in any era but it's hard to overlook how much American boxing was in the doldrums in the lower weights. There's a multitude of reasons why they became such big stars and I just feel their actual ability was a secondary consideration.

Napoles, Griffith and Monzon were every bit their equal but don't have anywhere near the same status because they weren't.

Definitely some truth in that... napoles, monzon and griffiths were a hell of a trio, 2 of them nailed on top 5 all timers in their weight class, and another who might have been had he stuck in one. It's a perfectly reasonable assessment to assume that had those guys been from the US a decade or so later, they'd have similar public status... but I don't think that detracts from the fab 4 in any way... it's just a reflection of circumstance. I think also, you saw an expansion in media exposure in the period between these two eras, and leonard had the housewife's choice marketing appeal that helped set up the good v evil rivalries

To clarify slightly, i'd say the 80's were a Golden age because of the personalities rather than the talent being better than it had been before.

Hagler seems to get a lot more credit for beating Hearns and Duran than Monzon does for Napoles and Griffith for instance.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:To clarify slightly, i'd say the 80's were a Golden age because of the personalities rather than the talent being better than it had been before.

Hagler seems to get a lot more credit for beating Hearns and Duran than Monzon does for Napoles and Griffith for instance.

WIthout a doubt......Marketing has improved..But I'd pick Hagler..Leonard and Hearns to beat Griffith.

Monzon would never sell..Martinez didn't...Life isn't fair.

The 80's was definitely a great time for American boxing. Believe it or not, there was a brief period of time in the 70's when America only had one world champion, which was Ali (so I read).

The 76 Olympic boxing team helped boxing in the USA.

But in my opinion, as much as I liked the 80's, the 80's is when most of the sheet that we have today started.

milkyboy wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:

Leonard, Hearns and Hagler are revered to near mythical status largely because they were Americans fighting in America. I'm not for one second doubting their ability, they all excel in any era but it's hard to overlook how much American boxing was in the doldrums in the lower weights. There's a multitude of reasons why they became such big stars and I just feel their actual ability was a secondary consideration.

Napoles, Griffith and Monzon were every bit their equal but don't have anywhere near the same status because they weren't.

Definitely some truth in that... napoles, monzon and griffiths were a hell of a trio, 2 of them nailed on top 5 all timers in their weight class, and another who might have been had he stuck in one. It's a perfectly reasonable assessment to assume that had those guys been from the US a decade or so later, they'd have similar public status... but I don't think that detracts from the fab 4 in any way... it's just a reflection of circumstance. I think also, you saw an expansion in media exposure in the period between these two eras, and leonard had the housewife's choice marketing appeal that helped set up the good v evil rivalries

The Fab Four also gave us incredible fights - that's what elevated them.