Marvin Hagler & Thomas Hearns, Immortalized in Gunpowder.
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April 15th 1985, Ronald Reagan swears in for his second term as president. The San Francisco 49ers beat the Miami Dolphins in the Super Bowl. Back to the future graces the movie theater screen, & Marvin Hagler & Thomas Hearns put on the arguable fight of the century. I wanted to kick off the new year with a bang, I couldn’t possibly imagine a more deserving fight to highlight & set the year off right. Often times fights with that much action are brushed off as mere “Carnage”. I of course use that as a term of endearment. I will never be one of those douchebags that critique fun fights merely because of some lack of “technical skill”. It is however difficult with the naked eye to see what is actually happening through all of the action. I wonder too if we often prefer to be ignorant and just enjoy the fight itself. I think that’s a completely fair stance, Especially when you got your buddy Smoke to break it down. So without further ado… Lets have some fucking fun!
Round 1:
What a way to set the stage. Swang. N. Bang. Couple pieces to note though particularly from Marvin Haglar. Notice how Marvin is establishing pressure and swinging lead and rear hooks then diving the head into the chest to establish a good in-fighting position. Subtle shifts as well from southpaw -> Square -> Orthodox staying in position to throw. Hearns finds the most success in the exchange off the rear hand counter. Moving into the closed side which causes Marvin to go square to stay in front which allows Tommy to land easy 4’s & rear uppercuts. Above all though the precedent has been set that this is the kind of fight that will be fought.
Dustin Poirier eat your heart out. Marvin teaching you mma boi’s how to land shifting hooks. Very tough at time to differentiate which stance Marvin is in. Gameplan to this point is Swing Hook, Head Movement, In step, Lead hook, Shift. Hearns landing the intercepting 3 when Marvin goes southpaw. However with nothing there to deter Marvin other than the occasional landed shot, Marvin can continue to shift into hooks off his pressure.
Here you can see what happens when Hearns used his reach versus just box’ed. Double Jab -> 4 -> Move into close side -> lead hook, Reset. Great way to deal with pressure is having something there to meet the pressuring fighter. That can be a jab, a lead hook, a body jab, A feint, Or in this case simply having the arm as a range finder. Good Ole’ Marvin keeps on with the same gameplan. Pressure, Shift, Hook.
IN FIGHTING IS FUCKING HELL. Its completely necessary to add this gif because it demonstrates what this fight was. Carnage incarnate. I’m not gonna break this down its simply more of the same. That being said notice the shots that land. Imagine being in that position. Head on your opp’s chest, 3-4 3-4 3-4 3-4 3-4. Your lungs feel like they’re bleeding. Thudding shots on your abdomen and cheek bones. Lesser men (Me) would have fell much much earlier.
Round 2:
Love the gameplan shift here. Hearns realized he would not last much longer trying to go hook for hook and uppercut for uppercut with Marvin Hagler, Deciding instead to “Box”, Jab-Body Jab-Body Jab. Notice how Marvin has barely moved from the middle of the ring. Notice how he hasn’t thrown. Notice how he hasn’t feinted. Notice he hasn’t shifted. Amazing how timeless and simple and effective a proper Jab is. Holding Marvin in the center Tommy has the control. “You stay here, When I’m ready I will throw some power”.
I included this gif to demonstrate the shift. Marvin goes Jab->Shift->Lead hook->2. With Tommy moving backwards and at different angles, It makes it tough for Marvin to close the distance with same side combinations. Hearns can simple cut back diagonally or L step to evade. With the shift it allows Marvin to stay in exchange distance while also cutting an angle. Unstoppable force, Immovable object.
Round 3: Fin.
The foundation cracks. Exhaustion is setting in on one of the most conditioned Boxer’s in history. I cannot possibly overstate how amazing this is. The constant pressure and body hooks have caught up with Tommy and he is out of rhythm. Notice how his legs are not underneath him when he attempts to cut away diagonally. What he was able to do just a round before now is impossible. The head wants to move but the body wont respond. Marvin takes advantage with the killer instinct one would expect from a man who ran through Boston at 4am during blizzards screaming “WAR, WAR, WAR”. Hook -> Shift -> Straight-> Hook.
YOU CAN TAKE THE MAN OUT OF THE MOTOR CITY BUT YOU CANT TAKE THE MOTOR CITY OUT OF THE MAN. Tommy gets a second wind like all great fighters do. Back on the bike. Back on the jab. Dancing. Instead of starting with head jabs like he did in the 2nd he now throws the body jab first which drops the guard of Hagler. Then comes the stinging jab but more importantly causes Hagler to throw back telegraphed. If only Tommy would have done this more from the start…
Just like that the show is over. Just when it seemed like Tommy had his legs back the 2-3 of Hagler changes history. The shifting hooks Marvin had been landing all fight finally finish things. Unbelievable finishing sequence that ended with a crescendo more beautiful than your favorite piece from Beethoven bitch.
This fight changed boxing forever. All great rounds would be compared to the first round of Hagler Vs. Hearns. In a way this was the peak of the golden age of Boxing. Sugar Ray, Hearns, Hagler, Duran. The 4 kings. Immortalized in Gunpowder & Blood. That being said… “I hope you learned a thing or two, About a thing or two”
Authors Note:
I always have such a great time writing about classic boxing. It’s the first bit of Combat Sports I ever had the pleasure of watching so it will always hold a warm spot in my heart. My hope is that passion was able to translate to you awesome degenerates. Much, much more on the horizons for me this year & that only benefits you readers. Body-Jab-Bless.
Your’s Truly,
Smoke
