I didn't see much of prime hopkins, he wasn't easy to find in those years, so, i guess i'm saying i saw a lot of post 35 year old hopkins and i'm a little biased, Hagler would beat him. Hagler was a lot more than a mean brawler, watch some of his defenses, the lesser known ones and you'll see him skillfully dissect some of the guys who came to brawl like hamsho, giving ground, moving, slipping, out of all those type of mean mugging type of fighters, hagler was the only one who had that artistic bent that boxers have. Haglers career was always hurt by politics, he didn't get a shot until he was what? 28, some say 30 and that he lied about his age, and he was ripped in that contest, fortunately people realized how badly he was getting the shaft and petitioned on his behalf. He was getting on by the time he won the title, his hands had slowed considerably, and by the time Sugar ray came back, I believe he no longer wanted to fight, and also he had nothing left but his brawling abilities, which sugar ray saw. People who say Roy, I don't know about that either, Roy would definitely get hit. Haglers weaknesses were 1. his balance was bad, he was comfortable letting guys come to him, not chasing guys, 2. as manny steward said in an interview he was "too intense" mentally and that hurts a fighter. so, if roy could fuck with his head then he could win like sugar ray won, but if hagler comes in like he did against hearns, on that night he might have been the greatest middleweight in history, ready to put it all on the line.
