What Is The Truth Behind Why We Didn't See A Hagler-Leonard Rematch?

[bender2000]

i think hagler was just not willing to go through leonards head games again trying to get the rematch.

[Scott9945]

The impression I had was that Hagler was pretty disgusted with how he was treated by the judges and the media after all he had done for boxing and was pretty fed up. So inspite of what reports you hear or read now, at the time I followed every magazine and telecast and whatever both sides said, there was an obvious disapointment and Hagler at the time wanted to wash his hands of the whole boxing world.

My memory of this is that Hagler wasn't interested in fighting anyone other than Leonard and retired when he was sick of waiting. He's still bitter that Leonard came back right after he retired. To this day Hagler dislikes Leonard.

[wmute]

This is what happened.

Leonard announces retirement in May 1987 after the Hagler fight.
Hagler announces retirement in June 1988.
In August 1988 Leonard signs to fight Donnie Lalonde in his comeback fight.

You do the math.

I think I will just need to quote these 3 facts again, just so that they appear on every page of this thread.

[lazy]

I thought Hagler was already retiring after the bout. He would of earlier but could not refuse one big payday.

[TBear]

My memory of this is that Hagler wasn't interested in fighting anyone other than Leonard and retired when he was sick of waiting. He's still bitter that Leonard came back right after he retired. To this day Hagler dislikes Leonard.

Very possible. With so much there can be, and usually is two sides to every story. Either way, I would have liked to have seen a rematch.

[Anthony342]

I think I will just need to quote these 3 facts again, just so that they appear on every page of this thread.

Yeah, you know what? I remember also, for some reason, Leonard's fight with Lalonde was promoted by Titan Sports, the WWE company, then called WWF and they actually promoted that fight during weekend wrestling broadcasts and the first annual Summerslam pay per view. Not sure why Vince McMahon and Titan promoted the fight. Maybe they wanted to get involved in boxing somehow?

[Scott9945]

Yeah, you know what? I remember also, for some reason, Leonard's fight with Lalonde was promoted by Titan Sports, the WWE company, then called WWF and they actually promoted that fight during weekend wrestling broadcasts and the first annual Summerslam pay per view. Not sure why Vince McMahon and Titan promoted the fight. Maybe they wanted to get involved in boxing somehow?

Just like with football (the XFL many years later), McMahon thought he could make money on boxing. The Leonard-Lalonde fight was a money loser for Vince, so he never promoted boxing again.

[elfag]

I put the majority of the blame on SRL.

The rematch was a logical fight as the first was close and they both would have made the most money in a rematch. But matchmaking isnt always logical and about what the fans want as we've seen with PBF-Pac negotiations.

Hagler waited around a bit for SRL but in order to make the fight he would have to go through a tremendous amount of bull **** of begging SRL for the fight and trying to drum up public support behind it to demand the rematch. I think he made reasonable attempts but SRL likes to play games and be in control and Hagler got tired of it. I mean he was middleweight champion of the world and has an ego, he didnt feel like being reduced to begging and chasing SRL for the rematch. And who knows what kind of split SRL was asking for.

[rightsideup]

I put the majority of the blame on SRL.

The rematch was a logical fight as the first was close and they both would have made the most money in a rematch. But matchmaking isnt always logical and about what the fans want as we've seen with PBF-Pac negotiations.

Hagler waited around a bit for SRL but in order to make the fight he would have to go through a tremendous amount of bull **** of begging SRL for the fight and trying to drum up public support behind it to demand the rematch. I think he made reasonable attempts but SRL likes to play games and be in control and Hagler got tired of it. I mean he was middleweight champion of the world and has an ego, he didnt feel like being reduced to begging and chasing SRL for the rematch. And who knows what kind of split SRL was asking for.

good points Leonard should have fought hagler right after the hearns fight and before duran did and my pick on would win would be hagler.

[Anthony342]

Just like with football (the XFL many years later), McMahon thought he could make money on boxing. The Leonard-Lalonde fight was a money loser for Vince, so he never promoted boxing again.

So not as many people ordered that fight as he thought so McMahon stopped promoting boxing?

Speaking of failure, not only boxing and the XFL, but there was also the infamous WBF (World Bodybuilding Federation) that bombed big time for them. Hell, the whole company almost went bankrupt in 1990 due to the steroid scandal and trial.