Comments Thread For: Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler - Boxing Classic Turns 33

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Corey Erdman - Boxing fans worldwide are hunkered down for the foreseeable future, likely watching more old fights than they ever have before. Not that one ever needs an excuse to go back and watch Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler, especially with literally nothing else to do, but its 33rd anniversary today is a pretty good one. Leonard-Hagler is...
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[TheMyspaceDayz]

“Ray Leonard stole that fight fair and square” - Larry Merchant

[hansS]

Twas a great fight and era.

[champion4ever]

I've watched this fight at least 100 times before and cannot see a controversy. Leonard was clearly the ring general. He moved and landed the cleaner punches at will.

Hagler was the aggressor but not an effective one; As he was ineffective in cutting off the ring against Leonard. Leonard threw the flashier combination punches and slipped almost every power punch that Hagler threw; Who looked very old and slow.

In my opinion, Leonard won this fight hands down.

[TheMyspaceDayz]

^^^^^

I can’t get on board with a guy who doesn’t go back and forth on this fight. Hagler was breaking Leonard down. Leonard was using all the flash he could to hide that.

[jvsnypes]

Before this fight, I was simply an Ali fanatic. After this fight, boxing became my favorite sport and Leonard my favorite fighter. Did he win the fight??? That will always be debated. What he did do that night was put on one of the best in ring performances in the history of the sport. In a mega “super” fight, on the grand stage, Ray outperformed Hagler. That’s what got him the victory. The fast combinations, the bolo punch, sticking out the chin daring Hagler to hit him, and the Ali shuffle all in one fight against one of the most ferocious champions of all time. We may never see another performance like that again against another elite opponent.

[Bigchip]

His name is Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Real name. Ray Leonard’s real name is Ray Leonard. Not Sugar. Even years later Hagler has to overcome someone else’s shadow.

The curse lives on. #Marvelous

[chirorickyp]

^^^^^

I can’t get on board with a guy who doesn’t go back and forth on this fight. Hagler was breaking Leonard down. Leonard was using all the flash he could to hide that.

That's one of the better descriptions in so few words. 15 round fight and Leonard would have been stopped by round 13 or 14 . He was exhausted and Hagler was strong. That along with no 8 oz gloves, Hagler not fighting southpaw the whole fight, and the bigger ring were huge intangibles. The fight was a draw at best with Leonard taking the most punishment, but looking good with the flash combos that did nothing to Hagler. The fight should have happened April of 1985 but it was Hearns who had the nuts to face this beast and he was led to slaughter instead. Smart on Leonard's part.

[chirorickyp]

Before this fight, I was simply an Ali fanatic. After this fight, boxing became my favorite sport and Leonard my favorite fighter. Did he win the fight??? That will always be debated. What he did do that night was put on one of the best in ring performances in the history of the sport. In a mega “super” fight, on the grand stage, Ray outperformed Hagler. That’s what got him the victory. The fast combinations, the bolo punch, sticking out the chin daring Hagler to hit him, and the Ali shuffle all in one fight against one of the most ferocious champions of all time. We may never see another performance like that again against another elite opponent.

It was a great performance by Leonard. But the bolo punch, sticking the chin out, Ali shuffle, all that did was make people think of Ali and it entertained. People liked and valued that crap back then, now a days most people look at what really happened in a fight not the phony useless theatrics. Fortunately.

[The plunger man]

Leonard won that fight and the rounds Leonard won he win clearly.
1,2,3,4,6,10,11 were all big rounds for Leonard and that alone gives him the fight.
The fight was 12 rounds and yet none of the hagler supporters complained with the hearns and mugabi fights which was also 12 rounds.
Sugar ray Leonard did the impossible that night and it was a masterful display of boxing skill & intelligence. The matador vs the bull and at the time of this fight it truly was a worldwide sporting event.