Once again... Now right from the beginning I have to admit I am a diehard Hagler fan. He's my favourite fighter of all time and maybe that's why I can't let go. As of late I've heard a lot of people say that Ray Leonard deserved the decision he got this April night in 1987 at the Caesars Palace. I've watched the fight at least more than five times and I always scored it in favour of Hagler. Though the last time I watched it was more than a year ago. Inspired by the "Fighters of the '80s" thread I decided to watch and score it once again even though it might be painfull. Maybe I'll realize where I went wrong and maybe afterwards I can make my peace with the judges and Sugar Ray Leonard. So I'll try as hard as I can to judge as objectivly as possible.
Hagler coming into this fight as WBC Middleweight Champion who defeated Mugabi via KO11 and Thomas Hearns by TKO3 defending his WBC, WBA, IBF titles in his last outings. He hadn't lost for over 1 years and though people wondered when father time will finally get to him he was the heavy favourite.
Leonard came right from a 3 year lay off. He had beaten Kevin Howard in '84 in a very medicore performance by his high standards. Before beating Howard he had not fought for more than 2 years. Leonard didn't want a tune-up for the Hagler fight and many believed he was crazy returning against the undisputed champion while moveing up in weight and haveing been out of action for so long.
In the negotiations Hagler gave Leonard all he asked for. All Hagler seemed to care about was that the money was right. Leonard managed to make the fight a 12 rounder and the ring bigger. He also chose the gloves. Many, including myself, believe that if the fight had been over 15 rounds we wouldn't even have to argue about this anymore because Hagler would've won clearly.
Now here we go, Richard Steele gave his instructions, the fighters are ready, the bell rung:
First Round: Hagler comes out northpole, Leonard seems very excited in the first twenty seconds. Leonard manages to establish the jab, moves faster than Hagler. Hagler follows Leonard around the ring, consistently talking to Leonard. Hagler connects with a right and Leonard unleashes his first flurry. Nothing of any impact, now Leonard turns southpole. Hagler continues to be the aggressor. As the bell rings Leonard does a little pose and off they go to the corner.
First Round scored for Sugar Ray Leonard!
10-9 Sugar Ray Leonard
Second Round: Hagler still fighting northpole and connects with a lead left hand. Trys to follow up but Leonard is too quick. Leonard goes to the body, connects with an overhand right. Richard Steele warns Leonard for holding. Hagler follows Leonard around the ring. Hagler connects with a right and Leonard flurries to steal round 2. Close round.
Second Round scored for Sugar Ray Leonard!
20-18 Sugar Ray Leonard
Third Round: Hagler comes out southpole, hits Leonard with two lefts. Leonard to the body, Hagler to the head. Hagler outpunches Leonard in the exchange, puts pressure on. Leonard pushes Hagler back, gets a warning for pushing. Leonard connects with some right hand leads, still showboats, flurries a little. Hagler with a solid left hand at the bell. Now personally it's really hard for me not to score this round for Hagler. In my opinion he should've won it. But maybe I'm being subjective. So as it was close I'll give it to Leonard.
Third Round scored for Sugar Ray Leonard!
30-27 Sugar Ray Leonard
Forth Round: Hagler staying southpole, hiting Leonard with a left hand lead. Continues to put pressure on Leonard but keeps missing. The crowd cheers for every move Leonard makes. Hard Low Blow by Leonard. Steele warns him for holding. Leonard connects to the body, connects with a showboatpunch and hits a flurry. Hagler smiles and follows him around. Another flurry by Leonard. No punch landed clean.
Forth Round scored for Sugar Ray Leonard!
40-36 Sugar Ray Leonard
Fifth Round: Both come out fast, Hagler continues to talk to Leonard and smiles at him. Hits him with a left hand lead but keeps missing most shots. Leonard with a right hand. Hagler begins to find his range. Misses with a big left hand, Leonard trying to make him pay but Hagler covers up. Hagler hits Leonard with a hard right uppercut that forces Leonard to hold. Hagler has Leonard against the ropes, gets some good shots hit. Leonard tries to flurry but Hagler wont let him. As the bell rings Hagler pushes Leonard in the back to his corner.
Fifth Round scored for Marvelous Marvin Hagler!
49-46 Sugar Ray Leonard
Sixth Round: Hagler connects (as usual when the round starts) with a left hand lead, goes to the body. Leonard with a right hand lead of his own. Hagler misses some big punches, Leonard does nothing to make him pay. Leonard with a quick 1-2, he is sacraficing power for speed. Steele warns Leonard for hitting while holding. Hagler presses the action, connects with some solid blows, Leonard tries to give as good as he gets.
Sixth Round scored for Marvelous Marvin Hagler!
58-56 Sugar Ray Leonard
Seventh Round: As they come out Hagler surprisingly misses with his his first left hand lead. Leonard seems tired, breathes heavy. Hagler to the body. Leonard with a left hook, gets nailed in return by Hagler with a hard left and another one for Hagler. Hagler pushes back Leonard, Steele warns him. Hagler following Leonard around and now starting to connect with more punches. Leonard does a little Muhammed Ali, Hagler shows him his tongue. Hagler has Leonard against the ropes, Leonard gets warned for holding. Hagler with some solid shots to the body and a uppercut just before the bell rings. Leonard with a right hook after the bell rung.
Seventh Round scored for Marvelous Marvin Hagler!
67-66 Sugar Ray Leonard
Hagler coming into this fight as WBC Middleweight Champion who defeated Mugabi via KO11 and Thomas Hearns by TKO3 defending his WBC, WBA, IBF titles in his last outings. He hadn't lost for over 1 years and though people wondered when father time will finally get to him he was the heavy favourite.
Leonard came right from a 3 year lay off. He had beaten Kevin Howard in '84 in a very medicore performance by his high standards. Before beating Howard he had not fought for more than 2 years. Leonard didn't want a tune-up for the Hagler fight and many believed he was crazy returning against the undisputed champion while moveing up in weight and haveing been out of action for so long.
In the negotiations Hagler gave Leonard all he asked for. All Hagler seemed to care about was that the money was right. Leonard managed to make the fight a 12 rounder and the ring bigger. He also chose the gloves. Many, including myself, believe that if the fight had been over 15 rounds we wouldn't even have to argue about this anymore because Hagler would've won clearly.
Now here we go, Richard Steele gave his instructions, the fighters are ready, the bell rung:
First Round: Hagler comes out northpole, Leonard seems very excited in the first twenty seconds. Leonard manages to establish the jab, moves faster than Hagler. Hagler follows Leonard around the ring, consistently talking to Leonard. Hagler connects with a right and Leonard unleashes his first flurry. Nothing of any impact, now Leonard turns southpole. Hagler continues to be the aggressor. As the bell rings Leonard does a little pose and off they go to the corner.
First Round scored for Sugar Ray Leonard!
10-9 Sugar Ray Leonard
Second Round: Hagler still fighting northpole and connects with a lead left hand. Trys to follow up but Leonard is too quick. Leonard goes to the body, connects with an overhand right. Richard Steele warns Leonard for holding. Hagler follows Leonard around the ring. Hagler connects with a right and Leonard flurries to steal round 2. Close round.
Second Round scored for Sugar Ray Leonard!
20-18 Sugar Ray Leonard
Third Round: Hagler comes out southpole, hits Leonard with two lefts. Leonard to the body, Hagler to the head. Hagler outpunches Leonard in the exchange, puts pressure on. Leonard pushes Hagler back, gets a warning for pushing. Leonard connects with some right hand leads, still showboats, flurries a little. Hagler with a solid left hand at the bell. Now personally it's really hard for me not to score this round for Hagler. In my opinion he should've won it. But maybe I'm being subjective. So as it was close I'll give it to Leonard.
Third Round scored for Sugar Ray Leonard!
30-27 Sugar Ray Leonard
Forth Round: Hagler staying southpole, hiting Leonard with a left hand lead. Continues to put pressure on Leonard but keeps missing. The crowd cheers for every move Leonard makes. Hard Low Blow by Leonard. Steele warns him for holding. Leonard connects to the body, connects with a showboatpunch and hits a flurry. Hagler smiles and follows him around. Another flurry by Leonard. No punch landed clean.
Forth Round scored for Sugar Ray Leonard!
40-36 Sugar Ray Leonard
Fifth Round: Both come out fast, Hagler continues to talk to Leonard and smiles at him. Hits him with a left hand lead but keeps missing most shots. Leonard with a right hand. Hagler begins to find his range. Misses with a big left hand, Leonard trying to make him pay but Hagler covers up. Hagler hits Leonard with a hard right uppercut that forces Leonard to hold. Hagler has Leonard against the ropes, gets some good shots hit. Leonard tries to flurry but Hagler wont let him. As the bell rings Hagler pushes Leonard in the back to his corner.
Fifth Round scored for Marvelous Marvin Hagler!
49-46 Sugar Ray Leonard
Sixth Round: Hagler connects (as usual when the round starts) with a left hand lead, goes to the body. Leonard with a right hand lead of his own. Hagler misses some big punches, Leonard does nothing to make him pay. Leonard with a quick 1-2, he is sacraficing power for speed. Steele warns Leonard for hitting while holding. Hagler presses the action, connects with some solid blows, Leonard tries to give as good as he gets.
Sixth Round scored for Marvelous Marvin Hagler!
58-56 Sugar Ray Leonard
Seventh Round: As they come out Hagler surprisingly misses with his his first left hand lead. Leonard seems tired, breathes heavy. Hagler to the body. Leonard with a left hook, gets nailed in return by Hagler with a hard left and another one for Hagler. Hagler pushes back Leonard, Steele warns him. Hagler following Leonard around and now starting to connect with more punches. Leonard does a little Muhammed Ali, Hagler shows him his tongue. Hagler has Leonard against the ropes, Leonard gets warned for holding. Hagler with some solid shots to the body and a uppercut just before the bell rings. Leonard with a right hook after the bell rung.
Seventh Round scored for Marvelous Marvin Hagler!
67-66 Sugar Ray Leonard
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