Hagler vs leonard why did hagler fight poorly?

Question

i seen alot of hagler fights he was exellent in many of his fights why on the night he fought leonard why did he fight leonard right handed and why was he hesistant to go for the kill in the rds he was hitting leonard leonard threw many of punches but i think they were embarassing hagler more than hurting him it just seemed on that night somthing was wrong with hagler and leonard knew it leonard would not give hagler a rematch

Answer 1

Leonard out foxed Hagler, Hagler got to about the 9th round before he realised that Leonard was nicking the rounds in the last 15 seconds of each one and when he tried to rectify it it was too late. I believe Hagler would of easily won a rematch but i think he truly believed that no judges in the country would give a decision against Leonard.

Answer 2

Actually, Hagler started showing signs of aging and wear and tear in his previous fight with John Mugabi a year earlier. Leonard was at ringside that night and he said then that he saw something that convinced him that he could beat Marvin.

Marvin at times looked sloppy and off balance against Mugabi, and sometimes looked like he couldn't get off in the later rounds. Ray saw Marvin basically struggle with a one dimensional fighter like Mugabi and figured that he could give Hagler trouble with his speed and quickness, and that's exactly what happened. I think Marvin aged even more in the ring in the fight against Ray, plus Ray was much quicker and sharper than anyone, including Hagler, anticipated. There were times when Marvin had Ray lined up and you could see that he just couldn't pull the trigger. Plus Hagler fighting the first 4 rounds orthodox instead of southpaw was a huge mistake. He was trying to prove that he could outbox Leonard but he couldn't. He barely laid a glove on Ray until he turned southpaw in round 5 and finally won a round. But by that time he was too far behind and all Ray basically had to do was win every other round, keep from getting knocked down or out, and the fight was his. Ray fought a great tactical fight that night and deserved the win IMO.

Answer 3

Certainly Ray negotiated as much to his favor as he could, but it was still a ring-rusty, 5 year inactive welterweight fighting a natural middleweight at 160.

Whenever I get to the excuse-making part, and it seems a lot of Hagler/Duran/Hearns fans do that when it comes to Ray, the bottom line is that no boxer is forced to get into the ring and fight.  Anyone that knows anything about negotiation has to keep "walking away from the negotiating table" as an option.  If Hagler didn't like the ringsize and gloves, don't sign the fight.  If Duran wasn't in shape, don't sign the fight.  If Hearn's couldn't go fifteen, don't sign the fight.

And let's face it folks, not a soul in the universe thought, on the night April 7, 1987, "Hagler should win this one, but with the gloves and the ringsize, I just don't know."  Everyone was worried that Marvin would knock Ray's retina loose and batter him into a pulp.  The top concern was for Ray Leonard's health.  Ray out-negotiated Marvin because Marvin's handlers were stupid.  They held all the cards.

What happened that night? .  Leonard used a right hand lead instead of the jab to build up points.  Hagler lost the first 4 rounds, not because he fought righty, but because Ray found a way to win them.

What happened that night was classic boxing tactics:  Hagler didn't step on the gas until round 5 in order to be fresher than Leonard in the middle rounds and score a ko.  It's something akin to a late-running horse  staying in the pack at the Belmont, then bursting down the stretch for the win.  Hagler upped the pressure from round 5 through 8, went for the KO in 9 when the critical moment happened:  Ray fought toe and toe and gutted it out, gassing Hagler.  Hagler made his charge and Ray held him off.  In the 10th round, both fighters did very little for the first 2 minutes, then Ray regrouped his wind and won that and the 11th to seal the deal.

There was nothing wrong with Hagler, everything was right with Leonard, who fought as perfect a fight he could against the bigger man.  Leonard made Hagler look sloppy.  I'm very tired of the excuse-making.  It was a close fight, both fought brilliantly, Ray won it.  There was nothing about this fight that was out of Hagler's control, from the negotiations to the tactics, everything was the result of choices being made.

Hagler was on Friday Night Fights as a guest when he said an odd thing.  He said he permanently retired out of protest over the "Vegas Decision", then went on to say that he wanted a rematch with Ray, but Ray wouldn't grant it(untrue).  So which is it Marvin?  He either wanted to fight again or he didn't, but not both.

Answer 4

Something was VERY wrong with Hagler.   It's called OBSESSION.  For some reason Hagler was SO obsessed with beating Leonard that he allowed Leonard to Get in his Head.

Leonard didn't WIN the fight.  Hagler LOST the fight.  I'll tell you why.

I picked Marvin to win until I saw an interview with Roy Firestone.  Roy asked Ray many questions.  As usual, Leonard never answered any questions directly but avoided or gave an "on the fence" answer.  

Hagler was obsessed with the money he would make from fighting Leonard.  But I think he had a much more personal reason for wanting to beat Leonard.  A friend told me he was told Hagler's wife (at the time, he divorced her shortly after the fight) thought Leonard was "cute".  I dont know if that means anything but, who knows what was in Marvin's mind.  He CERTAINLY did NOT fight like THE Marvin Hagler we know.

ALL his career he fought SOUTHPAW.  WHY, WHY, WHY would he chose NOW to fight orthodoxed?

Leonard made MANY outragous demands, all the while, hinting that he MIGHT not go through with the fight.  He wanted:

A larger ring

Tighter canvas

12 rounds (IBF was still 15 at the time.  They and the WBA stripped Hagler BEFORE the fight.  Go figure).

Thumbless gloves.  

I'm surprised Leonard didn't demand that Hagler only throw 10 punches a round.  He knew d**n well he was going through with the fight.   It was all a game to Ray.  He wanted the "Win" over Hagler more than he wanted to win the "Fight".  

Knowing he has always had trouble with leftys, Roy asked Leonard if he felt he would have trouble against The Best southpaw, probably in history, at the time.  

Ray's answer:  "Well, if Marvin were right handed I'd have the fight in the bag"

Marvin's response:  "Oh, he thinks I can't fight right handed?  I'll show him...

Roy asked Ray what he'd do if Hagler tore into him as he did against Hearns.  

Ray's answer: "Well, Marvin is more of a brawler so I would have to box".  YA THINK!!??.  Ray knew Hagler HATED being labled a brawler.  He was actually a very good boxer but THAT is NOT the way to beat Sugar Ray Leonard.  

Marvin's response: Oh, he thinks I can't box.  Everybody thinks I'm a brawler.  I'll show em.  

I remember SCREAMING at the TV.  "Marvin, What are you DOING!!??"

Roy asked Ray about 160.  

Ray's answer:  Well, to be honest, I think 154 would be a fair weight.  I'm not really a middleweight.  

I think Marvin FINALLY got the hint that he was being conned.  His obsession with beating Leonard is what lost the fight for him.

That is why Leonard never gave him a rematch.  Hagler would HAVE to realize the mistakes he made the first time.  It is also why I could Never list Leonard among the Great Middleweights, Hagler included.  He was a great welterweight but a true champion would give a rematch in a fight, and against an opponent, of such Great magnitude.  Leonard was a "Good" middleweight, NOT a Great one.  

I think their problem was a lot more personal than most might know.

Answer 5

No doubt Hagler was a few years beyound his prime during this fight. Having said that, Hagler still should have one the fight. I think he was a little overconfident. Leonard was comming off a long lay off and Hagler and most boxing experts didn't think he could last past 9 rounds. Also remember Hagler had to let Leonard choose the ring size, the gloves and number of rounds. This could have been a 15 rounder. Leonard wouldn't agree to fight him any other way. So Leonard kind of won the fight before the first bell. But back to Hagler, who still is my all time favorite fighter. If he comes out in round one left handed and a little more aggressive Leonard is stopped inside of 11 rounds.