I already asked this question several months ago, but lets see what kind of responses I get this time?

Question

Who do you think won the Leonard/Hagler fight? and why?

Answer 1

Leonard.

Primarily because of Hagler's slow start.  Blew the first 4 rounds for the sake of a strong mid-round ralley.  Hagler got his ralley, but not his knockout, then Ray regained the momentum in the 10, took 2 out of the last 3 to cinch it up.  We saw something similar when Frazier beat Ali.  Ali really fought well for about 6 rounds, then Frazier just came on and kept Ali in trouble.  After round 9, Hagler couldn't keep Ray in trouble.

I sometimes wonder if that wasn't what inspired Hagler's strategy.  Get to the middle rounds having spend less energy then put the pressure on the tiring opponent.

Answer 2

leonard won by a couple of rounds.....hagler gave away the first four rounds, while leonard borrowed an old ali trick of fighting for the last 30 seconds of a few rounds to impress the judges

some press opinions::

Houston Chronicle: 115-114 Leonard

Washington Post: 114-114

Boston Globe: 117-111 Leonard

Boston Herald 116-113 Leonard

Baltimore Sun: 7-5 in rounds Leonard

Oakland Tribune: 117-112 Leonard

San Jose Mercury-News: 116-115 Hagler

AP: 117-112 Hagler

New York Daily News: 117-111 Leonard

New York Times: 114-114

New York Post: 114-114

Newsday: 115-114 Hagler

Chicago Tribune: 7-5 in rounds Hagler

Answer 3

I think that leonard won

Answer 4

Leonard, he did more in 30 secs, than Hagler did in 2:30.

Answer 5

Leonard won.  Or you could say Nobody won.  Hagler LOST.  Thanks to Marvin,  Ray had the fight won before the first bell.  If you could ever get a hold of as many of the pre-fight interviews as possible,  you would see how Leonard laid one trap after another and, amazingly, Hagler fell for each one.

Leonard certainly won the ''contest'',  if not the fight.    And I can tell you why.

Here is just some of the demands Leonard made,  and Hagler gave in to.

1. Larger ring:  Hagler is NOT a total brawler.  He boxes well.  However,  in this fight,  Leonard is the boxer.  People remember the Hearns fight and forget that Hagler can box very well too,  not like Leonard but better than most.   The larger ring certainly benefits Leonard.

2. 12 rounds vs 15 rounds:   Had Hagler stuck with the 15 round agreement,  the IBF would not have stripped him.  People forget that this was a WBC fight only.   At the time,  only the IBF remained 15 rounds.  The WBA didnt sanction the fight because it was busy trying to dig up excuses to export more money from its fighters.   When Hagler agreed to 12 rounds,  both the IBF and WBA pulled their belts.  Stupid.

3. Tighter canvas:  Again, this benefits a boxer more than it hurts a puncher.   Still,  Leonard grabbed EVERY advantage he could get.

4. Thumbless gloves:  Leonard had a strong argument for this, given the fact that he had already suffered a detached retina.  Still, they were not mandatory.  Leonard just wanted them.  Punchers dont like them because they make it a bit harder to make a tight fist.

I could go on forever with the list of demands Leonard made.  In addition to his many demands,  Ray planted Marvin's game plan in his head.  That's RIGHT,  Sugar Ray Leonard dictated what type of fight Marvin Hagler would fight.   LIke De La Hoya against Mayweather,   Hagler allowed his personal feelings to enrage him to such a degree that the fight became, for him, an opportunity to PROVE something to Leonard rather than win the fight.

In the enterview each had with Roy Firestone,  you could see Hagler getting steamed.   Ray remained calm.   WHen Firestone asked Ray how he expected to beat the best southpaw in, perhaps the last 50 years,   Leonard never answered the question.  

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++...

Ray's reply: Oh, if Ma'vin were an orthodoxed fighter,   I'd have it in the bag.

Marvin's relay:  See, everybody thinks I cant fight orthodox,  watch.  You'll see on fight night.

Firestone asked Ray what he'd do if Marvin came at him the way he went after Hearns.    Again,  Leonard dodged the question.  

Ray: Well,  Marvin is more of a brawler so, quite naturally, I'll have to box him.

Marvin:  See,  he thinks I cant box.   Everybody thinks Im a brawler,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++...

All the prefight interviews went in much the same way.   Leonard dodged questions and left Marvin in the line of fire,  and then planted Marvin's strategy.  

The fight went in much the same way De La Hoya vs Trinidad went.   Only the wrong guy got the decision in that one.   Sure, Oscar dogged it in the last 3 rounds.   But you cant tell me he won fewer than 6 rounds.  

Leonard did the same in the Hagler fight.  He won the first 4 rounds and split the rest.   Do the math.  Leonard won.   The main reason many think Hagler won is because he won the only two rounds that had action.   He dazed Leonard in the 5th and again in the 9th.  

Unbelievably, Kermit the Frog,  I mean Barry Tompkins (never liked him) made a big deal of the fact that more punches were thrown in round 6 than in Hagler-Hearns.   Who cares?  Fighters were DENTED in THAT round.   No one was seriously hurt in this entire fight.

Amazingly,  Hagler fought the beginning of the fight orthodoxed,  something he didnt do almost his ENTIRE career before.  

THAT is why he lost,  and why he remains bitter to this day.   He allowed Leonard to dictate his fight plan.  

After the fight,  Leonard put it best.    "He could have simply said NO to my demands.   What could I have done?      He was champion.   I dont think he realized that".

Marvin got JOBBED.  But the judges didnt do it.   He did it to himself.

Leonard won

Answer 6

Hagler. Leonard threw more punches and landed more punches but Hagler landed the harder punches. In the pro, one should count the quality of the punches, not just the quantity.

Answer 7

This question tortures me almost as much as the legions of mindless Tyson fans who claim Mike is the best heavyweight in the history of boxing.  Ray got the decision, but he DID NOT BEAT Marvin Hagler.  Running for 2:45 of the round then flurrying with 15 seconds left isn't an honorable way to take a champions title.  History will remember Ray Leonard as being the dominate Welterweight of his era, with multiple titles in numerous weight classes, but between the Hagler decision and the Duran foot race that ended with "No Mas" coupled with the "Draw" in the second Hearns fight, I have a real tough time remembering Ray KOed Tommy in their first fight.

I think Hagler won the fight, because for the vast majority of each round Hagler was the aggressor, took the fight to Ray and dictated the tempo and pace of the fight.  Yeah, I know, effective aggression, but without Marvin chasing Ray around, there would have been no counter punching on Ray's part.  Hagler didn't win over the judges, so the point is moot.

Answer 8

I thought Leonard won the fight, but I must admit that I did not watch it live since I am only 18.  I did watch the tape and I had the fight 115-113 for Leonard because he started off well and after Hagler started to rack up some points, he came back like a true champ and won at least two of the remaining rounds.  I understand where Hagler and his fans are coming from when they say he was robbed because he was never hurt and he was landing the harder blows, but the fact of the matter is, that Leonard lander more punches and he won more ROUNDS, which means at the end of the fight he deserved the decision (that whole thing about "having to take the title" is c**p).  The one score of 118-110 for Leonard was outrageous though.

Answer 9

Leonard won but I would'nt call it a fight,  more like a boxing exhibition.  Leonard knew what would happen if he tried to actually fight and that's  why he fought the way he did.  Why?   He did what he had to do,  hit first,  then got out, moved around, made Hagler miss a lot, and most importantly he did'nt try to slug it out with him and that's why he won fairly,  but it was hardly exciting to me anyways.  if you are a Sugar Ray fan then it was great but I'm not.  I like Hearns, Hagler, Duran, Tyson.