If you're talking Leonard, Hearns, Duran and Hagler, the most popular was Sugar Ray Leonard. He drew the biggest crowds, got paid the higher share in purse money and even made the most in commercial endorsements. Based on attendance at his fights, the money he received in purse money and commercial endorsements, Marvin Hagler was the least popular. Even though Hagler was arguably better than all of them.
At my school it was Hagler. Not from a commercial or technical point of view of course, we all just thought he was badass and unbeatable. Looking back though I can see how marketable Leonard was, post Ali as a face for the sport.
I would say that was true at the time, but I think now Duran gets a lot more respect than he did back then. Hell there's even a movie coming out in the fall based on his story. Leonard was the Olympic darling and he certainly used this status to dictate the terms of his fight. Up until Mayweather he was the best at using this tactic, which of course if you're a fan of any of the other fab 4 or anyone else he fought you hated. I'm Canadian and a still remember that farce of deal that Leonard made with Donnie Lalonde to take his light heavyweight belt.
Leonard was more popular than the other three put together. He could draw tens of millions of viewers on cable tv for his fights and made way more money than any other boxer of his generation. Then came Hearns. Hearns made 50-60 million dollars. Then Hagler. Hagler didn't get his due until just before he retired. Duran I would think came last, even though he was probably the most talented, but he was also the smallest and a foreigner. When he fought Leonard in Canada the first time I remember hearing he was pissed that this kid was getting the lion's share of the money even though he was 50-1-0 or something. As famous as he was in Panama, and to boxing insiders, he hadn't yet crossed over to the public consciousness in America the way Leonard had by winning Gold at the Olympics.
Among Latinos, Roberto Duran was the most popular of the four boxers, especially when the other three boxers of the group. - Chuck Johnston
Do I recall correctly that Duran was the favorite with the crowd in Montreal and that SRL was booed? Been awhile since I saw it.
At the time, Leonard was infinitely more famous and popular. My mother knew his name. Historically he seems to be less popular than Duran and maybe Hearns, I think 'cause Ray's ****iness irritated many, as did his cherry-picking and lucky breaks. But at the time, he was household word, and the others really weren't, unless you lived in a boxing fan's house.
