Attention Sugar Ray Leonard fans. Did you know this?

I highly recommend Sugar Ray's interview with Joe Buck.


https://www.directv.com/tv/Undeniable-with-Joe-Buck-c3R2NFFoMjlKL0NGby9GckxSaXJvUT09


You'll learn about the man in and out of the ring, and a seldom mentioned secret going into the Hagler fight.

To spill the beans, Leonard noticed Hagler was slow, and being outboxed by John Mugabi, who was no boxer! He brought in middle weights to spar with, and put on the larger gloves. The initial plan was to attack Hagler, but during the sparring, Leonard tells the audience he was nearly knocked out cold. Suddenly going toe to toe with Hagler was not such a good idea. In fact, it's how he lost the Duran fight!

So Sugar Ray changed up his tactics and decided to box and move. What is well known is Sugar Ray had a corner man yell out 30 seconds before the each round ended, and he used his flashy combinations to steal rounds.

Leonard's win over Hagler is perhaps the greatest thing a welterweight moving up has ever done.

I also think Leonard absolute nails the psychology of a boxer, in particular mentioning there's often a moment in a fight where a decision is made to soar or slump. It's the stuff the best champions when tested are made of.

 

"Leonard's win over Hagler is perhaps the greatest thing a welterweight moving up has ever done."

Carmen Basilio beat SRRobinson in a true war over 15 rounds, give no quarter fight, should not be overlooked either.

 

Sugar Ray Robinson moving up and avenging his loss against Jake Lamotta 3 weeks earlier after beating a top contender the prior week is pretty impressive.

 

Sugar Ray Leonard was awesome... He just had this "I ain't goin out like that attitude"

 

It's not overlooked. Basiilio wasn't Hagler though.

 

Maybe we should say that Robinson was no Hagler; he was better. That makes Basillio's win even more impressive.

 

Robinson was much better at welter. By the time he lost to Bassillo, Robinson was 36 years old. He had also been beaten by Fullmer, Jones, Maxim, and Turpin. Turpin took some of the sugar away and isn't mentioned much when people talk about great upsets in boxing. Perhaps because it wasn't a great upset.

At 160 pounds, Hagler was better than Robinson. Pound for pound, Robinson was a better.

 

From Feb 14, 1951 (Lamotta) to July 10, 1951 (Turpin), SRR fought 10 times...including
a series of 7 fights in 6 weeks (5/21/51-7/10/51) on his European tour. You might say Ray
was a little "burned out" by the time the Turpin fight started.

 

Hagler was a shot fighter and leonard barely eeked out a decision

 

I think you mean Robinson was not Hagler don't you? Otherwise your comment makes no sense.

BTW It's Basilio not Basiilio or Bassillo.lol.

 

It was close enough to have gone either way imo.

 

On the contrary it was perceived as a great upset.

 

No, I was saying Basilio wasn't on Hagler's level as a middleweight.

Hence Leonard beating Hagler is a better win than Robinson beating Basilio.

IMO, Leonard has the best win in terms of a welterweight moving up to beat a middleweight champion.

 

Yes I read that about the sparring incident. Indicative of how Leonard could adapt very well.