Would if Marvelous Marvin Hagler had fought Sugar Ray Lenard in 1982?

Hagler wins and Leonard knew it

 

I think Leonard was further away from his prime when they fought than Hagler was. Just by the way that he moved you could tell he was waaay slower than he was against Duran or Hearns.

 

Ray was just slower with the added weight.

 

I doubt it since he fought Ayub Kalule at jr. middleweight and kept all of his speed.

Leonard looked straight-up bad against Kevin Howard and in every fight after Hagler, I just find it so hard to believe that he was in his prime for that one fight against Hagler but at no other point during his comeback.

 

It was Ray’s second fight in five years and first in three. People act like he was preserved in ice like Captain America or something.

Leonard coming back to beat Hagler is one of the most amazing feats in boxing history. If it’s so easy, why doesn’t everybody take a three-year sabbatical and somehow not age or gather rust while their rivals fall apart like a car that never has an oil change while running thousands of miles?

That said, Leonard in 1982 (off Hearns, this is when he fought Bruce Finch) probably wasn’t big and strong enough to beat Hagler (off Caveman Lee/Fully Obed 2, just after Sibson) over 15. Ray is still comfortably making 147 without a struggle at that time while Marvin was a full-blown middle.

I will say if they had a three-fight series during that span it’s not impossible that Ray would get him once, and first time may be his best shot. The man had the ‘it’ factor and was a stone killer despite his babyface, flashy persona.

I’d give him about a 33 percent chance to beat Marvin in a one-off in that time period because he was capable of raising his game to the occasion — the man had a lot of champion in him.

 

Leonard stood no chance , and that was shown with even with a shot Hagler. Leonard was the worlds first cherry picker champion. Waiting and waiting some more, instead of fighting a true champion.

Hagler won their real fight as well.

 

Hagler KO Leonard

 

Hagler UD or late stoppage

 

LOL.

Every other fighter sits out three years and ages and gathers rust but Leonard instead aged backward while Hagler fell apart?

Wonder why Hagler didn’t come back after 3 years and clean out the division with a blindfold and one had behind his back

 

Hagler was shot after to many wars while defending his belt.

Leonard may have been retired, but he was still training like a fighter. He was just waiting for oppurtunities. (That is all. ) He waited till he saw Hagler had lost speed and the fire, and then he made the fight.

Leonard was not a fool and he had already made his miillions, He only wanted the big money or legacy fights to add to his resume, rather than fighting to defend titles. He was like a vulture flying above looking for the dead or dying, then eating them without taking any risk to himself.

A lollipop flavor should be named after him.

 

Does Hagler have to drop to 145 ?

 

Leonard retired from boxing due to a torn retina injury which was well documented. He also admitted to cocaine use during the mid 80’s. In 1984 he attempted launching a comeback against a welterweight gate keeper named Kevin Howard who decked him and made him rethink that comeback. He then stayed out of the ring for another THREE years before accepting a huge pay day to fight Hagler who had recently stopped a solid undefeated #1 contender..... Doesn’t sound like a guy who “ waiting around for Hagler to keal over.... “. I’ve never bought this argument that Leonard’s challenging of Hagler was timed and calculated... The idea that it was made up by disillusioned Hagler fans seems far more believable..

 

Nice narrative.

Ray Leonard, The Man Who Did Not Age (or Rust).

Hagler wasn’t perfect against Mugabi but he was far from shot. He didn’t fall apart at the seams. He might have lost a little something, but to act like Leonard was somehow perfectly preserved is laughable.

To assert that Leonard retired after the Howard fight with some master plan where he was training (yet suffering no wear and tear — and like a man staying in shape is a crime lol) and waiting as many years as it took for Hagler to finally slow down ... what an absolute joke. And unlike any other human being, he actually maintains his physical gifts while being coked out and not fighting?

He saw Hagler fight and looked at himself in the mirror and said ‘I can take him.’ Of course he was motivated by a big fight — he found out against Howard that he couldn’t get up for anything other than big fights and walked away.

Are you also asserting that Hagler DIDN’T believe he could beat Leonard at that stage? And if he thought he could win and took the fight, why isn’t that a crime against humanity like you seem to believe it is for Leonard?

Mike Tyson takes off 3 years (and was more active than Leonard before that, given that Leonard had exactly 1 fight in FIVE YEARS) and he’s never the same. Ali was maybe the most untouchable guy in heavyweight history and is forced to sit out for 3 years and comes back still great, but never what he was before.

Yet Ray Leonard alone can halt the hands of time.

No wonder Marvin couldn’t beat him. Ray has an Infinity Stone.