Why do people say that Hagler was cheated when he fought Leonard?

He thought it would be an easy payday, and was wrong.

 

Eveytime I've scored it always had Leonard winning by 2 points. I think the larger ring and agreeing to 12 rounds both request by Ray makes people feel Leonard got everything his way. Although Ray gave Marvin a bigger cut cause he agreed to these.

 

Hagler outworked SRL for 2:30 of every round and SRL stole the final 30 secs with flurries MMH had a bad strategy he should have came in with a seek and destroy mentality like he did with Sibson, Hamsho and Hearns etc....but for some reason he was content with fighting in a way that suggests he really wanted to beat him on points like he did Duran.... it is his fatal flaw as a fighter IMO it can be legitimately argued that Hagler was a spent force after Mugabi at least a reduced one I don't think many can watch the Mugabi fight and not see the slowed down tired version.

 

I've always scored it for Hagler by two points, and I've watched/scored it at least a dozen times.

Hagler was the aggressor, landed overall the more effective punches. To me what SRL did was delineate the line between masterful boxing and showboating/running/using smoke and mirrors. Leonard landed lots of punches, the vast majority of which looked better than they were. Hagler was the defending champ, and Leonard didn't take the fight to him, or dominate him in any way except being able to run faster.

Just my opinion. I think the commentators were pretty off during their assessment of the fight as well.

 

Again it's your perspective because, Plenty of times in that fight Leonard set his feet and tried to hurt Hagler.
But if Hagler walked through the firepower of Briscoe, Lee, Obejeimas, Sibson, Hart, Roldan , Hearns and Mugabi with out barely blinking his eyes. Leonard wasn't going to and didn't have any effect on him.
But he didn't just " shoe shine " the entire fight.
Or the end of each round. It's your skewed perception.

 

Close fight, coulda went either way. I gave it to leonard by a round. Havent watched it in about a year but if my recollections right there must have been 2, maybe 3 swing rounds imo that were really hard, for me, to call. No robbery. Hagler fked up fighting orthodox the first part of the fight. He threw the dice and it didnt work. Thats the chance you take

 

Not sure I'd call it a robbery, but I feel Hagler edged it, and like Bowe Holyfield II and Holmes Spinks I should have been given the Champion's Benefit of a Doubt.

I do fully agree that Hagler made a mystifying decision fighting orthodox...a terrible idea, hard to believe his trainers went for that.

 

Next up Lewis - Vitali and No Mas.

Nothing to see here as Leonard just plain outboxed him to a close but clear decision for mine.

 

Marvin presented his face to show that Ray couldn't hurt him. So he lost.

 

Ray usually had the initiative in the fight and Hagler took too long to get going, which cost him dearly. As said, also fighting Orthodox. Weird, weird decisions.
I've personally never had Marvin winning this fight, but it was close. No doubt about it.
At the time I was a big Hagler fan and for years afterward I refused to watch the fight.
But once all was said and done, and my personal bias was set aside, I felt that Ray edged it, and still do.

 

I've always scored it Hagler but when I watch it without scoring I get the impression that Leonard "won".

Leonard simply didn't do enough to win enough rounds but he appeared to be more pleased with himself and performing better, relatively, than Hagler.

Leonard did a load of retreating and holding, literally diving in to grab Hagler.

 

Hagler should have knocked him out anyway.
Or stayed retired after struggling with Mugabi.

 

The controversy was the 118-110 card from JoJo Guerra. A two point card either way (as it was with the other judges) is reasonable.

I scored it 115-113 Leonard the first time and 114-114 the second time.

 

Marvelous Marvin Hagler came in too light for that fight, he should have kayoed Sugar Ray Leonard, but he could not., so Leonard won. Hagler should have taken an other available opponent.

 

Well, I think he had three things on his mind, Richard:
1. Five years of anger from the way Leonard retired back in 1982 and humiliated him in the process.
2. A career-high payday
3. An opportunity to get top billing and more money than his ultimate career rival.

The first two reasons were all he needed to take the fight but it was reason no. 3 that cost him the fight because that became his focus, not the fight itself. I think he figured victory was assured so he didn’t focus on the same things as he normally would when preparing for it.