Just rewatched and rescored Leonard-Hagler - Our Scorecards

I had an open mind with this fight, hadn't seen it in ages and began to believe what everyone told me

General Points

1. Leonard ran away with the first 4rounds
2. After that Hagler would pressure and land good shots, miss some but after he got his shots off Leonard would nearly always rally with very fast, clean flush shots. Many rounds were very close back and forth action with Leonard landing cleaner shots. Still these are a little hard to score
3. Leonard was moving and going backwards but this is his style, Hagler shouldnt win rounds for walking forward and getting outlanded/outboxed
4. Leonard outlanded Hagler significantly
5. Hagler didn't win many rounds emphatically, only 5 and 12 are rounds you couldn't argue for Leonard
6. Leonard ran in the 12th and gave the round away

My Card:

1. Leonard - Hagler barely lands a glove
2. Leonard - Wide
3. Leonard - Close but clear
4. Leonard - wide
5. Hagler - Big effort, impressive round wide for Hagler, Leonards legs have slowed and at mid range Hagler is timing him
6. Leonard/Draw - Close round with back and forth action, Leonard seemed to do more but couldn't argue with someone scoring it for Hagler
7. Hagler - Leonard getting timed and outworked, still getting his own flurries but 1 of Hagler's better rounds
8. Hagler/Draw/Either Way - Another back and forth round, very hard to score
9. Leonard - back and forth action Leonard seems to do more this round, outlands Hagler, more buzz on his shots and starts getting a second win
10. Hagler/Draw/Either Way - back and forth and very close
11. Leonard - very clear Leonard round
12. Hagler - Leonard thinks hes won and runs and showboats, Hagler easily outworks him

7-5 Leonard - My scorecard could range from 9-3 Leonard to a 6-6 Draw depending how the close rounds are interpretted. Overall Leonard edged it, if he'd put his heart and soul into the 12th there wouldn't/shouldn't be any controversy.

I think allot of fans have a preferance for Hagler and dislike for Leonard that blinds them somewhat in scoring this 1, at best Hagler gets a draw

 

Good analysis. I haven't watched that match in a long time, and probably should watch it again at some point. I always felt Leonard took it. Like you say, it was close. But, no way was that a robbery.

 

I agree.

 

was speaking about this yesterday the first time iwatched the fight i gave it to leonard by a point the second time i gave it to hagler by a point i think it should have been a draw

 

Extremely close, controversial fight. Just a couple of points though.
"Leonard outlanded Hagler significantly"? The stats show that is simply not true. Sugar Ray landed 15 more punches than Hagler. Hardly significant.

"Hagler didn't win many rounds emphatically, only 5 and 12 are rounds you couldn't argue for Leonard" I actually thought rounds 7 and 8 were arguably Hagler's best rounds.

"5. Hagler - Big effort, impressive round wide for Hagler, Leonards legs have slowed and at mid range Hagler is timing him" Huh? From what I could see, Leonard was winning the round comfortably until he got hurt.

"9. Leonard - back and forth action Leonard seems to do more this round, outlands Hagler, more buzz on his shots and starts getting a second win"
Are you serious ????? I believe even Jo Jo Guerra gave this round to Hagler


Oh well, make the world go round, I guess...

 

Good points Dave.

 

If Leonard landed more punches than Hagler, it was not a significant number more. I think the 15 more punches figure is the number I saw. I think Hagler landed more punches. The punch counters seemed to count a lot of shots that bounced off Hagler's gloves. But I am not going to argue about who landed more punches. For sure Hagler's were the more significant punches. See, in addition to how many are thrown, there is the matter of how they are thrown and their effect.

Hagler was the effective aggressor for most of the rounds. He forced the action and had Leonard in trouble on several occasions. He controlled the fight by winning the most rounds. Hagler's punches were cleaner and he tossed more to the body. Leonard's shots were slapping punches (which is why they were so loud) or flurries thrown at the end of the round. I don't fall for the tricky stuff.

I think I had Leonard winning four rounds. Maybe some rounds were closer, but there's no way he won the fight. You have to actually fight to win fights. If you are going to win a fighting running away, you have to completely dominate in volume of punches. It's a funny rule I have. No apologies. I'm an old timer.

 

You'll enjoy watching it

 

1. It seemed Leonard was landing more but he was landing his money shots and hayemakers while Hagler was landing

2. Leonard certainly had much more moments in 7 and 8 than 5 and 12 though, so while hagler did better so did Leonard

3. Maybe it was the massive contrast to round4, but as you say he did get hurt, and Hagler did outwork him, Leonard his moments again

4. yep had that 1 Leonard thought he came back well in that round but again more back and forth action making it hard to score

 

Leonard by a point or a draw was my scorecard.

 

I agree with the vast majority of this post. I think 9-3 for Leonard, or even 8-4 is a bit much for me. 7-5 is just right in my opinion. I think you have to be really trying hard to give Hagler this fight. Leonard landed the more CLEAN blows. He landed a lot of good shots they just weren't moving the bigger man. I also give Leonard the first 4 rounds. So to win the fight Hagler would have to win 7 of the next 8 rounds. No way he did that!

 

Your post does not draw a conclusive winner, but it does put all of the talk of robbery to bed.

 

Same as Revolver's scorecard. You are one tricky devel arn't you revolver. At least you being very calm and cool this time around eh?


REVOLVERMANIA!!!

 

Just on the subject of round 9, Leonard did fight like an absolute tiger to get through the round, and he did land some nice shots. However, he was clearly hurt and in trouble, and despite the fightback he continued to take heavy shots for the rest of the round. Leonard showed amazing will and tenacity, but it doesn't mean he won the round. In my view, Hagler took the round comfortably.

 

I thought that hagler won the fight because he landed the better punches. Leonards hand speed gave the illusion that he landed a lot more than he really did. If you watch the fight objectively you will see that many of leonards punches were blocked and he didn't land as much as people think.