This is one of the first fights I ever watched. I didn't score it the first couple of times I watched it, and I didn't feel the decision was unjust. I was marveling at Ray more than anything, and the commentators and crowd just played into it. When I did finally score it, which was a couple of years after first having seen it, I ended up having Hagler up by a point. I was a more sober boxing fan by this point, and more knowledgeable too. This is not to say that 'if you're knowledgeable, you'll know Hagler won', because I still think you can see it either way quite rationally. I'm merely explaining how it happened for me.
I don't dislike Leonard, I just score for cleaner, stronger blows vs more flashy combos. Most of the punches in Leonard's flashy combos usually landed on Marvis arms, shoulders, and gloves or were glancing blows that skimmed off of Hagler. Marvin may have started off slow, but his punches were definitely the harder, cleaner punches. I try to score rounds in thirds, and Leonard may have made the last minute to 30 seconds look good for him, but Marvin still generally won 2 thirds of the round in my book.
I had the same score as the guys on HBO. 7-5 Leonard. The overwhelming underdog won a fight he had no business winning. Remarkable.
I think thats a misconception Hagler was no defensive genius in this fight, sure not every punch in a combination landed, but plenty did to score But like you said its what you score/prefer, so that's a good point
It was a very close fight. Leonard won by about two rounds,but Hagler can only blame himself,as he started right handed,and stalked Leonard. He should have come out fast,and not given the rusty Ray a chance to build up a rhythm. A lot of rounds were close,and even the most impartial judge can be swayed by,what I'll call,expectation levels. Leonard was so much better than most of us thought he would be,and he was expected to be mauled. So,quite often,he looked even better than he actually was,which was very good.
I'm in the Hagler camp. I don't hate SRL, one of the greatest fighters of all time. I thought SRL put on the performance of a lifetime, but still lost. He used his speed to stay away from Hagler, not engage him. There is a difference. Ali use his speed to dance around opponents, but eventually he stepped in to hurt them. I don't consider FMJ a runner because I see him stand right in front of people. I think Calzaghe beat Hopkins because he was right in front of him and controlling the last 2/3 of the fight. But I can't see SRL doing anything but surviving, with incredible style, every time I have watched the fight. No way SRL ever wins a "fight" with Hagler.
Leonard deserved it imo, but i've little doubt he would have lost had he not masterfully negotiated for a ring the size of a football pitch.The space he had to get completely out of range and move laterally was as key as his skill and toughness. It would have been interesting to see the two of them in your typical south american, British or Italian ring of that time.
I scored it for Leonard, I wish I could score it for Marvin as I always liked him more then Ray.. But Leonard won..
Hagler should have turned down the fight. I tend to think he was utterly confident of victory, not only as a result of his own self belief, but because Leonard was washed up, inactive, and fighting above his optimal weight class. The size of the ring and the 12 round limit shouldn't have come in-between Hagler and victory, and I don't think it did. Leonard deserves all of the accolades that comes with beating a 3-1 or 4-1 favorite. As I've said before, you read posts these days and people would have you believe Leonard was favorite and perceived to have been cherry-picking a weathered, old man.
Of course Leonard deserves all the accolades, it was an epic accomplishment regardless of ring-size, but Hagler still got played like a fool in the run up to the fight.
i watched this fight as a huge leonard fan...and thought ray won it...clearly...many years later i watched it objectively, sound off, no comentarry and no big cheers for the pit a pat blitzes....and i thought hagler won it....go figure....a draw would, in hindsight, perhaps have been the fairest decision....time and perhaps my own maturity suggests to me that hagler perhaps SHOULD have gotten a thin decision...