Fight of the Week #12: Leonard v. Hagler

It is true. I have not seen it for a few years probably. I will watch it. but I remember it well. Who doesn't.

 

Storm in a teacup

Round 1 SRL
Round 2 SRL
Round 3 SRL
Round 4 SRL
Round 5 Hagler
Round 6 SRL
Round 7 Hagler
Round 8 Hagler
Round 9 Hagler
Round 10 Even
Round 11 SRL
Round 12 SRL

116-113 SRL

 

Steele once stated Leonard landed the harder punches.

 

Okay I watched it.. Somehow this is what I scored. 114/114 draw. Now round 10 I scored for Hagler, yet if that goes for Ray it is 115-113.. It was a close round. Ray's punches were sharper so when he landed it was more impressive. this is my scores
round 1- Leonard
round 2 Leonard
round 3 Leonard
round 4 Leonard
round 5 Hagler
round 6 Leonard
round 7 Hagler
round 8 Hagler
round 9 Hagler
round 10 Hagler
round 11 Leonard
round 12 Hagler.

 

One thing I cannot believe is how Ray got everyone to go to that Armory or whatever it was and he got Marvin to go and he announces it will never happen. Why would he get people to go to an announcement to say it will not happen.

 

I think that is a major reason for the antipathy towards SRL. I remember reading in his autobiography that even before the announcement he hadn't fully made his mind up... but he was pretty sure what he was going to say.

When you add the Howard fight with Marvin at ringside again and the immediate re-retirement you can see why Hagler was mad at him. Which is what makes it perplexing that he didn't come into the fight with a clear gameplan himself. Perhaps he was half-expecting Leonard to take the mic and announce his retirement prior to round 1?!

Joking aside, I think that kind of self-indulgent behaviour is why Leonard is so disliked by some.

 

Hagler coming out orthodox in the first two rounds seemed foolish. It looked like he was trying to outbox Ray. He quickly switched back to a more aggressive southpaw style but those 2 rounds definitely made a difference. Leonard was smart and let Hagler take a bigger cut of the purse in order to make it a 12 round fight as opposed to 15.

 

Steele also allowed Leonard to clinch with impunity.

 

Clancy had seen SRL sparring southpaws and he mentioned that SRL was having problems with his sparring partners and didn't look good. Maybe SRL was moving to his right into the left handed power of the sparring partners who were true left handers? If Clancy had known, like SRL and Dundee that MH was really right handed he would have understood what SRL was doing and why he didn't look good in sparring before the fight.

 

Clancy was always off on his predictions from what he saw in training camp. He said in the Hearns/Leonard rematch, Ray was going to be the stronger guy and bull Tommy around and it did not happen. He seemed to overrate the sparring and not take into account in the fight things are different. I know he knew boxing, but sometimes he didn't separate the sparring from the real fight.

 

I think experimenting with Steele's medication, might be quite recreational.

 

Did you find there to be a lot of clinching in this fight? I saw some and referenced it in my first post but I don’t think Ray did it excessively? Both guys shoved on a break and both guys were warned upon doing so. Ray did hit after the bell on 2 occasions and recieved a warning after the 2nd one. I think Steele did a good job in this fight, even though I am not particularly fond of him.

 

Leonard was pretty awful with clinching in the first four or five rounds, then slowed some.

 

Hagler landed much better punches.