Hagler vs Leonard - Who had the advantage?

I don't the think the war with Mugabi made him diminish, but he had two wars in a row with Hearns and Mugabi, and after Hearns he was off a year.. Then he was off another year and fought Leonard. I think he was rusty and I think after Hearns he had a hard time motivating himself. Marvin is a very sensitive fighter and introverted. For him to put his all in the Hearns fight was impressive, but he might have put his all out mentally and physically. With Mugabi he looked sort of soft and his punches were not crisp. Leonard saw this and said he wanted to fight Hagler.

Ray was not prime and Hagler should have won the fight. Marvin was not aggressive in the first two rounds the way he should be and he came out right handed. Had he come out southpaw he would have taken away Ray's momentum or rather Ray would not have had the momentum and confidence he got by winning the first two rounds in my mind.

 

The fight does hurt Hagler's legacy a little. I honestly think Hagler took Ray lightly. How could a guy who was knocked down by Kevin Howard in a comeback fight 3 years before beat Marvin? The Hagler who fought Hearns would have stopped Leonard in about 6 rounds. But Ray knew when to fight him, and this helped Ray's legacy and hurt Hagler's .

 

Hagler.

Everybody picked him to win too.

7-5 all day.

 

Hagler had more advantages. Leonard used his advantages better. Hagler went into that fight with entitlement issues and thought he would win anyway, that cost him the fight. Leonard knew he would lose unless he followed a gameplan perfectly.

 

Ring rust was Haglers biggest enemy . One fight in 85 and one in 86. He had reached an emotional and physical peak with Hearns. He was dilly dallying with retirement in 86 , wondering whether to accept a Hearns rematch or fight Don Curry when SRL dropped his bombshell offer.

I think Hagler had aged, he came in in great physical shape but and this is another key that he had not fought anyone as slippery as the SRL of 87. Hearns in 85 was quicker but that was a brawling Hearns not a slickster like Ray.

I still think the fight was a draw nothing in it or a 1 round Hagler win but for sure on paper Marvin had the advantages. SRL was 31-32, inactive had looked bad before and he came back and looked great perhaps even 80% of what he had been.

 

Leonard had the advantages, his boxing ability was pretty much more intact that Hagler's was.

 

Hagler was bigger and not ring rusty, Leonard less miles on the clock and a little younger but past his own prime. So probably Hagler, Leonard overcame all the odds and beat him

 

Hagler,bigger man,stronger,bigger puncher,Leonard hadn't fought in a few years,Marvin was a massive favourite,people try downplay Sugar Rays win and say Hagler was old,it was one of the best wins ever,Hagler was probably the pound for pound king at the time..

 

Downplay?

They try to completely write it off. Not just the Hagler win, either.

I agree 100% with your post, though.

 

This fight is without doubt the greatest comeback in boxing history.

 

What?

 

With the benefit of hindsight, I think they were both about even.

Obviously Hagler had the advantage in natural size, strength, and power and had been more active.

Leonard had the advantage in being younger, less fights, less shopworn, and knew before Hagler he was going to fight him and therefore could being preparations before Marvin.

 

I agree.

HW Leonard top 5.

 

I believe you misquoted me