Marvin Hagler vs Roberto Duran - how close did Hagler come to losing?

I had it 9-5-1 for Hagler. Can't see a card for Duran, but his reputation scored points.

 

Well, Duran came very close, only because of the joke shop cards presented by the judges.

 

One judge had six even rounds, astonishingly enough.

 

I had it 9-6 for Hagler. Even if it was a 12 rounder, it'd still be 7-5 to Hagler. Hagler won his rounds more clearly than Duran did though, so the scorecard may not accurately indicate the difference between them that night.

 

Not even close on my card. This is what I wrote when scoring it recently:

Marvin Hagler v Roberto Duran (middleweight title)

Round 1: 10-10 Even
Round 2: 10-9 Hagler
Round 3: 10-10 Even
Round 4: 10-9 Hagler
Round 5: 10-9 Hagler
Round 6: 10-9 Hagler
Round 7: 10-9 Hagler
Round 8: 10-9 Hagler
Round 9: 10-9 Hagler
Round 10: 10-9 Hagler
Round 11: 10-9 Duran
Round 12: 10-9 Duran
Round 13: 10-9 Hagler
Round 14: 10-9 Hagler
Round 15: 10-9 Hagler

Total: 148-139 Hagler (actual scores: 144-142, 146-145 and 144-143 all for Hagler)

I've always been a huge Duran man, but I gotta call them the way I see them - as does everyone here. I just felt for all the good Duran did in this fight, which was immense, he only did it sporadically. I could have given him credit for more if only his attack was sustained or threw in combination. Most of his work - I felt - was one punch at a time. But despite my misgivings and my score, it was a herculean task before him and he performed admirably.

 

I had it pretty close but clear.
I see how a reasonable duran fan might have it 8-7 hagler and a reasonable hagler fan could have it 10-5 hagler.

Massive achievement either way by Duran. Really unfathomable nowadays to be honest.

 

Marvin Hagler vs Roberto Duran

1 Duran
2 Hagler
3 Duran
4 Duran
5 Hagler
6 Hagler
7 Hagler
8 Hagler
9 Hagler
10 Hagler
11 Duran
12 Duran
13 Duran
14 Hagler
15 Hagler

144-141 Hagler

This is how i had it i thought it was fairly simple fight to score outside of the first 4 rounds which were debatable. But pretty much Duran did well early on with pot shotting and boxing with Hagler, and then Hagler stepped it up a gear and was more aggressive in the middle part of the fight and won all those rounds. Hagler then took his foot off the gas in rounds 11-13 allowing Duran to make it closer, but then Hagler finished strong to win a competitive but clear decision.

I've always held the theory that Hagler deliberately took his foot off the gas between 11-13, from the experience of Antuofermo fight where he faded somewhat. And he wanted to make sure he had enough left in the tank for a big finish which he did.

I think it's fair to say Duran won between 5 and 6 rounds anymore than that would be a stretch, but i do think Hagler needed a strong finish as the fight was getting a bit too close for comfort.

 

Very close. I had Hagler up by 1 point. I thought Duran got tired in the last rounds

 

From my point of view, it is just another case of positive bias towards a worthy and charismatic underdog, who in theory has the tools to pull an upset, you never know.

Sure, there was a grain of truth on that idea, because Duran had its moments and kept the fight competitive enough.

But Hagler was always in command and ahead in the score.

 

I had it even. Here’s my account from a couple years ago:

Roberto Duran vs. Marvelous Marvin Hagler (c) for the WBA/WBC/IBF middleweight championship, scheduled for 15 rounds on Nov. 10, 1983 — a Thursday, oddly enough — at Caesars Palace Outdoor Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hagler (57-2-2) comes in at 157 1/2 while Duran (77-4) is a pound lighter. Marvin is a 3/1 or 4/1 favorite (depending on your source) and has won all seven defenses of his 160-pound crown by stoppage. Duran is on a revival after stopping Pipino Cuevas and Davey Moore, the latter to capture the 154-pound WBA title.

Hagler is guaranteed $5M but will take home $8M according to reports; Duran guaranteed $1.5M but would make $4M (each had a percentage of the closed circuit sales).

Round 1, 10-10 even: very little going on

Round 2, 10-9 Duran: Roberto finds a home for his right lead

Round 3, 10-9 Duran: More accurate rights and good defense

Round 4, 10-9 Duran: Some quick combos, Hagler’s jab ineffective

Round 5, 10-9 Hagler: Closes the distance, much busier

Round 6, 10-9 Hagler: Grinds inside, chews Duran up

Round 7, 10-9 Hagler: Close, Duran boxes well but Hagler finishes better

Round 8, 10-9 Duran: Again close, Duran a real cutie here

Round 9, 10-9 Hagler: Closes the distance again and works well inside especially to the body

Round 10, 10-9 Hagler: More of the same but Duran pot-shots well in spots

Round 11, 10-9 Duran: Curious round as Hagler gets on his bicycle and basically throws nothing

Round 12, 10-9 Duran: Right hands from Roberto again, good inside action, Hagler’s left eye starts to close and he is also cut over it

Round 13, 10-9 Hagler: Close round, Duran lands some good rights but Hagler does slightly better work early to edge it

Round 14, 10-9 Duran: Yet another close one but I thought Duran’s accuracy with the right edged it with him also nullifying a lot of Hagler’s work

Round 15, 10-9 Hagler: Closes strong and rakes Duran over the coals a bit

My card: 143-143 even, 7-7-1 in rounds

Official cards, 144-142, 144-143, 146-145 all for Hagler

Interesting strategic fight. Hagler’s camp expected Duran to try to brawl like he did in the Moore fight but Duran came in to box all the way and did a pretty good job of it. When Hagler played the bully as in the sixth, 15th and parts of other rounds, he beat Duran up pretty good.

My card comes down to what you do with the first and to me there was nothing to choose. I think most people gave Duran the 13th and Hagler the 14th and while both were close, I had it the opposite. And somebody tell me what Marvin was thinking in the 11th when he basically gave a round away.

Worth a watch if you haven’t seen it for sure, a rewatch if you haven’t seen it for a while.

 

The styles were reversed in this fight which was unusual. Duran was at a 9 inch reach disadvantage but was getting the better of Hagler at range. Meanwhile Hagler completely outclassed Duran on the inside despite Duran's fame as an infighter.

 

In reality, it was a fairly straightforward win by Marvin. Just not on the cards.

Roberto Duran was a legend, in the midst of an improbable comeback and was one of the few closed circuit boxing stars that the lighter weights had at that time. I believe it was his fifth closed circuit fight.

Marvin Hagler was a respected champion. But it was his first closed circuit match and his first 'superfight,' if you will. He appeared a little pensive, as a result.

And the judges certainly favored Duran.

I thought the judges did the same to Iran Barkley in his fight with Duran. (One judge gave Duran 10 points in 10 of the 12 rounds against Barkley.) I didn't have Duran winning that fight, either. Even with the knockdown.

 

seems like that's what I had it, but I may have had another round even making it 144-142. At the time I did think Duran had a chance to win after the 13th but as Roberto told Gil Clancy , "I just got tired those last 2 rounds" I believe Haglers strength played a part in that.

 

The fight was seen as close because Hagler
was supposed to do what Hearns actually did.
That was destroy Duran, as the fight dragged
on, and the fans sensing a possible upset,
started cheering for Duran loudly, influencing
the judges.
The fight wasn't really close. Especially
when watching it without the volume on.
Duran did fight well, especially considering
the physical advantages all favored Hagler.
But Hagler clearly won the fight.
But it also exposed some holes in his game,
that would be taken advantage of by Ray Leonard.