Ringside special with Sugar Ray Leonard

I'm no fan of DeGales but a lot of people who complain about Olympic medalists getting treated differently from other fighters just need to understand thats just the way it is. Its the gamble these guys take when they stay in the ams 2-3 years longer than they would have otherwise.

 

That's a good point, Gaz. George Kimball (RIP), great writer and journalist he may have been, but balanced when it came to Hagler he was not.

He was with Marvin in England when he beat Alan Minter, and he had an emotional bond to him as a fighter over the years. While he admired Leonard, he made no secret of the fact he felt Ray messed Marvin around and this coloured Four Kings somewhat.

Trainer was that rare thing in boxing - someone who cared about his man throughout and after his career.

 

I'm certain Marvin said this just before Leonard - Duran 1, but I could be wrong. It certainly wasn't before Hagler - Ray tho.

I'm not saying that's the reason I don't like him (I always just preferred Hearns and Duran), but people seem to think he had it easy, and don't look at the amateur record he had. Hagler was always bitter he never received the coverage Leonard did

 

This will shock you, but I actually felt he came across well in his interview in BN this week. He wasn't acting entitled like he usually does.

 

:yikes

 

Even if it was around that time, Vano, it was a bitter, inaccurate thing to say. It wasn't like Leonard was bashing up scrubs.

 

Yup I agree. Like I said, Marvin seemed to think Ray had a silver spoon, probably because he got $60,000 for his first fight. But that doesn't take into account his achievements, whenever the comments were made

 

Hagler is an intelligent and complex man, I guess. He's one of the most interesting fighters I've researched at any length. His contemporary interviews through that period are fascinating pictures of a man who used his outsider angst to fuel his ring performances.

 

You may be able to help me then Taylor. I read a quote from Hagler Hearns, when Marvin said something like 'I want to absolutely destroy Hearns. I want him to leave on a stretcher'. The journalist said 'wow, you must really hate Tommy' to which Hagler replied 'no, not really'

But I can't remember the exact quote :think

 

Jeez, call me David. We're friends here.

I'll look it up for you - I've got most of Marvin's interviews on my laptop.

 

It was a good show. Adam and Johnny make it so awkward sometimes, though.

I liked the honesty in everything he said.

 

cheers pal :good

 

lol spot on mate.

I was a Hagler fan and that's why i didn't like SRL. But then i got to my twenties and give my head a shake.

Great guy, amazing fighter. Sorry Marvin.

 

SRL was a truly all time great fighter. when you look at everything he may may well be viewed alongside Sugar Ray Robinson as the greatest welterweight ever. His speed of hand, foot, athleticism shine out. His ring generalship, determination and heart are absolutely up there. He was the kind of fighter who proved he could defeat the few who were technically better than him. Whilst I can wax lyrical about him as a great fighter to the extent I class his boxing brain as akin to a high powered computer, I was not a fan of his. He beat all my heroes Benitez, Hearns, Duran, Kalule, the debatable victory over Hagler(Marvin and I will dispute this to the grave). I never liked SRL as a man in fact I am ashamed to admit it that I positively hated him as a man for most of the 80's however it was when I read his auto-biography and the honesty he displayed that finally I came to have some empathy for the man. A great great fighter definitely in the top 10 pound for pound of all time. I mean he managed to beat the great Thomas Hearns at welterweight who in Muhammed Ali's words "Hearns is just awesome".

 

The win over Hearns is probably one of the top 5 victories ever.

Closely followed by Duran's win over Leonard, and Hagler's over Hearns.