Thoughts going in to Hagler V Leonard?

My thoughts were could Leonard win? I was a SRL fan, but this was even a big obstacle for him. Now that I'm older, I can see why he took the fight. But back, then I had doubts.

 

Leonard played his little, bide my time, game. Remember, what was it, 18 months earlier, they were supposed to have a press conference announcing their fight but...there was Marvin and...no Leonard (please don't call that thief Sugar).
Embarrassing! Ray waited until the last possible moment before fighting a 'faded' Marvin. I still think Hagler won the fight but perhaps I'm biased. My $0.02.

 

I thought Leonard would get stopped early. I was never a Leonard fan but I thought he won the fight. Marvin gave away too many of the early rounds. Now his rematch against Hearns in 89, I definitely thought Leonard lost.

 

I believe Hagler deserved the nod ... but Leonard's performance was exceptional whereas Hagler's was disappointing.
Leonard getting the decision has unfairly tainted what he did that night in the mind's of all of us who saw Hagler as the winner. I'm always quick to remind myself and state openly that Leonard was the relative victor anyway.
Even losing he put on a great performance and Hagler, in spite of winning (on my card), was less than great that night.

Fair enough, Hagler was old and faded, but Leonard's handicaps were greater.

 

I though he'd wear Ray down and get a TKO around 10 or 11, I remember watching the fight with friends an we were amazed Hagler looked slow and not really aggressive . Hagler had definitely slipped a notch and Hagler knew it too, that's why he wisely retired. I think he'd have lost a rematch with Hearns at that point

 

I thought Hagler would KO him late. Marvin gave SRL way too much respect...no way was Ray going to KO Hagler so why the hesitation? Same thing when he (Hagler) fought Duran.
Sure both guys were/are greats but didn't Hagler and his corner, the Pet boys, have confidence that he'd beat them up?

Ray's pitty-patty punches were incredibly annoying and not hurtful in any way shape or form. I was amazed the judges could not see that Ray was just throwing them to look busy and dominating whereas he was neither.

Nevertheless Hagler can only blame himself for the loss. Not engaging enough and giving away too much ground to an opponent that couldn't have hurt him .

 

I just remember being really excited. I wasn't a diehard fan of either guy but everyone respected Hagler and what he had done up to that point. I expected Hagler to win the fight but Leonard was such a huge star. Say what you want he brought the excitement. It was just so big at the time. It was bigger than the Super Bowl in a sense. It was a great show.

 

I saw this fight at Charlestown Raceway in WVA.

The atmosphere was electric - a few thousand people cramned in there with a huge movie screen hooked up to closed circuit

It was much better then home PPV, which was just starting at that time.

My buddy and I got to my house at like 2:00 AM and my mom let me stay home from school the next morning. My buddy's mom made him go to school, but he came over and my mom let him crash at our house and didn't tell his mom.

I remember Kinchen/Roldan and Davey Moore/Lupe Aquino on the undercard.

Each guy I wanted to win lost.

I saw Tyson/Spinks at the same location - the last time i saw a closed circuit show as PPV took over.

 

I remember this was the first time I bought the Ring magazine for the preview of the fight which was very good indeed. Having listened on the radio to Hagler v Hearns, I recall being v disappointed that the UK had no radio coverage that I could listen to at 4am! That said, when the BBC podcast discussed it recently, they played some radio coverage, so I am not sure if my mind played tricks on me! The result was on breakfast radio, having thought Hagler would win, I was shocked. Saw the fight on TV and could see why his flashes of action caught the judges eyes and SRL won. My 6th form tutor told me it was because of his intelligence!