Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard
The Super Fight
Las Vegas, April 6, 1987

By Mark Le Roy:  Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the much anticipated bout between the long time middleweight champion Marvin Hagler and the charismatic Sugar Ray Leonard.

Leonard was an undisputed welterweight and former light middleweight champion who had been lured out of retirement to face Hagler, he had been inactive for three years and only fought one bout in the past five years. In contrast Hagler had not lost a bout in his past 37 fights spanning over eleven years, for this reason Hagler entered the heavy favourite while Leonard was the sentimental favourite. The fight witnessed a five month media blitz, Hagler trained in a T-Shirt with the emblem “Leonard will fall” printed on the back, while Leonard told the media “the reason I will win, is because use all think I won’t” of the 50 people polled in the Los Angeles Times, only four picked Sugar Ray Leonard.

For this fight the eyes of the world where focused on Las Vegas, Nevada.
15, 000 spectators packed the outdoor arena at casers while 400 million people viewed via close circuit TV 50 different countries.

The challenger, Leonard, 33-1, (24) was first to make his way to the ring. Wearing his charismatic smile and what can only be described as a boxing jacket cut by a professional tailor. Hagler looked his marauding as he marched toward the ring in his trademark cloaked blue hooded robe to a frantic crowd.

Leonard looked relaxed while opposite Hagler pounded his gloves together much like Mike Tyson used to do, packing up the padding, creasing up the leather ready to do damage.

From the opening bell Leonards tactics where obvious, stick and move, in and out frustrating the champion, much like he done during his victory over Roberto Duran when the two met for the second time in 1980. Hagler stalked forward missing with both jabs and hooks; the champion was finding it difficult to pin his man down, when the champion managed to get in close Leonard done a good job of tangling him up in a clinch.

Leonard’s trainer Angelo Dundee could be heard screaming from the corner “stick and move, stick and move” and his fighter was following the instructions to the letter as he continued to circle the champion who as yet had not solved the puzzle.

In the third Hagler switched back to his natural southpaw stance after fighting the first two rounds in an unusually orthodox stance, he found more openings but the former Olympic Gold medallist kept on the move scoring with fast counters. The shaven skulled Hagler from Massachusetts unleashed fury in his punches in the fourth targeting the body of Leonard who started his showmanship buffoonery, but Hagler would not take the bait like Duran done in his second meeting with Leonard. Sugar Ray was fighting a very smart fight, tying the champion up then spinning Hagler throwing off the clinch while creating angles for himself, all before the referee Richard Stelle had the chance to split them.

By the fifth Hagler was in desperate need of a round and came out ploughing forward with menace in his gloves, the round was close then with 30 seconds remaining Hagler landed a left which momentarily stunted Leonard. On the back foot Leonard tried to hold on when Hagler landed a punishing uppercut. The momentum had swung and Hagler was now finding success, driving his opponent to the ropes Hagler pounded away to the body while Leonard opened up with a flash flurry of the ropes. This was now Hagler territory as the both brawled against the ropes until the bell sounded the end of the round.

Hagler’s relentless body attack seemed to have taken its toll o Leonard in the sixth, the champion seemed to cut off the ring much easier while Sugar Rays snap in his punch appeared it have abandoned him. The champion bagged the seventh and eighth rounds landing the more hurtful blows on a visibly tiring Leonard.

The fight exploded into action in the ninth, Hagler opened up with combinations throwing wounding shots to the body followed hooks to the head, with his chin almost rested on Leonard’s chest he continued to pound away, Hagler was now in his zone fighting his kind of fight. Leonard against the ropes opened up with flash flurries, the crowd where on their feet at the end of what was by far the best round of the fight so far.

The torrid tempo was taking its toll on both men by now, and the tenth was a relatively mild round by comparison. Sugar Ray appeared near to exhausting, fighting flat-footed and just placing his gloves pawing with the jab as a range finder, rather than punching with any power, as Hagler kept him under constant pressure. Leonard stole points landing with flurries while avoiding Hagler’s bombs.

Leonard toyed with Hagler in the eleventh; offering his head before pulling away and making the champion miss wildly. Leonard landed with several eye catching flurries. The Leonard corner where ecstatic before the last round believing their man only needed finish on his feet to win, while Hagler was told he needed the round and needed it bad.

Both signalled each other out with a C’mon, C’mon gesture with the glove, Hagler spent most of the round prowling while reigning in continues hurtful blows. While feeding off his corners excitement Leonard thought he had done enough to win the fight and spent most of the round avoiding Hagler’s danger punches, he circled the ring with his hands raised in the victory salute.

Ring announcer chuck Null announced the verdict as a split decision. Judge Jo Jo Guerra of Mexico scored the bout 118-110 in favour of Leonard, Judge Lou Filippo scored 115 – 113 in favour of Hagler, judge Dave Moretti also scored the bout in Leonard’s favour 115-113. Sugar Ray Leonard was the new Middleweight champion of the world, and Marvin Hagler had lost for the first time in eleven years and 37 bouts.

Leonard seemed to win the opening rounds clearly; the mid rounds belonged to Hagler but where not won as clear as Leonard’s earlier rounds. Some rounds Hagler won with his no frills relentless aggression, while Leonard opened up with some sporadic flurries. There were also the rounds where Leonard looked the busier but Hagler landed the more hurtful blows. Whatever the case you could argue the case for either man, although judge Guerra’s card leaves a lot to be desired, with a score of 118-110 he gave Hagler only two rounds. I have analysed this fight on numerous occasions and below is my scorecard.

The fight went on to win 1987 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year award. Hagler was bitterly disappointed with the result and walked away from the sport to pressure a career in the movies in Italy. Despite claiming this was a one fight comeback deal Sugar Ray fought on capturing major titles at light heavyweight and super middleweight.

1987 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year.

View the full The Fight