Sugar Ray Leonard allegedly admitted to Marvin Hagler that Hagler should have won their legendary 1987 fight. This surprising revelation comes from Hagler himself in a resurfaced interview.
Leonard, one of boxing's greatest fighters, built an impressive career that included an Olympic Gold Medal at the 1976 Montreal Games and world titles in five weight classes. He started his professional journey with 27 unbeaten fights before suffering his first loss to Roberto Duran in 1980. Leonard quickly bounced back, reclaiming his WBC welterweight crown in the famous 'No Mas' rematch with Duran later that year.
The boxer continued to rack up victories against top-tier opponents like Thomas Hearns. In 1987, Leonard faced off against Marvin Hagler in what would become one of the most controversial fights in boxing history.
The 1987 showdown ended with Leonard winning a controversial decision. This fight turned out to be Hagler's last, as he retired shortly after.
In a resurfaced interview, Hagler shared his thoughts on the fight's outcome:
"I think that you have to beat the champion decisively, to knock them down or knock them out. I cannot understand, how can you win a championship fight by running, how can you take a title away from the champion like that on a one point system. He knows I whooped him, he told me himself, he said 'Hey, you beat me'. One thing that I found out from that night that no matter what you do, no matter what these people do, they cannot take it out of here [points to his heart], you can take away my belt, you can take away the victory from me but you cannot take what I have in my heart, knowing that I whooped this man."
Hagler's claim that Leonard admitted defeat privately adds another layer to the already controversial fight. The loss marked the end of Hagler's impressive 67-fight career.
There were talks of a potential rematch between Leonard and Hagler, but it never materialized. Leonard went on to face Roberto Duran once more in 1989, successfully defending his WBC super-middleweight title.
The alleged admission by Leonard, if true, sheds new light on one of boxing's most debated decisions. It serves as a reminder of the subjective nature of judging in boxing and the lasting impact a controversial decision can have on a fighter's career and legacy.
