My opinion on the fight is below (SPOILERS!) First off, this was a close fight, but in a very weird, complicated way. I would say most close fights have one person winning most of the first half, and then the other fight comes back and wins most of the second half. Loma vs Lopez is a decent example of this. Another way it could be close is if the fighters go back and forth, gaining and losing momentum every few rounds. This usually makes great fights, like Ali vs Frazier 3 or Israel vs Gastelum. This fight is different, in that most of the rounds are close. Meaning that the majority of rounds could have honest judges give it to either man. Each fighter did have two rounds in which I would consider the judges blind if they scored for the other man. That being said, I feel the majority of rounds that could go to either man strongly lean towards Hagler. There are rounds like the 10th that are really even, but most I would give to Hagler. And I say that as a huge Sugar Ray fan, rate him top five ever. Here are my reason's for this conclusion: PUNCH COUNT: In preparing for this breakdown I went through the fight in slow motion twice, counting the punches that connected for each man. Compubox is two people clicking buttons in real time, so it's not very reliable. I found that they had missed a lot of punches, and they were mostly Hagler's body blows. I had Hagler usually out landing Leonard by a few punches. In that case it becomes quality of the punches, and I felt Hagler usually hit harder and cleaner. And the rounds that Hagler dominated, he really piled up the count. I counted 304 for Hagler, and 260 for Leonard. DEFENSE: Leonard was much better defensively most the time. Hagler would occasionally walk through punches to get close then miss anyways. Not a good luck. RING CONTROL: I would have given this to Leonard easily, if he hadn't taken such punishment in the clinch. In my mind, if you need to take damage to escape the corner than you are not fully in control of the ring. Other wise, Leonard's footwork and grappling would have given him this easily. I have it about equal. AGGRESSION: I would give this to Leonard. Just kidding, obviously Hagler has this one. THE INFAMOUS FLURRIES: These fooled me for years, even knowing that most the punches didn't land. I still had NO IDEA how many really weren't landing before I watched in slow motion. However, I will disagree with those saying that Leonard was throwing pitter patter punches. He managed to back Hagler up, so they must have hit pretty hard. Honestly anything going that fast will hurt really bad. THANK YOU! It's incredibly I get to make these. Leave your opinions as a comment if you'd like to debate, gonna try and get back here in a day and answer a bunch of comments.

Can we all just take a second and appreciate this man for dissecting every single technique, strategy and exchange in this fight? One of the only channels that truly embraces the sweet science. Nothing but respect to you man, keep up the good work!

I'm sure that everyone has heard the news by now. Today, Hagler passed away! RIP to the Champ!

The greatest middle weight of all time. One of the most underrated boxers in history. RIP Marvin Hagler

The first time I watched the fight, I thought Leonard had won. With each subsequent watching, I become more convinced that Hagler won. He was busier and landed the more damaging shots. It's hard to appreciate a guy like Marvin, in his time. He was like a machine and that's not easy for fans to connect with. My admiration for him has only grown with the passage of time. He deserved better, but kudos to him for leaving on his own terms. Respect to Sugar, he showed that his guts were Hall of Fame as well.

Rest in Peace, the most underappreciated legend ever to set foot in the ring. Stay Marvelous, Marvin Hagler.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler. The most disciplined who not only fought against other legends but also agains the judges and boxing commisions. Rest in peace

Just like Ali, Leonard was a master of all the little mind games, not only the ones against opponents, but also with the judges and audience. He lost the fight but won the decision and the storytelling.

Rest in peace Mr Hagler, I enjoyed every fight I was blessed to see you fight. We all know you won the fight!

“Sure you can. Have another beer” the disrespect 😂

Hagler is my favorite fighter of all time

For 35 years, I thought Marvelous Marvin was robbed - and this excellent and insightful breakdown hasn't changed that opinion. But what it has done is show me Leonard's level of genius, even if I still feel the 'genius' had more to do with psychology than 'boxing' (although his boxing skills can't be denied). When I saw the fight all those years ago, his showboating infuriated me almost as much as it did Hagler - and it still does - but I have to respect that he understood how to use the crowd and influence the judges. Thank you for these great 'Fight Explained' videos.

Leonard said "I wasn't really trying to steal rounds... I was keeping the rounds close trying to pile up points late in the rounds..." that's literally the definition of trying to steal rounds lol

Leonard, Hagler, Hearns & Duran...What an Era of Boxing

first Leon Spinks, now Marvelous Marvin Hagler, we lost two warriors this year, may they rest in peace.

In the history of boxing there has always been moments of shame. This is a perfect example of that. Marvelous Marvin Hagler the obvious winner of this fight. God Rest Champ.

I remember watching this fight thinking it was at least a draw i honestly didn't think Ray could beat him that guy was a absolute beast great fight Rest In Peace Marvelous Marvin Hagler 🥊

RIP Marvelous Marvin Hagler he died today aged 66 years old. A legend of the sport

Finally. The finale every has waited for.

To me, Leonard really played it smart by treating Hagler with the utmost respect in the press and any interactions before the fight. I believe he did absolutely everything to not give Hagler a reason to hate him going in (I was surprised to hear the commentary that Hagler had in fact hated him for a long time). At any rate, Leonard's show of respect toward Hagler seemed to cause Hagler to start off slower than he normally would. Well, maybe it was only part of the reason, but Hagler didn't seem to come out blazing like usual. I think had he come out stronger like with other opponents, the outcome would have been different. At the end, it was clear that Hagler could have gone several more rounds whereas they were holding Leonard up after the 12th round - Leonard was absolutely spent. I am a big fan of Leonard, so I like seeing him win, but man it was close. Btw, it was the first time I heard that it was Hagler that turned down a rematch - I would have expected it would have been Leonard. Maybe Leonard ended up doing more psychological damage?

The fact that the crowd was chanting Leonard name tells you of his greatest gift and that was winning peoples hearts.

Marvin Hagler, the people's champion, regardless of what the judges thought.

Irrespective of the outcome, both proved they are immortal monsters in the ring. What a war.

Hagler isn't talked about enough as one of the greats. RIP Marvelous

I was a Hagler fan, but Leonard was smart. Still bright as a button to this day. RIP Marvin.

Rip to one of the greatest warriors to ever step foot in the ring...Marvelous Marvin Hagler

Hagler was an absolute warrior, one of my favorite boxers of all time

The countenance of each fighter in the corner after the 5th was the most revealing moment of the entire fight, but Leonard did, indeed, show a depth of heart and will that some people refused to believe he had. I’m Team Hagler, but I’m also Team Leonard. Two LEGENDS and opposing warriors whose involvement in the Four Kings era of the Middleweight division gave us some of the greatest fights of… EVER. OF. EVER.

Absolutely amazing breakdown. Can't even imagine how long these take to do 🙇‍♂️

I got this recommended after Marvin Hagler passed away. May he rest in piece.

The record books say Sugar Ray won, but to me there's never been any question about it - Marvelous Marvin Hagler won that fight. 2 of the judges were swayed by Leonard's occasional flashy combos at the end of rounds - and the guy who scored it 118-113 for Leonard should've been barred from judging for life.

I LOVE this channel. Keep breaking down the great fights! These videos are so well done.

Man, although this is an older video.....I must say you are a master of your craft. The way you broke down every punch landed, every swing and miss, every duck and weave...bro I don't think anyone is better at this than you are. You broke down the fight and actually showed a clear winner in my opinion. It's like you parted the clouds and showed a perfect visual of the sun. Lol I know im getting carried away. I look forward to watching your other videos. Great job man 👏. And this is how I became a subscriber lol.

I watched Hagler BEAT Sugar Ray. It was amazing. That 118-110 score was RETARDED. It was truly a situation where the judges saw a different fight than the boxers.

Once again I remember saying how this fight epitomized the concept of "quiet offense." You could see Hagler pummeling Leonard from the middle rounds on but it gathered little attention from the crowd. Meanwhile Leonard combining smoke and mirrors with occasional real fighting was able to hold an already captive audience in the palm of his hand. I'm telling you the same thing happened again to GGG when he fought Canelo in their middleweight championship fights.

The more and more the years go by, the more people realize Marvin won the fight!

Love your breakdowns... truly remarkable work. Thank You!

Hagler’s mistake-besides coming out orthodox and thus throwing away a couple of rounds-was allowing Leonard the ring he wanted. If SRL was forced to fight in closer throughout the match; MM would have punched him into oblivion before it could end.

In video game terms Hagler was rarely the player character, he wasn’t often the guy rooted to win and often got screwed by judges but man he was a fantastic opponent, in an era of great boxers he was a champion and fought his way to the top in a way you can’t help but respect the hell out of. Not to mention in fights like the War when he did get the spotlight he proved himself a brutal and brilliant fighter. Thanks for another incredible video!

Possibly the best breakdown I've ever seen of the fight. I concur with your opinion, but you've gone to a different level of understanding, way beyond what I knew.

Superb work! An effort worthy of the champions that you chronicle. Excellent Analysis.

Marvin Hagler, extreme warrior and supreme boxer, Rest in Eternal Peace.

"I wasn't trying to steal rounds" Yeah, he was trying to steal the fight. And he did.

Very early in the fight I think Hagler realised that there was no prospect of Leonard's punches hurting or stopping him. However, I think Hagler then made the mistake of thinking that because the punches weren't hurting him, they weren't scoring and/or impressing the judges. They were.

Dogfight, with the meanest dog in the yard 😂 That line was epic 🔥🔥🔥❤️

RIP Marvelous Marvin Hagler. You were the best of all time. And a nice man outside the ring to boot. Class act all the way.

Watched this here in England as an 18 year old, my brither was an decent amatuer at this juncture and I'd watched boxing since the late 70s. Absolutely shocked that leonard got the decision, still think this was one of the biggest miss-calls for a huge fight.

I can't watch videos now without your amazing commentary!!!😉 You are so going good !

I was huge Hagler fan RIP, and hadnt really any knowledge of Leonard. But after this fight i became i huge Leonard fan. Just the fact he survived after 5 years out the ring and moving up a weight to fight the most brutal fighter of that era. I thought Hagler won on the night but rewatching i appreciated more what Leonard did that night. i have revisited this fight by far more than any other because its very inspirational and i still feel the buzz that surrounded that fight.

"I wasn't stealing rounds. I made it close and then....stole points with flurries."

I love this channel. Respect to all the work put into putting this together.

awesome ...from start to finish. well done video that goes right to the DNA of this fight. thanks for posting.

As a Hagler fan I remember how upset I was when Leonard was pronounced the winner. I know Hagler won and is the greatest middleweight fighter of all times.

He fought all the legends at the time never ducked anyone was a legend

If you close your eyes you could almost imagine it’s two gladiators going at it because the description and passion put into these videos really brings the action to life. Painting a story that’s engaging and keeping up with the pace of the fight itself.Brilliant.

I boxed for 8 years as a youth and came from a boxing family; your detailed observations, during this video and others, are amazing. Well Done, Sir.

Marvin Hagler was a no-nonsense, straight shooter that is rarely seen these days. And he had his faults as all men do. But his spirit as a man exceeded his spirit as a boxer. RIP Marvelous. God’s Speed.

Marvin Hagler passed away today. What a great man, he will stay in the memories of all boxing fans as one of the best boxers of all time.

Nice vid I lived thru it. Great to see it broke down for future fans. New sub

Hot damned this commentary is really awesome! Appreciate the work! Really great stuff!!

The amount of low blows you notice when you rewatch over and over

Man, I just ate lunch while watching the actual fight with Leonard and Hagler, and this video comes out. Perfect timing

Fantastic soundtrack and narration. This video gave me chills. Both men left a piece of their sould in that Ring

Great vid & interesting comments. Thanks for posting.

Leonard replied to a comment of mine on ig earlier today and bro it made my day just the day before evander holyfield did the same

Great analysis! I always thought Hagler won this fight, or at least a draw. But I never saw Leonard wining here, despite his great boxing attributes. Sometimes I can not believe how people and judges can not see when boxers like Leonard or Mayweather throw like 9-10 punches in a row, but only connect 1or 2! the majority land on gloves or an arm or the air..... (another case is Mayweather-Pacquio , there's no way Mayweather won here) Anyway, R.I.P. Marvelous

Thank you, David for your complete breakdown of Hagler vs Leonard.

I've only seen the fight one time all the way through. Personally, I had Leonard over Hagler by only a round. That being said, I fault no one who thinks Hagler won. Even through watching this video I found myself questioning if I too was persuaded by Leonard's showboating and strong finishes to each round. One day I'll go back and perhaps change my mind. But man, what a fight.

Amazing breakdown of one of my favorite fights ever! I have always been a Leonard fan and watched the fight believing he won. This breakdown has changed my opinion. Great job! Rip Marvelous Marvin Hagler! I actually shed a tear when I found out about his death.

Man ur the best for this. U break the science down like no other. I watch every upload. I was a kid when this fight happened but I remember it. What a time to be alive. The 80s was so mystical so innocent and fun. Great Fight. And great analysis my guy💯💯💯🥊

Great analysis. It articulates a hugely complex fight to score and makes transparent what hagler felt after the fight imo.

„I wasn’t trying to steal rounds“. Sure Ray. Sure Ray.

As great as both men are, it's an absolute squeaker, but by a microscopic margin - gotta give it to Marvelous Marv

Rest in Peace Marvin. I remember this fight. You edged him

Wow love your videos man keepem commin

Man I've come back to watch this many times. And it never gets old. I love boxing because of fights like this. I could watch these breakdowns for hours.

I was actually crying during the end of this fight. I was a huge sugar ray fan, and a very young kid for the record. And i knew Hagler won the fight. I couldnt believe when they announced Leonard the winner. From that moment i knew you couldnt leave anything up to the judges. Ironically years later my cousin thru marriage Terrible Terry Norris would be the one to retire Leonard for good. Great breakdown. Have you done the Hagler Hearns fight. Im gonna check your channel. Thanks for the nostalgia

One of he most amazing fights I've ever seen. They swapped styles midway through the fight. Unreal.

Boxing at its best. And an expert narration to help us interpret this complex battle.

It's so extremely rare to see a fighter win after moving backwards for the duration of a match.

Great analysis and breakdown of such an iconic fight. You not only thoroughly explained the fight in detail but also added the psychological and mental side of it too, which gives you a clearer picture.

Beautiful analysis my brother.

RIP Marvin. And more thanks than I can express for those great fights.

Sugar vs The Marvelous. One of the best fights

What a great work, man. Excellence.

Great breakdown brother, changed my perspective on this one.

Bro, I hope you see this, the way you re-tell these stories with your analysis of the technical aspect and added emotional and mental insight is like the telling of an epic mythological story. I love viewing sports through that lens, you're making good stuff!

Can't believe he's gone now. Rip to one of the greatest. Marvin Hagler

this a great channel.. thanks a lot .. awesome

This is one of the 1st fights I remember watching as a kid and I was hooked. one hell of a fight

One hell of a fight props to both legendary warriors 👏

These breakdowns are so damn entertaining, thank you for putting them together. I've watched some of them more than once 👍

Great Work 🤝🥊

Incredible analysis, thank you. I remember the fight and desperately wanting Sugar Ray to win. Looking back on it now, I'm not so sure of the result!

Many thanks for your analysis of this unbelievable fight and showing a mere mortal like me the art involved in this much maligned sport. Sugar Ray was one of my heroes when I was young and I never appreciated the skill of some of his opponents but Hagler was unbelievable, in my opinion just as good he just went about it in a different way- sensational!!

The best fight analysis I've ever seen. Great editing made it easy to understand.

Wow this fight was incredible! The amount of mind games was astonishing!

The commentary on this video is excellent!

I watched that fight when it happened. I am a fan of both of these guys. Ray decided to fight Hagler after he watched Hagler's fight With John Mugabi. That was a great fight, and Hagler willingly took damage before the beast Mugabi got so tired he almost died and Hagler finished him. I think that fight took a lot out of Marvin. He went to war. He never stopped. Marvin wanted this fight so bad he agreed to 12 rounds. I think he underestimated Ray some. Ray was a hellova boxer and a fighter. I thought Hagler won the fight. Barely, but he was doing the damage and Ray was almost done... Ray was playing his celebrity just like Marvin accused him of doing. I never argued with anyone about it, but Ray fought a great fight. I also think if it had of been 15 rounds like it should have been, Hagler would have knocked him out. But who knows? There is no denying the will and skill of Ray. I always felt like Marvin blew it in some ways. I still have him winning the fight. Ray's last 30 second flurries worked as planned. Marvin had Ray at near death the last 20 seconds of the fight. he was hurt bad. Ray was a tough SOB, to last like he did. Great fight with an ending I still can't accept. It should have been 15 rounds. Marvin's fault that happened. And it was in Vegas..

2 fantastic boxers who‘ll remain unforgotten 👌