If not for Leonard, Hagler Could've Remained Champ Another Three Years

Published

9 years ago

April 6, 2016

By Frank Lotierzo

It's hard to believe that it's been 29 years (April 6th 1987) since the showdown between undisputed middleweight champion Marvin Hagler 62-2-2 (52) and former undisputed welterweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard 33-1 (24). As most boxing aficionados know, Hagler and Leonard had been on a collision course since November 30th 1979. That was the night Hagler fought middleweight champ Vito Antuofermo to a draw in the semi windup to the WBC welterweight title clash between title holder Wilfred Benitez and challenger Sugar Ray Leonard.

The Antuofermo-Hagler bout served as the warmup to the main event between Benitez and Leonard. Hagler fought Antuofermo to a disputed draw, a fight most observers thought he won, but he left the ring as the number one contender instead of the champ. An hour later in the same ring Leonard stopped Benitez with 6 seconds left in the 15th round to capture his first world title. To add insult to injury, Leonard was paid a million dollars for his 26th bout opposed to a paltry 40 thousand for Hagler in what was his 50th bout. Since that night Hagler longed to get Leonard in the ring since he felt he was always one-upped and overshadowed by him going back to their amateur days.

Finally, after nearly eight years of speculation and two retirements and comebacks by Leonard, they finally met at the Caesars Palace outdoor arena in Las Vegas for Hagler's WBC title. Prior to the bout Leonard agreed to letting Hagler make the larger purse as long as Hagler consented to fighting Leonard in a bigger than normal ring, 20 by 20, 10 ounce gloves instead of eight, and 12 rounds instead of 15. And even after granting those concessions, Hagler opened a 4-1 betting favorite. Leonard, who had only fought once in five years prior to facing Hagler, went on to win one of the signature bouts of his stellar career via a 12-round split decision.

In a bout which basically amounted to Hagler fighting as the aggressor and Leonard the boxer/counter-puncher, it turned out Leonard was just a little too quick of hand and foot and had his biggest moments at the close of most of the rounds that he won. For some unknown reason, Hagler tried to out-box Leonard, a tactic that resulted in him clearly losing the first three rounds. Being down 0-3 in rounds, Hagler reverted to fighting more and boxing less and probably won five of the remaining nine rounds – resulting in Leonard winning the bout by a consensus 7-5 in rounds or 115-113 on points. Officially, Judge Lou Filippo scored it 115-113 Hagler, Judge Dave Moretti saw it the other way, 115-113 Leonard, with the deciding vote being cast by Judge Jose Juan Guerra 118-110 in favor of Leonard.

Since the fight many fans have argued over the decision. The decisions rendered in close bouts are always subjective and if the bout isn't conclusive, the fans of both fighters think their guy won and that holds true regarding Hagler vs. Leonard. Some also believe Ray waited for Hagler to show signs of him being on the decline, due to the tough bout he had with John “The Beast” Mugabi in his previous fight 13 months earlier. However, the bigger issue that was missed by many and still is, was that Leonard always had the fighting style to give Hagler an ulcer. Hagler was at his best when his opponents carried the action to him, thus setting him up to fight as the great counter-puncher he was. The problem for Marvin on this night was, Leonard, like Roberto Duran, the only other fighter to go the distance with Hagler in a title bout, dictated that Hagler assume the role of “Smokin” Joe Frazier and fight as the predator. And that wasn't Marvin's forte, whereas fighting on the move and using his feet to get in and out was Leonard's.

It is my belief that had Hagler not lost to or never fought Sugar Ray Leonard in April of 1987, he would've remained middleweight champion until 1990. Instead of retiring with a final career record of 62-3-2 (52) going 12-1 (11) in title defenses, he most likely would've made one title defense a year for the next three years and retired as champ with a final record of 65-2-2 (55) and 15-0 (14) in title defenses. What gets lost in the aftermath of the bout is, stylistically, Leonard was all wrong for Hagler. Ray had the height and reach, the chin and just enough punch and strength to live with Marvin every day of the week. It was also Hagler's misfortune that Leonard had been observing him as a ringside commentator on HBO during his retirement in addition to Marvin conceding to Leonard's demands during the negotiations for the bout which began in late August of 1986.

After reviewing the following, I'm convinced Hagler could've held the title into 1990…..Think about this, in 1988 Ring Magazine's top five middleweight contenders/title holders excluding Sugar Ray Leonard were Sumbu Kalambay, Michael Nunn, Roberto Duran, Iran Barkley and Thomas Hearns. In 1989 the list reads Michael Nunn, Sumbu Kalambay, Mike McCallum, Roberto Duran and Iran Barkley. As for 1990, the order is Michael Nunn, Julian Jackson, Sumbu Kalambay, Mike McCallum and Steve Collins.

Let’s assume instead of fighting Leonard, Hagler fights three times circa 1987-1990 and meets Kalambay, Nunn and either Hearns or Barkley in title defenses. Does anyone believe the Hagler who was edged out by Leonard would've lost to any of them during this time frame? Hagler was the toughest and had the best chin among the group. He was a very underrated boxer/counter-puncher and unless you are an all-time great the likes of Roberto Duran or Sugar Ray Leonard, not one of the fighters listed above could've defeated him fighting in retreat. And we certainly know that none of them were in better condition, nor could they better him by going toe-to-toe and fighting it out.

Hagler of the late eighties, although not in his vintage form, would've been too physically hard and strong for either Kalambay or Nunn. There's no chance they could've held him off and out-boxed him. Sure, they may have survived into the last third of the bout but they'd both be looking more to survive than fighting to win. Neither could've hurt Hagler and it's doubtful they would've made it to the final bell. In a rematch with Hearns, Thomas would have tried to box Hagler instead of rumbling with him like he did in April of 1985. His problem would've been, as in their first fight, he couldn't hold Marvin off when he had his feet planted and tried to put him in one of the ringside seats. How long could Hearns realistically have held him off in a rematch fighting on his toes like Leonard did while looking to pick his spots? In a rematch with Duran, I doubt Roberto could've fought to the level he did the first time they met. And Hagler would've entered that bout with a severe grudge and something to prove. If we insert Barkley instead of Duran, Hagler could've out-boxed Iran with his eyes closed and probably stopped him due to cuts over his eyes somewhere during the second half of the bout.

The biggest conjecture regarding Hagler post-1987 is, how hungry would he have remained? Based on what we know of him and his history, he probably would've continued to chase and eventually break former middleweight champion Carlos Monzon's record of 14 consecutive title defenses. And Hagler surely would have been an overwhelming favorite to defeat every potential challenger mentioned. Monzon retired in 1977 at age 35. Had Sugar Ray Leonard remained retired, Hagler more than likely would have retired in 1990 at age 36 after breaking Monzon’s record with his 15th consecutive middleweight title defense.

In the nearly 30 years that have passed since Hagler and Leonard touched gloves, no one has highlighted who the top middleweights of that era were chasing Marvin for his title. The consensus after losing to Leonard was Hagler in 1987 was basically a shell of the fighter he was two years earlier. Something that wouldn't have even been an afterthought had he been awarded the decision over Leonard that many observers believe he deserved.

In closing, let’s set the record straight….Sugar Ray Leonard legitimately out-boxed a live body in Marvin Hagler who very well may have underestimated him going into the fight. Leonard owned the style matchup and the concessions that Hagler made all but sealed his fate. More importantly, had Leonard not been around, Hagler would've remained the undisputed middleweight champ for another three years simply because there wasn't another middleweight walking the planet who could've beat an even less than vintage version of him.

Frank Lotierzo can be contacted at GlovedFist@Gmail.com

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‘Krusher’ Exits on a Winning Note: TKOs Artur Mann in his ‘Farewell Fight’

Published

4 hours ago

April 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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At his peak, former three-time world light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev ranked high on everyone’s pound-for-pound list. Now 42 years old – he turned 42 earlier this month – Kovalev has been largely inactive in recent years, but last night he returned to the ring in his hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, and rose to the occasion in what was billed as his farewell fight, stopping Artur Mann in the seventh frame.

Kovalev hit his peak during his first run as a world title-holder. He was 30-0-1 (26 KOs) entering first match with Andre Ward, a mark that included a 9-0 mark in world title fights. The only blemish on his record was a draw that could have been ruled a no-contest (journeyman Grover Young was unfit to continue after Kovalev knocked down in the second round what with was deemed an illegal rabbit punch). Among those nine wins were two stoppages of dangerous Haitian-Canadian campaigner Jean Pascal and a 12-round shutout over Bernard Hopkins.

Kovalev’s stature was not diminished by his loss to the undefeated Ward. All three judges had it 114-113, but the general feeling among the ringside press was that Sergey nicked it.

The rematch was also somewhat controversial. Referee Tony Weeks, who halted the match in the eighth stanza with Kovalev sitting on the lower strand of ropes, was accused of letting Ward get away with a series of low blows, including the first punch of a three-punch series of body shots that culminated in the stoppage. Sergey was wobbled by a punch to the head earlier in the round and was showing signs of fatigue, but he was still in the fight. Respected judge Steve Weisfeld had him up by three points through the completed rounds.

Sergey Kovalev was never the same after his second loss to Andre Ward, albeit he recaptured a piece of the 175-pound title twice, demolishing Vyacheslav Shabranskyy for the vacant WBO belt after Ward announced his retirement and then avenging a loss to Eleider Alvarez (TKO by 7) with a comprehensive win on points in their rematch.

Kovalev’s days as a title-holder ended on Nov. 2, 2019 when Canelo Alvarez, moving up two weight classes to pursue a title in a fourth weight division, stopped him in the 11^th round, terminating what had been a relatively even fight with a hellacious left-right combination that left Krusher so discombobulated that a count was superfluous.

That fight went head-to-head with a UFC fight in New York City. DAZN, to their everlasting discredit, opted to delay the start of Canelo-Kovalev until the main event of the UFC fight was finished. The delay lasted more than an hour and Kovalev would say that he lost his psychological edge during the wait.

Kovalev had two fights in the cruiserweight class between his setback to Canelo and last night’s presumptive swan song. He outpointed Tervel Pulev in Los Angeles and lost a 10-round decision to unheralded Robin Sirwan Safar in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Artur Mann, a former world title challenger – he was stopped in three rounds by Mairis Briedis in 2021 when Briedis was recognized as the top cruiserweight in the world – was unexceptional, but the 34-year-old German, born in Kazakhstan, wasn’t chopped liver either, and Kovalev’s stoppage of him will redound well to the Russian when he becomes eligible for the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Krusher almost ended the fight in the second round. He knocked Mann down hard with a short left hand and seemingly scored another knockdown before the round was over (but it was ruled a slip). Mann barely survived the round.

In the next round, a punch left Mann with a bad cut on his right eyelid, but the German came to fight and rounds three, four and five were competitive.

Kovalev had a good sixth round although there were indications that he was tiring. But in the seventh he got a second wind and unleashed a right-left combination that rolled back the clock to the days when he was one of the sport’s most feared punchers. Mann went down hard and as he staggered to his feet, his corner signaled that the fight should be stopped and the referee complied. The official time was 0:49 of round seven. It was the 30^th KO for Kovalev who advanced his record to 36-5-1.

Addendum: History informs us that Farewell Fights have a habit of becoming redundant, by which we mean that boxers often get the itch to fight again after calling it quits. Have we seen the last of Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev? We woudn’t bet on it.

The complete Kovalev-Mann fight card was live-streamed on the Boxing News youtube channel.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 322: Super Welter Week in SoCal

Published

23 hours ago

April 18, 2025

David A. Avila

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Two below-the-radar super welterweight stars show off their skills this weekend from different parts of Southern California.

One in particular, Charles Conwell, co-headlines a show in Oceanside against a hard-hitting Mexican while another super welter star Sadriddin Akhmedov faces another Mexican hitter in Commerce.

Take your pick.

The super welterweight division is loaded with talent at the moment. If Terence Crawford remained in the division he would be at the top of the class, but he is moving up several weight divisions.

Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) faces Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs) a tall knockout puncher from Los Mochis at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif. on Saturday April 19. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also features undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora. We’ll get to her later.

Conwell might be the best super welterweight out there aside from the big dogs like Vergil Ortiz, Serhii Bohachuk and Sebastian Fundora.

If you are not familiar with Conwell he comes from Cleveland, Ohio and is one of those fighters that other fighters know about. He is good.

He has the James “Lights Out” Toney kind of in-your-face-style where he anchors down and slowly deciphers the opponent’s tools and then takes them away piece by piece. Usually it’s systematic destruction. The kind you see when a skyscraper goes down floor by floor until it’s smoking rubble.

During the Covid days Conwell fought two highly touted undefeated super welters in Wendy Toussaint and Madiyar Ashkeyev. He stopped them both and suddenly was the boogie man of the super welterweight division.

Conwell will be facing Mexico’s taller Garcia who likes to trade blows as most Mexican fighters prefer, especially those from Sinaloa. These guys will be firing H bombs early.

Fundora

Co-headlining the Golden Boy card is Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) the undisputed flyweight champion of the world. She has all the belts and Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs) wants them.

Gabriela Fundora is the sister of Sebastian Fundora who holds the men’s WBC and WBO super welterweight world titles. Both are tall southpaws with power in each hand to protect the belts they accumulated.

Six months ago, Fundora met Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz in Las Vegas to determine the undisputed flyweight champion. The much shorter Alaniz tried valiantly to scrap with Fundora and ran into a couple of rocket left hands.

Mexico’s Badillo is an undefeated flyweight from Mexico City who has battled against fellow Mexicans for years. She has fought one world champion in Asley Gonzalez the current super flyweight world titlist. They met years ago with Badillo coming out on top.

Does Badillo have the skill to deal with the taller and hard-hitting Fundora?

When a fighter has a six-inch height advantage like Fundora, it is almost impossible to out-maneuver especially in two-minute rounds. Ask Alaniz who was nearly decapitated when she tried.

This will be Badillo’s first pro fight outside of Mexico.

Commerce Casino

Kazakhstan’s Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) is another dangerous punching super welterweight headlining a 360 Promotions card against Mexico’s Elias Espadas (23-6, 16 KOs) on Saturday at the Commerce Casino.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card of about eight bouts.

Akhmedov is another Kazakh puncher similar to the great Gennady “GGG” Golovkin who terrorized the middleweight division for a decade. He doesn’t have the same polish or dexterity but doesn’t lack pure punching power.

It’s another test for the super welterweight who is looking to move up the ladder in the very crowded 154-pound weight division. 360 Promotions already has a top contender in Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk who nearly defeated Vergil Ortiz a year ago.

Could Bohachuk and Akhmedov fight each other if nothing else materializes?

That’s a question for another day.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) vs. Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs); Gabriela Fundora (15-0) vs Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1).

Sat. UFC Fight Pass 6 p.m. Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0) vs Elias Espadas (23-6).

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TSS Salutes Thomas Hauser and his Bernie Award Cohorts

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2025

TSS Press

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The Boxing Writers Association of America has announced the winners of its annual Bernie Awards competition. The awards, named in honor of former five-time BWAA president and frequent TSS contributor Bernard Fernandez, recognize outstanding writing in six categories as represented by stories published the previous year.

Over the years, this venerable website has produced a host of Bernie Award winners. In 2024, Thomas Hauser kept the tradition alive. A story by Hauser that appeared in these pages finished first in the category “Boxing News Story.” Titled “Ryan Garcia and the New York State Athletic Commission,” the story was published on June 23. You can read it HERE.

Hauser also finished first in the category of “Investigative Reporting” for “The Death of Ardi Ndembo,” a story that ran in the (London) Guardian. (Note: Hauser has owned this category. This is his 11^th first place finish for “Investigative Reporting”.)

Thomas Hauser, who entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the class of 2019, was honored at last year’s BWAA awards dinner with the A.J. Leibling Award for Outstanding Boxing Writing. The list of previous winners includes such noted authors as W.C. Heinz, Budd Schulberg, Pete Hamill, and George Plimpton, to name just a few.

The Leibling Award is now issued intermittently. The most recent honorees prior to Hauser were Joyce Carol Oates (2015) and Randy Roberts (2019).

Roberts, a Distinguished Professor of History at Purdue University, was tabbed to write the Hauser/Leibling Award story for the glossy magazine for BWAA members published in conjunction with the organization’s annual banquet. Regarding Hauser’s most well-known book, his Muhammad Ali biography, Roberts wrote, “It is nearly impossible to overestimate the importance of the book to our understanding of Ali and his times.” An earlier book by Hauser, “The Black Lights: Inside the World of Professional Boxing,” garnered this accolade: “Anyone who wants to understand boxing today should begin by reading ‘The Black Lights’.”

A panel of six judges determined the Bernie Award winners for stories published in 2024. The stories they evaluated were stripped of their bylines and other identifying marks including the publication or website for which the story was written.

Other winners:

Boxing Event Coverage: Tris Dixon

Boxing Column: Kieran Mulvaney

Boxing Feature (Over 1,500 Words): Lance Pugmire

Boxing Feature (Under 1,500 Words): Chris Mannix

The Dixon, Mulvaney, and Pugmire stories appeared in Boxing Scene; the Mannix story in Sports Illustrated.

The Bernie Award recipients will be honored at the forthcoming BWAA dinner on April 30 at the Edison Ballroom in the heart of Times Square. (For more information, visit the BWAA website). Two days after the dinner, an historic boxing tripleheader will be held in Times Square, the logistics of which should be quite interesting. Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez share top billing.

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