Hagler vs Leonard

I always loved watching both guys and was a fan of both guys for different reasons. Sugar Ray was the guy who’s style I liked and emulated as best I could when boxing. The footwork, fast hands, mean streak,and psychological games he played were right up my alley. Hagler, was impossible to not like with his blue collar approach to the game combined with the fact that he worked his way up from nothing, the “hard way” like the old timers did. I liked his honest approach to boxing and how he broke his opponents down. The only thing that I didn’t like about him was the fact that he was a lefty. Just never could relate to that “weird duck” left-handed boxing! The only lefty I ever really appreciated back then was “pre Edwin Rosario” Hector Camacho.
We’ve all seen the fight by now so I won’t talk much about it, other than to say that Sugar Ray definitely won the bout, but he did sort of “bullshit” his way to a win. Stealing rounds by throwing flurries and “shoe shining” in the last 20 seconds to sway
weak minded or maybe corrupt judges wasn’t really my idea of really beating a guy, but then again Hagler let him do it. Where Hagler went wrong was by letting Ray get into his head, and trying to prove he could box Ray instead of going in on seek and destroy mode. I know Hagler still won’t admit he lost but in all honesty he has to know he lost. Is it right that you can bullshit the judges and steal rounds like Ray did? Maybe not but that’s part of boxing and Hagler shouldn’t have let him do it. Ray did “stop and pop” pretty often as well, it’s not like he was
moving the whole time.