This Saturday night in Riyadh, the new boxing capital of the world, a fight is taking place which promises to rekindle the golden age of the ring.
The 1980s was when Four Kings got on with fighting each other – and the best of the rest – rather than protecting their records by beating up no-hopers.
The decade in which Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler revived the glory of the hardest game from the anti-climactic depression which followed Muhammad Ali’s heavyweight epoch by engaging in nine epic battles between them to decide who was the greatest of their era.
The nostalgia reflex is being triggered by the imminent clash between two undefeated Russian titans for the undisputed world light-heavyweight title. Namely Artur Beterbiev, who carries with pride a perfect record of 20 knockouts in his 20 fights, and the also undefeated Dmitry Bivol, who brings with him to the Arabian desert the distinction of having recently defeated Mexican legend Canelo Alvarez while boxing his way to 23 victories.
The expectations are high but these two Russians have a great deal to live up to when compared with the momentous wars of the Kings, the four most historically significant of which we are retelling now, in chronological sequence, not order of merit.
Sugar Ray Leonard beat Marvin Hagler by split decision for the WBC and The Ring middleweight titles in 1987 at Caesars Palace
Sugar Ray came out of retirement after watching Hagler get hurt in his win over John Mugabi
In part one we brought you the night that Sugar Ray Leonard took down Roberto Duran, while in part two you can read about the most brutal fight ever seen in a ring.
And for today’s third installment, we need to go forward in time…
Fight three
April 6. 1987 – Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, USA
Marvin Hagler v Sugar Ray Leonard
WBC and Ring World Middleweight Championships
Ten years later, Harry’s Bar, Rome.
We are taking a night cap at the top of the Via Veneto, myself and a couple of fellow Fleet Street road warriors, on the evening before England are to play Italy at the Stadio Olympico in a World Cup qualifier for France ’98.
In walks the unmistakeable shaven-headed figure of Marvin Hagler and, somewhat surprisingly, a white poodle in tow.
‘Marvellous,’ I say by way of a welcome. ‘Can I get you a drink?’
‘Haven’t seen you in a while, man,’ he replies. ‘Okay, a Peroni. Make that two.’ Harry’s was Hagler’s port of call when he came to visit Rome from his home in Milan. The barman knows him. Smiles. Hands him one bottle, puts a metal bowl on the floor and pours the second Peroni for his pet dog.
Ten years since he lost his world title and his faith in judges. His disillusion with the split decision gleaned by Sugar Ray Leonard so profound that he turned his back on boxing for good and moved to a land where he didn’t speak a word of the language.
Mail Sport’s Jeff Powell bumped into Hagler a decade later in Rome and talked over the fight
Hagler still believed that he had won. The rematch he had wanted never materialised
Of course we talk boxing. Eventually, inevitably, of that night in the Nevada desert, when he ended up on the wrong end of one of the most incredible fights in that golden age when the Four Kings of the middling weights punched life back into the hard old game, by fighting each other down a decade of epic bouts.
Of how in 1986 Sugar Ray suddenly decided to come out of retirement while watching Marvin look a smidgen lesser than his Marvellous self in a roughhouse brawl with the rock hard John Mugabe, which was in doubt until Hagler pulled out a stoppage in the 11th round.
At that moment Leonard turned to his companion at ringside, Michael J Fox, and said: ‘I can beat that man.’ The actor reminded him that he had been drinking, not fighting, for the best part of three years, but Sugar Ray said: ‘He’s not as fast as he used to be. I know how to beat him.’
The gauntlet was thrown down. At first Hagler declined, citing concern for the detached retina which had forced the younger but inactive superstar into retiring in the first place. A few weeks later money talked the louder.
Leonard, so certain he would win and open the door to another treasure trove, accepted a lesser share of the purse, having already agreed to go up to middleweight for the first time. Hagler was guaranteed £9.2m, which would rise to £15.3m thanks to his contracted 50 per cent of the total revenue. Leonard’s minimum £8.4m was nudged up to a matched £9.2m by some closed-circuit TV rights.
During the haggling Leonard won three crucial concessions: A large ring to give him room for movement, 10oz instead of 8oz gloves to cushion a little of Hagler’s power, and a 12-round fight rather than Hagler’s preferred 15 to reduce the demands on his rusty stamina.
The desert stage was set for a super-fight which would be a dazzling clash of styles to behold, and end in a controversy which to this day still arouses fierce debate in sports bars and pubs around the world. Hagler brought his intimidating aggression, strength and menace to the argument. Leonard offered the slick movement out of range which followed quick-fire clusters of counter-punches and that genius intelligence.
Hagler’s decision to start behind an unorthodox left jab proved costly, as did his inability to deliver the killer shot
Sugar Ray eventually agreed to a rematch but by that time Hagler had moved on from boxing
For a reason he never fully explained, Hagler the betting favourite began by unexpectedly boxing behind an orthodox left jab instead of in his usual southpaw stance. That decision would prove costly in the end, as he lost the first two rounds before switching back.
Those in the over-packed Caesars Palace crowd, and the TV audience of millions excited by the spectacle of heavy hitting, believed they were roaring their Marvellous man to victory. Connoisseurs of the noble art marvelled at Sugar Ray’s technical brilliance. Hagler kept hammering away with threatening resolve, while Leonard’s flurries towards the end of each round were calculated to catch the eyes of the judges.
Neither came close to a knockout in this fascinating thriller. Hagler did stagger Leonard in the ninth and followed it up with a thunder of blows but without delivering the kill shot. Sugar Ray, ever the conjuror of magic and knowing he needed a telling response, came back out to dominate the 10th and 11th rounds. Fatigued by that effort, he sacrificed the 12th by staying out of trouble.
What price those two wasted missing rounds, Marvin? It was very close. Two of the judges were narrowly and equally split. Lou Filippo scored it 115-113 for Hagler, Dave Moretti 115-113 in favour of Leonard. The rogue third card of JoJo Guerra, 118-110 for Leonard, was so wide of all reason that it stoked up the roaring, divisive fires of controversy and this judge was not seen again at ringside for another major fight.
Hagler demanded a rematch. Sugar Ray demurred for eight months before announcing his third retirement. Hagler upped sticks and headed for Italy. To his chagrin Leonard soon recanted, coming back yet again to join the elite ranks of five-division world champion. And to become the first prize-fighter to bank $100 million (£76.5m).
Eventually, Leonard offered the rematch. By then Hagler had finished a course in Italian and embarked on a new career as an actor, starring in action movies. In two of them playing a US marine.
Ten years since his life-changing decision to spend most of his time in Milan. Then marrying a second time, to an Italian lady called Kay, while returning at times to his old family house in Barlett, New Hampshire, where he and his first wife Bertha had raised five children.
So now he is in Rome, invited to watch a football match but quite keen to reminisce about those glory days in the ring: ‘Yes, of course I still believe I won that fight. I know I beat Leonard. And he should have stood and fought me like men are supposed to do if they are to take a title away from a champion. Not run around the ring. That decision bothered me greatly for a long time. So did him refusing the rematch, which I would have given him if he had been given the decision in such a close fight. I’m not irked so much now. I like my life in Italy. Good people here. I enjoy the acting and sometimes it comes as hard to me as the boxing.’
Suddenly he asks: ‘How did you score it? You know, me and Leonard.’ I have to be honest, while giving silent thanks that this is now a more mellow Marvin, I confess: ‘Sorry, Marvin, 115-114 to Ray.’
He shrugs, orders more Peroni all round. Including another for his dog. Then we ask: ‘Who wins the big game tomorrow?’ My heart is with England but I have to go for Italy given that they had won 1-0 at Wembley earlier that year. Marvin is rooting for Italy but predicts a revenge victory for England. As it turned out we were both wrong. It was a goalless draw that helped both qualify for the World Cup.
On Powell’s scorecard, Marvellous Marvin lost out by a single point – and Mail Sport’s boxing doyen had the guts to tell the legend that in the bar
He swigs the last drops from his bottle, offers a crushing handshake. Then we watch him and his poodle stroll out onto that grand Via which was for so many years the throbbing artery of La Dolce Vita. Our paths had crossed on occasion down the years. He looks as fit and strong and as formidable as ever. So it comes as a sad sudden shock in March 2021 to hear that huge heart had given out on one of his sojourns in New Hampshire.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler dead at only 66. How could that be? We always thought he was indestructible. All of us, that is, except Sugar Ray Leonard.