Editing Sugar Ray Leonard (section)

===Leonard vs. Hagler===
{{main|Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard}}
On March 10, 1986, [[Marvin Hagler]] knocked out [[John Mugabi]] in eleven rounds to retain the Undisputed World [[Middleweight]] Championship for the twelfth time and advance his record to 62–2–2. After the bout Hagler stated it may be his last fight.  "I was ringside", Leonard said. "I'm watching John 'The Beast' Mugabi outbox Hagler. Of all people, John 'The Beast' Mugabi." It was then that Leonard decided to come back and fight Hagler. He called Mike Trainer and said, "I can beat Hagler".

On May 1, 1986, Leonard announced on a Washington, D.C. talk show that he would return to the ring to fight Hagler. The announcement generated a lot of controversy because of Leonard's inactivity and eye injuries, yet it also excited many sports fans who had hoped to see them fight years earlier. Hagler took a few months to decide, then agreed to the match.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-04-05/news/8701220087_1_hagler-and-leonard-marvelous-marvin-hagler-fight |title=After A Year's Prefight, Bell Tolls For These |work=sun-sentinel.com |date=April 5, 1987 |access-date=November 4, 2011 |archive-date=July 29, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729130228/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-04-05/news/8701220087_1_hagler-and-leonard-marvelous-marvin-hagler-fight |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The fight, promoted as ''"The Super Fight"'' and ''"The King of the Ring"'', was scheduled for April 6, 1987, at [[Caesars Palace]] in Las Vegas. Leonard was guaranteed $11 million, and Hagler was guaranteed $12 million. Hagler was a heavy favorite. The odds started at 4–1, then settled at 3–1. A paying crowd of 12,379 generated a live gate of $6.2 million. According to Bob Arum, the fight grossed $78 million (which equates to around $179 million in 2020).

The original fight plan for Leonard was to go toe-to-toe with Hagler and try to cut him, but the plan changed about five days before the fight. Leonard got hit by sparring partner [[Quincy Taylor]] and was badly buckled. "He almost knocked me out", Leonard said. After that, Leonard decided to box Hagler.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2694437 |title=Leonard's memories the stuff of legends |work=ESPN |date=March 6, 2007 |access-date=December 7, 2021}}</ref>

Many were surprised that Hagler, a natural southpaw, opened the fight boxing out of an orthodox stance. After the quick and slick Leonard won the first two rounds on all three scorecards, Hagler started the third round as a southpaw. Hagler did better, but Leonard's superior speed and boxing skill still allowed him to control the fight. Hagler looked stiff and mechanical and missed the speedy Leonard time and again prompting CBS ringside commentator [[Gil Clancy]] to remark "...and is he ever missing...Leonard isn't doing anything to make him miss, he's just missing!"

By the fifth, Leonard, who was moving a lot, began to tire and Hagler started to get closer. Hagler buckled Leonard's knees with a right uppercut near the end of the round, which finished with Leonard on the ropes. Hagler continued to score somewhat effectively in round six. Leonard, having slowed down, was obliged to fight more and move less. However, he was able to outpunch Hagler along the ropes and got the better of several bristling exchanges. Hagler never seized total control of the fight as he had against Thomas Hearns two years earlier, when he brutalized Hearns and scored a third-round knockout. Hagler's punches lacked snap and, although he was scoring solidly to the body, he looked nothing like the powerful fighter who had dominated the middleweight division for the previous five years. Leonard's observation that the Hagler who beat John Mugabi was older and slower proved to be spot on.  In rounds seven and eight, Hagler's southpaw jab was landing solidly, and Leonard's counter flurries were less frequent.

Round nine was the most exciting round of the fight. Hagler hurt Leonard with a left cross and pinned him in a corner. Leonard looked to be in trouble, but he furiously fought his way out of the corner. The action see-sawed back and forth for the rest of the round, with each man having his moments. However, Hagler's moments were more spectacular and one of Hagler's cornermen: Roger Perron (in an interview that took place on an episode of [[HBO]]'s ''Legendary Nights'' episode segments in 2003) later stated that: "the ninth round was probably Marvin (Hagler)'s, best round".

Round ten was tame by comparison, as the pace slowed after the furious action of the previous round but with Hagler having more spectacular moments. Despite Leonard's obvious fatigue, he boxed well in the eleventh. Every time Hagler scored, Leonard came back with something flashier and more eye-catching, if not as effective. But at that point in the fight, Hagler appeared to be slightly more ring-general and clearly more aggressive. Between rounds eleven and twelve, Leonard's trainer: [[Angelo Dundee]], implored Sugar Ray to get up off his stool yelling "We got three minutes...new champ...new champ!" Leonard yelled "Yeah!" and played to the screaming crowd. Hagler's corner was much more reserved prompting Clancy to comment: "They're talking to him like it's an IBM meeting or something...no emotion." In the final round, Hagler continued to chase Leonard. He hit Leonard with a big left hand and backed him into a corner. Leonard responded with a furious flurry, landing few punches but whipping the upset-hoping crowd into a frenzy. Hagler backed off, and Leonard danced away with Hagler in pursuit. The fight ended with Hagler and Leonard exchanging along the ropes. At the final bell, even uniformed ringside security rushed into the ring applauding and lauding Leonard's effort.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sugar Ray...Still In Style |first=Nigel |last=Collins |work=The Ring |date=August 1987}}</ref>

Leonard threw 629 punches and landed 306, while Hagler threw 792 and landed 291.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/09/sports/sports-of-the-times-no-hoosegow-for-jojo-guerra.html |title=SPORTS OF THE TIMES; No Hoosegow for JoJo Guerra |first=Ira |last=Berkow |work=The New York Times |date=April 9, 1987 |access-date=December 7, 2021}}</ref>

Leonard was awarded a controversial split-decision. Judge Dave Moretti scored it 115–113 for Leonard, while judge Lou Filippo had it 115–113 for Hagler. Judge José Guerra scored the fight 118–110 for Leonard. Many felt that Hagler deserved the decision because he was the aggressor and landed the harder punches. Scottish boxing journalist [[Hugh McIlvanney]] wrote that Leonard's plan was to "steal rounds with a few flashy and carefully timed flurries...he was happy to exaggerate hand speed at the expense of power, and neither he nor two of the scorers seemed bothered by the fact that many of the punches landed on the champion's gloves and arms."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Hugh |last=McIlvanney |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1987/04/20/115223/the-illusion-of-victory-another-view-of-the-leonard-hagler-decision |title=Sports Illustrated, April 20, 1987 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=April 20, 1987 |access-date=November 4, 2011}}</ref>

Many others felt that Leonard deservedly got the decision, arguing that Leonard landed more punches and showed better defense and ring generalship. [[Jim Murray (sportswriter)|Jim Murray]], long-time sports columnist for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', wrote, "It wasn't even close...He didn't just outpoint Hagler, he exposed him. He made him look like a guy chasing a bus. In snowshoes...Leonard repeatedly beat Hagler to the punch. When he did, he hit harder. He hit more often...He made Hagler into what he perceived him to be throughout his career—a brawler, a swarmer, a man who could club you to death only if you stood there and let him. If you moved, he was lost."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3cUlAAAAIBAJ&pg=3643,2396700 |title=Sugar Ray Exposed Him |first=Jim |last=Murray |work=Gettsburg Times |via=News.google.com |date=April 8, 1987 |access-date=April 2, 2018}}</ref>

The scorecards from the ringside press and broadcast media attest to the polarizing views and opinions of the fight.

{|
|-
|width=25% valign=top|
*
*ABC ([[Howard Cosell]]): 117–112 Leonard
*Associated Press: 117–112 Hagler
*Baltimore Sun: 7–5 Leonard (115–113 Leonard)
*Boston Globe (Ron Borges): 115–113 Hagler
*Boston Globe (Steve Marantz): 117–111 Leonard
*Boston Herald: 116–113 Leonard
*CBS ([[Gil Clancy]]): 115–113 Leonard
*CBS ([[Tim Ryan (sportscaster)|Tim Ryan]]): 115–114 Hagler
*Chicago Sun-Times: 115–114 Hagler
*Chicago Tribune (1 - Bob Verdi): 115–113 Hagler
*Chicago Tribune (2 - Bernie Lincicome): 115–113 Hagler
*Chicago Tribune (3 - Sam Smith): 115–113 Hagler
*ESPN (Al Bernstein): 115–113 Hagler 
*ESPN (Dave Bontempo): 114–114
*HBO ([[Harold Lederman]]): 115–113 Leonard
*HBO ([[Larry Merchant]]): 114–114
*Houston Chronicle: 115–114 Leonard
*Newark Star-Ledger ([[Jerry Izenberg]]): 115–113 Hagler 
*KO Magazine: 118–111 Leonard
*Miami Herald: 116–112 Hagler
*Miami News: 116–112 Hagler
|width=25% valign=top|
*Los Angeles Times: 117–111 Leonard
*Newsday: 115–114 Hagler
*New York Daily News (1): 117–111 Leonard
*New York Daily News (2 - Michael Katz): 117–112 Leonard
*New York Post (1): 114–114
*New York Post (2 - Jerry Lisker): 115–113 Hagler
*New York Times ([[Dave Anderson (sportswriter)|Dave Anderson]]): 114–114
*Oakland Tribune: 117–112 Leonard
*Philadelphia Daily News (1): 116–112 Leonard
*Philadelphia Daily News (2): 115–113 Hagler
*Ring Magazine (Nigel Collins): 115–113 Leonard
*Ring Magazine (Phill Marder): 114–114
*San Jose Mercury-News: 116–115 Hagler
*Seattle Times: 115–113 Hagler
*Sports Illustrated ([[Hugh McIlvanney]]): 116–112 Hagler
*Sports Illustrated (William Nack): 116–114 Leonard
*Sports Illustrated (Pat Putnam): 115–113 Hagler
*United Press International: 116–112 Leonard
*USA Today: 115–113 Leonard
*Washington Post: 114–114
|}

The fight was named "[[Ring Magazine fights of the year|Fight of the Year]]" and "[[Ring Magazine upsets of the year|Upset of the Year]]" by ''[[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]]''.

Despite requests from the Hagler camp, Leonard was uninterested in a rematch and retired on May 27, 1987. "I'll try, I'll give it a shot", Leonard said of his latest retirement. "But you guys know me."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/28/sports/sports-of-the-times-sugar-ray-retires-again.html |title=The New York Times, May 28, 1987 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 28, 1987 |access-date=November 4, 2011 |first=Dave |last=Anderson}}</ref> A month after Hagler's formal retirement in June 1988, Leonard would announce another comeback.