Editing Marvelous Marvin Hagler (section)

==Professional career==
===Early career===
Hagler was a top-ranked middleweight boxer for many years before he fought for the title. He struggled to find high-profile opponents willing to face him in his early years. [[Joe Frazier]] told Hagler, "You have three strikes against you, "You're black, you're a southpaw, and you're good."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://a.espncdn.com/boxing/columns/kellerman_max/1512173.html |title=ESPN boxing |publisher=A.espncdn.com |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> He often had to travel to his opponents' hometowns to get fights. His first break came when he was offered—on two weeks' notice—a chance against [[Willie Monroe (boxer, born 1946)|Willie "The Worm" Monroe]], who was being trained by Frazier. Hagler lost the decision but the fight was close, so Monroe gave him a rematch. This time Hagler knocked out Monroe in twelve rounds. In a third fight, he defeated Monroe in two rounds.

Boston promoter Rip Valenti took an interest in Hagler and began bringing in top ranked opponents for Hagler to face. He fought [[1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Olympic]] gold medalist [[Sugar Ray Seales]]; Hagler won the first time, the second was a draw and Hagler knocked Seales out in the third fight. Number one ranked Mike Colbert was knocked out in the twelfth and also had his jaw broken by Hagler. Briton [[Kevin Finnegan]] was stopped in eight and required 40 facial stitches.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Pat Putnam |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093545/3/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029212307/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1093545/3/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |title=A Sinister Reputation |magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=April 17, 1978 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> He dropped a controversial decision to [[Bobby 'Boogaloo' Watts]] preceding those victories, but knocked Watts out in two rounds in a rematch. Hagler won a ten-round decision over [[Bennie Briscoe|'Bad' Bennie Briscoe]], which ultimately concluded his [[Spectrum (arena)|Spectrum]] expedition. By then, promoter [[Bob Arum]] took notice and signed him.

===First title shot===
In November 1979, Hagler fought world middleweight champion [[Vito Antuofermo]] at [[Caesars Palace]] in [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas, Nevada]]. When the fight was over after 15 rounds, most ringside observers thought that Hagler had won, even though Antuofermo had been closing the gap in the second half of the fight. Hagler claimed that referee [[Mills Lane]] told him he had won, but Lane later denied ever saying that. Hagler also noted that he and many others at ringside were surprised when the fight decision was announced as a draw. Judge Duane Ford scored the fight in Hagler's favor, 145–141. However, judge Dalby Shirley scored the bout for Antuofermo, 144–142, while judge Hal Miller scored the fight even, 143–143. This fight result only added to Hagler's frustrations, as Antuofermo retained his title with the draw. Hagler had the boxing skills and killer instinct to knock his opponent out, but instead he played it safe, as Antuofermo closed the gap late in the fight, and that late surge cost Hagler the title.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Pat Putnam |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1126379/3/indx.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203050614/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1126379/3/indx.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 3, 2012 |title=''Sports Illustrated'' December 10, 1979 |magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=December 10, 1979 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref>

===World champion===
Antuofermo later lost his title to British boxer [[Alan Minter]], who gave Hagler his second title shot. Hagler went to [[Wembley Arena]] to face Minter. The tense atmosphere was stoked further when Minter was quoted as saying that "No black man is going to take my title"<ref>{{cite web
  | last = Kimball
  | first = George
  | title = Look Back in Anger: Hagler-Minter, Wembley Arena, London, September 27, 1980
  | work = The Sweet Science
 | url=http://www.thesweetscience.com/news/articles/4729-look-back-in-anger-hagler-minter-wembley-arena-london-sept-27-1980
   }}</ref>—Minter later insisted he meant "''that'' black man".<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Clive Gammon |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1123817/index.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720232605/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1123817/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 20, 2012 |title=It Was Blood, Sweat And Beers |magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=October 6, 1980 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> Hagler took command and his slashing punches soon opened up the cut-prone Minter. With Hagler dominating the action, referee Carlos Berrocal halted the fight during the third round to have the four glaring cuts on Minter's face examined. Minter's manager, Doug Bidwell, almost immediately conceded defeat. Once Berrocal waved the bout off, a riot broke out among the spectators. Clive Gammon of ''Sports Illustrated'' described the scene as "a horrifying ululation of howls and boos." Hagler and his trainers had to be escorted to their locker room by a phalanx of policemen, all the while enduring a steady rain of beer bottles and glasses. After seven years and 50 fights, Hagler was the world middleweight champion.

Hagler proved a busy world champion. He defeated future world champion [[Fulgencio Obelmejias]] of [[Venezuela]] by a knockout in eight rounds and then former world champ Antuofermo in a rematch by [[Technical knockout|TKO]] in four rounds. Both matches were fought at the [[Boston Garden]] near Hagler's hometown, endearing him to Boston fight fans. Syrian born [[Mustafa Hamsho]], who later defeated three-division world champion [[Wilfred Benítez]] and future world champion [[Bobby Czyz]], became Hagler's next challenger, putting up a lot of resistance before finally succumbing in eleven tough rounds. Michigan fighter [[William "Caveman" Lee]] lasted only one round and in a rematch in [[Italy]], Obelmejias lasted five rounds. British champion (and mutual Alan Minter conqueror) [[Tony Sibson]] followed on Hagler's ever-growing list of unsuccessful challengers. Sibson provided one of the most entertaining (to this point) fights of Marvelous Marvin's career, but he ultimately fell short, lasting six rounds. Next came [[Wilford Scypion]], who only lasted four. By then, Hagler was a staple on [[Home Box Office|HBO]], one of the first premium cable TV channels.

===Hagler vs. Durán===
{{main|Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Durán}}

A fight against [[Roberto Durán]] followed on November 10, 1983. Durán was the first challenger to last the distance with Hagler in a world-championship bout. Durán was the [[World Boxing Association|WBA]] light middleweight champion and went up in weight to challenge for Hagler's middleweight crown. Hagler won a unanimous 15-round decision, although after 13 rounds, Durán was ahead by one point on two scorecards and even on the third. Hagler, with his left eye swollen and cut, came on strong in the last two rounds to win the fight. Judge Guy Jutras scored the bout 144–142. Judge Ove Ovesen scored it 144–143. Judge Yusaku Yoshida scored it 146–145.

===More title defenses===
Then came Juan Roldán of Argentina, who became the only man to be credited with a knockdown of Hagler, scoring one mere seconds into the fight. Hagler protested bitterly that he had been pulled/pushed to the canvas. Hagler thumbed Roldan's left eye, then brutalized him over ten rounds and finally stopped him in the middle of round ten. [[Sugar Ray Leonard]] was calling the fight ringside with HBO analyst [[Barry Tompkins]]. He noted to Tompkins between rounds that Hagler looked older and slower. "Marvin might finally be slowing down, Barry," Leonard remarked. Many people believe this is the fight that gave Sugar Ray Leonard the idea that he could actually win a fight with the aging Hagler.

Hamsho was given a rematch, but the Syrian was again TKO'd, this time in only three rounds. Hamsho angered Hagler with a trio of intentional headbutts in the second round and a fourth early in the third, goading the normally patient and cautious Hagler into a full-out attack that left Hamsho battered and defenseless in a matter of seconds.

===Hagler vs. Hearns===
{{main|Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns}}
After conquering Hamsho again, Hagler met [[Thomas Hearns]] on April 15, 1985, in what was billed as The Fight; it became known as "[[The War (boxing)|The War]]".

Round One: Three minutes of violence. Within the first 15 seconds, Hearns landed his best punch, a straight right, onto Hagler's chin. The champion stepped back, then came forward. At this point, Hagler began to walk through Hearns' power punches.

Round Two: Hagler was cut on his head from an unintentional elbow or headbutt. Despite the blood, the champion continued to push the fight forward. Hearns was fighting hurt as well, having suffered a broken right hand in the last minute of the first round. The pace continued as before, but now Hearns was backing up, trying to move around the ring. Hearns' trainer [[Emanuel Steward]] later revealed Hearns had a leg massage, much to Steward's dismay, before the fight. Hearns' legs by the end of the round were weakening.

Round Three: The pace slowed until referee [[Richard Steele (referee)|Richard Steele]] called a time out to have the ringside doctor examine the cut on Hagler's head. The crowd was on its feet for the next ten seconds, before the doctor allowed the fight to continue. Hagler charged the much taller Hearns, drilling in an overhand right behind Hearns' ear. Hearns' legs wobbled and Hagler was on him quickly. Hearns toppled to the canvas, then rose at the count of eight, but collapsed into referee Steele's arms. The fight was then halted.

The fight lasted only eight minutes and one second, but it was regarded as a classic. Commentator [[Al Michaels]] uttered the famous line, "It didn't go very far, but it was a beauty!" The fight was named "[[Ring Magazine fights of the year|Fight of the Year]]" by ''The Ring''.

===Hagler vs. Mugabi===
{{main|Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi}}
Next was Olympic silver medalist [[John Mugabi]] of [[Uganda]], who was 26–0 with 26 [[knockout]]s and was ranked the number one contender by all three major bodies. The fight took place on March 10, 1986, as Hagler had hurt his back and could not fight on the first date booked in 1985. Hagler stopped Mugabi in the eleventh round of a brutal fight. Many ringside observers, including analyst [[Gil Clancy]], noticed that Hagler was showing signs of advanced ring wear and age. He was much slower of hand and foot and seemed much easier to hit. He had also completely morphed his ring style from a slick, quick-fisted, boxer/puncher to a strictly flat-footed, stalking, slugger to compensate for his loss of speed and reflexes. Hagler was now said to be seriously considering retirement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Lq9RAAAAIBAJ&pg=7013,987559&dq |title=Hagler Considers Retirement |date=July 3, 1986 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> Hagler's promoter Bob Arum was quoted as saying he was expecting Hagler to retire in the face of being challenged by Sugar Ray Leonard.

===Hagler vs. Leonard===
{{main|Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard}}
Hagler's next challenger was Sugar Ray Leonard, who was returning to the ring after a three-year retirement (having fought just once in the previous five years). During the pre-fight negotiations, in return for granting Hagler a larger share of the purse, Leonard obtained several conditions which were crucial to his strategy: a {{convert|22|x|22|ft|m|adj=on}} ring instead of a smaller ring, {{convert|10|oz|g|abbr=off|adj=on}} gloves instead of {{convert|8|oz|g|abbr=off|adj=on}} gloves, and the fight was to be over twelve rounds instead of the 15 rounds favoured by Hagler.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1356&dat=19870407&id=GadAAAAAIBAJ&pg=6015,4144686&hl=en |title=Decision Shocks Hagler |date=April 7, 1987 |access-date=March 22, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-yXniUJ-cBwC&q=hagler+20+foot+ring&pg=PA238 |title=Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the Last Great Era of Boxing |isbn=9781780572567 |access-date=March 22, 2015|last1=Kimball |first1=George |date=July 15, 2011 |publisher=Mainstream }}</ref> Leonard was two years younger, had half as many fights and unbeknownst to Hagler, had engaged in several 'real' (i.e. gloves, rounds, a referee, judges and no headgear) fights behind closed doors in order to shake off his ring rust. The fight took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on April 6, 1987. Hagler was the clear betting favorite after a dominant six and a half years as the reigning undisputed middleweight champion of the world, having knocked out all opponents as champion except in winning a very close unanimous decision over 15 rounds against Roberto Durán. It was Leonard's first fight at middleweight ({{convert|160|lb|kg|abbr=on|adj=on|disp=or}} weight limit). The fight was to be for Hagler's [[World Boxing Council|WBC]], [[Lineal championship|lineal]] and ''Ring'' middleweight titles only, as the WBA stripped Hagler of their belt for choosing to face Leonard instead of WBA [[mandatory challenger]] [[Herol Graham]]. The [[International Boxing Federation|IBF]], while keeping Hagler as their champion, refused to sanction his fight against Leonard and said that the [[list of IBF world champions#Middleweight|IBF middleweight title]] would be declared vacant if Hagler lost to Leonard.

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 then did much better, though Leonard's superior speed and quick flurries kept him in the fight. But by the fifth, Leonard, who was moving a lot, began to tire and Hagler started to get closer. As Leonard tired he began to clinch with more frequency (in total referee Richard Steele gave him over 30 warnings for holding, although never deducted a point). 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 effectively in round six. Leonard, having slowed down, was obliged to fight more and run less.<ref name=collins>"Sugar Ray...Still In Style", Nigel Collins, ''The Ring'' August 1987</ref>

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 was in trouble, then furiously tried to fight his way out of the corner. The action see-sawed for the rest of the round, with each man having his moments. Round ten was calmer even as Hagler continued to press forward and Leonard slowly got a second wind, as the pace slowed after the furious action of the previous round. Clearly tiring, Leonard boxed well in the eleventh. Every time Hagler scored, Leonard came back with something flashier, if not as effective. 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 flurry and danced away with Hagler in pursuit. The fight ended with Hagler and Leonard exchanging along the ropes. Hagler began dancing in celebration of his performance while Leonard collapsed to the canvas and raised both his arms in triumph.<ref name=collins/> Leonard threw 629 punches and landed 306, while Hagler threw 792 and landed 291.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEEDC1430F93AA35757C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print ''The New York Times''], April 9, 1987</ref>

Hagler later said that, as the fighters embraced in the ring after the fight, Leonard said to him, "You beat me, man." Hagler said after the fight, "He said I beat him and I was so happy." Leonard denied making the statement and said he only told Hagler, "You're a great champion." HBO cameras and microphones supported Hagler's version of events.

Leonard was announced as the winner and new middleweight champion of the world by split decision (118–110, 115–113, 113–115), a result which remains hotly disputed to this day. The Hagler vs. Leonard fight divides fans, pundits, press and ringside observers arguably more than any other fight in boxing history, with scorecards varying as widely as 117–111 Hagler to 118–110 Leonard and everything in between. The only near universally agreed views about the fight are that Hagler was foolish for starting the fight in an [[orthodox stance]], that Leonard won the first two rounds and that Hagler won the fifth round. Every other round in the fight divides people as to who actually won it, or if the rounds were even.

====Post-fight reaction====
Official ringside judge JoJo Guerra, whose scorecard of 118–110 in favour of Leonard was derided in many quarters, commented that:

{{blockquote|Leonard outpunched Hagler, outsmarted him, outboxed him. He looked just great. Sugar Ray Leonard was making him miss a lot, and then [[Counterpunch (boxing)|counterpunch]]ing him. Sugar Ray Leonard was beating him to the punch. They should call him Marvelous Sugar Ray Leonard. Boxing is the art of self-defense, and Sugar Ray was in command at all times. He was very fast and he was very clever. He made Marvin Hagler come to him. He dictated the fight.<ref name = "shivambu">{{cite news |author=Ira Berkow |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/09/sports/sports-of-the-times-no-hoosegow-for-jojo-guerra.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm |title=Sports of the Times; No Hoosegow for JoJo Guerra |date=April 9, 1987 |newspaper=New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://articles.philly.com/1987-04-08/sports/26192262_1_pat-petronelli-jojo-guerra-middleweight-championship-fight |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801123018/http://articles.philly.com/1987-04-08/sports/26192262_1_pat-petronelli-jojo-guerra-middleweight-championship-fight |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 1, 2013 |title=Self-defense Guerra Brushes Off Critics, Praises Leonard Performance |date=April 8, 1987| newspaper=The Inquirer |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref>}}

Upon a second viewing of the fight, while maintaining his belief that Leonard won the fight, Guerra acknowledged that he made a mistake and should have scored two more rounds for Hagler.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-04-12-sp-1061-story.html They Witnessed Same Fight, Saw Different Winner]</ref> Duane Ford, chairman of the [[Nevada State Athletic Commission]], commented that Guerra probably would not be invited back to Las Vegas to judge a fight in the near future.<ref>[https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/04/07/While-the-futures-of-Ray-Leonard-and-Marvin-Hagler/2616544766400/ While the futures of Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler...]</ref>

Judge Dave Moretti, who scored it 115–113 for Leonard, said:

{{blockquote|Obviously, Hagler was the aggressor, but he was not the effective aggressor. You can't chase and get hit and chase and get hit, and get credit for it. Besides, the hardest punching was by Leonard.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news|last=Berger|first=Phil|title=Judgment Day For Ring Judge|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/08/sports/judgment-day-for-ring-judge.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm|access-date=December 16, 2014|work=The New York Times|date=April 8, 1987}}</ref>}}

Judge [[Lou Filippo]], who scored it 115–113 for Hagler and felt that Hagler's bodyshots and aggression earned him the nod, said:

{{blockquote|Hagler was doing all the work. The referee, Richard Steele, warned Leonard at least once every round about holding. Leonard fought in spurts. Leonard would run in and grab and hold. He did what he had to do. But I can't see a guy holding that much and getting points for it.<ref name="nytimes.com"/>}}

[[Hugh McIlvanney]], commenting in the British ''[[Sunday Times]]'' and ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'':

{{blockquote|What Ray Leonard pulled off in his split decision over Hagler was an epic illusion. He had said beforehand that the way to beat Hagler was to give him a distorted picture. But this shrewdest of fighters knew it was even more important to distort the picture for the judges. His plan was to "steal" rounds with a few flashy and carefully timed flurries and to make the rest of each three-minute session as unproductive as possible for Hagler by circling briskly away from the latter's persistent pursuit. When he made his sporadic attacking flourishes, 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>The Hardest Game, Hugh McIlvanney, Contemporary Books, 2002</ref><ref name="Video">{{cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065875/index.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511043509/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1065875/index.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 11, 2012 | work=CNN | title=Video | date=April 20, 1987}}</ref>}}

McIlvanney also referred to [[Budd Schulberg]]'s contention about a 'compound optical illusion', namely that by being the underdog and more competitive than expected against the dominant undisputed champion in Hagler meant that Leonard appeared more effective and to be doing more than he actually was. Leonard himself had said to journalists before the fight "the reason I will win is because you don't think I can".<ref name="Video"/> [[Harry Gibbs (referee)|Harry Gibbs]], the British judge who had been rejected by Pat Petronelli from Hagler's camp and replaced by JoJo Guerra, said he scored it 115–113 for Hagler when he watched the fight at home.

[[Jim Murray (sportswriter)|Jim Murray]], long-time sports columnist for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' felt that Leonard deservedly got the decision, arguing that Leonard showed better defense and ring generalship, landed more punches and writing:

{{blockquote|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&dq=jim-murray+sugar+ray+leonard+hagler&hl=en |title=Sugar Ray Exposed Him, Jim Murray, 1987 |date=April 8, 1987 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref>}}

The scorecards from the ringside press and broadcast media attest to the polarizing views and opinions of the fight (17 for Leonard, 18 for Hagler, 6 calling it a draw):

{|
|-
|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
*KO Magazine: 118–111 Leonard
*Los Angeles Times: 117–111 Leonard
*Miami Herald: 116–112 Hagler
|width=25% valign=top|
*Miami News: 116–112 Hagler
*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
*Newark Star-Ledger ([[Jerry Izenberg]]): 115–113 Hagler 
*Oakland Tribune: 117–112 Leonard
*Philadelphia Daily News (1): 116–112 Leonard
*Philadelphia Daily News (2): 115–113 Hagler
*''The Ring'' (Nigel Collins): 115–113 Leonard
*''The Ring'' (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 (Pat Putnam): 115–113 Hagler
*Sports Illustrated (William Nack): 116–114 Leonard
*United Press International: 116–112 Leonard
*USA Today: 115–113 Leonard
*''The Washington Post'': 114–114
|}

====Rematch====
Hagler requested a rematch but Leonard chose to retire again (the third of five high-profile retirements announced by Leonard during his professional boxing career), having announced it beforehand.<ref>{{cite news|last=Winderman|first=Ira|title=After A Year's Prefight, Bell Tolls For These|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-04-05/sports/8701220087_1_hagler-and-leonard-marvelous-marvin-hagler-fight|access-date=December 16, 2014|work=Sun-Sentinel|location=Fort Lauderdale|date=April 5, 1987|archive-date=November 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161112151458/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1987-04-05/sports/8701220087_1_hagler-and-leonard-marvelous-marvin-hagler-fight|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="champsuk.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.champsuk.com/i-543/sugar-ray-leonard-post-fight-press-conference-after-defeating-marvin-hagler-original-wire-photograph-.html |title=Sugar Ray Leonard Post Fight Press Conference After Defeating Marvin Hagler |publisher=Champsuk.com |date=April 6, 1987 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> Fourteen months following their fight, Hagler retired from boxing on June 13, 1988, after watching WBA middleweight champion [[Sumbu Kalambay]] prevail over his brother, Robbie Sims, via unanimous decision.<ref>{{cite news|title=Hagler Retires From Ring|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/13/sports/hagler-retires-from-ring.html|access-date=April 21, 2021|work=The New York Times|location=New York City|date=June 13, 1988}}</ref> Hagler declared that he was "tired of waiting" for Leonard to grant him a rematch. Just a month succeeding Hagler's retirement, Leonard announced another boxing comeback to fight against WBC [[light heavyweight]] champion [[Donny Lalonde]] at the {{convert|168|lb|kg|adj=on}} [[super middleweight]] limit. In 1990, Leonard finally offered Hagler a rematch which reportedly would have earned him $15 million, but he declined. By then, Hagler had settled down into a new life as an actor in Italy and was now uninterested in his past boxing life.<ref name="sportsillustrated.cnn.com">{{cite magazine|first=Rick|last=Telander|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1136738/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708234500/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1136738/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 8, 2010 |title=With Friends Like These, Who Needs Sugar Ray? |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=July 2, 1990 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref><ref name=carter>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/espn/classic/news/story?page=add_hagler_marvin |title=You Look Marvelous |first=Bob |last=Carter |work=ESPN Sport|date=September 26, 2006 |access-date=May 16, 2014}}</ref> Hagler said "A while ago, yeah, I wanted him so bad, but I'm over that."<ref name="sportsillustrated.cnn.com"/> At the 1994 [[Consumer Electronics Show]], Hagler and Leonard had a mock rematch by playing against each other in the video game ''[[Boxing Legends of the Ring]]'' and claimed that an actual rematch was being planned, though it never happened.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Famous Boxers Duke it Out|magazine=[[GamePro]]|issue=57|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=April 1994|pages=176}}</ref>