As Ali had done to opponents many times prior, Leonard began a mind war with Hagler.
I wanted to beat him mentally, and we had so many press conferences, and I would say to the media, ‘It’s a shame that you guys don’t see him as a good boxer and not just a slugger,’” said Leonard, sharing his pre-fight strategy for the bout with Hagler.
For any true boxing fan that was alive at that time, Leonard Duran 2 was a pivotal event in sports history.
While it was clear that Leonard has shared many of the stories several times over the decades that have passed since his heyday, he became somber at one point during the interview, reflecting that boxing, “saved my life.”
It surely has to be noted that “Sugar” Ray Leonard, the first boxer in history to clear $100 million in fight purses, has made the most of his time on earth and, he says, he still has more “great things to do!”
