BoxRec

Ive'd always wondered why Leonard Never gave anyone a rematch? What do you guy's think

Dec You don't hold anything against him for not giving Hearns and Hagler their rematches they deserved?

Victor*KC wrote:Dec You don't hold anything against him for not giving Hearns and Hagler their rematches they deserved?

I think he should have. I mean he re-retired after Hagler. Hagler left the door open for 12 months. Then once the time was up Ray comes back again.

Ray was great but he didn't want Hearns again and a rematch at 154 was really inevitable...

answer is: when Leanard beat a man...they stayed beaten.

Leonard certainly didn't avoid Hearns. Hearns moved up in weight right after Leonard beat him.

If Hagler really wanted a rematch he could have kept fighting other opponents and Leonard would have had to have fought him eventually.

Ambling Alp wrote:Leonard certainly didn't avoid Hearns. Hearns moved up in weight right after Leonard beat him.

If Hagler really wanted a rematch he could have kept fighting other opponents and Leonard would have had to have fought him eventually.

Ray had retired. He said no rematch and he wouldn't come back again...

Ray said he would only give Hearns a rematch if he admitted he couldn't continue anymore I don't remember if he did but they fought again when they were both past their prime and as far as Hagler goes

Sumbu Kalambay

Iran Barkley

Their was alot of competition at Jr.MW with fighters moving up Mike.M Herol.G To MW Kinda unfair that guy that has dominated his division has to wipe out another Patch of contenders with the young guns moving up He ain't superman his only a man Hagler deserved his rematch

Leonard changed his mind about fighting again. Boxers do this all of the time.
He certainly didn't just wait 12 months becasue Hagler had given him some time limit. (Btw Leonard fight with LaLonde was about 19 months after the Hagler fight)

Leonard certainly wasn't afraid of Hagler. He had already beaten him after a long layoff.
If Hagler really wanted a rematch he could have made it happen. For one thing, he could have beat someone else after Leonard had fought LaLonde.

Alot of fighters have moved on to other opponents without granting rematches, but for some reason, only Leonard seems to get flack for that.

theone wrote:Alot of fighters have moved on to other opponents without granting rematches, but for some reason, only Leonard seems to get flack for that.

He seems to get more than most, but there are quite a few other fighters that are criticized for not fighting rematches with tough opponents. Larry Holmes is a good example of a fighter that gets mentioned quite a bit on this forum for not giving rematches.

If SRL did not retire in 1982 I think he would have had a number of defining fights between 1982 & 1985 & that includes an earlier rematch with Hearns, an earlier 3rd fight with Duran, a fight with Pryor (who should have been fighting at welterweight not the unglamorous junior welterweight division.

Leonard was a great fighter, but he was also very smart outside of the ring as well and had the money (TV) to help him always get things done in a manner that would suite him.

Leonard always liked to hold ALL the cards.

eonard was a great fighter, but he was also very smart outside of the ring as well and had the money (TV) to help him always get things done in a manner that would suite him.

Leonard always liked to hold ALL the cards.

And kudos to him for it. After decades of fighters being manipluted and taken advantage of, ending up broke and broken with nothing to show for but slurred speech and brain and nerve injuries, good for Leonard for taking control of his own career. Not only did he end up healthy and rich for it, he has also created a legacy in the ring that'll last forever. In his hey day he never phone it in or short changed his fans.
Leonard was a unique combination of style, substance and smarts.
The fight game was very fortunate to have him.

KOJOE90 wrote:Leonard always liked to hold ALL the cards.

De la Hoya is a lot like that, too, come to think of it.

Would you give Hearns a rematch after the punishment he dished out. Ray won the fight, but Hearns really battered Ray for a lot of the fight. Ray was never the same again to be honest. I don't blame Leonard after all he is only human and he's the guy taking the shots. I still think he beats Herans at 154, but again he takes a lot before doing it.

As for Hagler, thank god he never gave a rematch. As bad as Marvin was in 1987, I can only imagine how bad he would have been a year or two later!!!