Minter was given a savage beating. The referee Carlos Berrocal halted the contest in the third round with Minter horribly cut around his eyes. Fleeing the ring, Hagler had to be shielded from bottles and glasses as he was pelted with missiles on one of British boxing’s most shameful nights. Campbell, Brian (March 13, 2021). "Legendary boxing champion 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler dies at 66". CBSSports.com . Retrieved June 24, 2021. 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".

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. [37] 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. 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. [34] Learning the hard way, taking fights against tough opponents for small financial reward, Hagler became something of an avoided man. As a southpaw, leading with the right hand instead of the normal left, he had an awkward style as well as a near freakish ability to take punches without them having any discernible effect. Two early defeats, on points, hardened his resolve.Awarded the Excellence Guirlande D'Honneur and was entered in the FICTS Hall Of Fame during the 2016 edition of " Sport Movies & TV – Milano International FICTS Fest" [50] Judge Lou Filippo, who scored it 115–113 for Hagler and felt that Hagler's bodyshots and aggression earned him the nod, said: The former champion was hurt badly and shaken by the shot and it ended up altering his game plan drastically. Hagler had accumulated a large amount of scar tissue around his eyebrows and Leonard planned to exploit this. Winderman, Ira (April 5, 1987). "After A Year's Prefight, Bell Tolls For These". Sun-Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale. Archived from the original on November 12, 2016 . Retrieved December 16, 2014.

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 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.The fight was available on pay-per-view to about three million homes in the United States, and there were between 1,500 and 1,600 closed circuit locations, with about three million seats, in the United States and Canada. The fight was also televised in about 75 foreign countries. He told how he had walked into a gym run by Pat and Goody Petronelli in 1969, after being roughed up on the street by a young hard man who was a local boxer. His mission was to learn to fight, and soon his aptitude was clear as he won the US amateur national title in 1973, before turning professional later in the year. 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. [34] His first marriage, to Bertha, with whom he had five children, Charelle, Celeste, James, Marvin Jr and Gentry, ended in 1990. He married again in 2000, to an Italian woman, Kay Guarrera, and they kept homes in Milan, where he had some success working in Italian films, and New Hampshire in the US.

Both men were landing huge punches, but when Hagler sustained a deep cut on his forehead in the third round it was clear the contest could not conceivably last the full 15 rounds. As blood gushed into Hagler’s eyes, the referee Richard Steele was forced to call the ringside doctor to examine the wound. When asked if he could see, Hagler replied: “I ain’t missing him, am I?” and this has become one of the great quotes of boxing folklore. Hagler Retires From Ring". The New York Times. New York City. June 13, 1988 . Retrieved April 21, 2021. Leonard outpunched Hagler, outsmarted him, outboxed him. He looked just great. Sugar Ray Leonard was making him miss a lot, and then counterpunching 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. [30] [31]Clive Gammon (October 6, 1980). "It Was Blood, Sweat And Beers". Sports Illustrated . Retrieved May 16, 2014. Kimball, George (July 15, 2011). Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the Last Great Era of Boxing. Mainstream. ISBN 9781780572567 . Retrieved March 22, 2015. Received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1983, presented by Awards Council member Herschel Walker at a ceremony in Coronado, California [49] Self-defense Guerra Brushes Off Critics, Praises Leonard Performance". The Inquirer. April 8, 1987 . Retrieved May 16, 2014. Wainwright, Anson (April 20, 2020). "Best I Faced: Marvelous Marvin Hagler". The Ring (published May 2014) . Retrieved June 24, 2021.