Promoter Bob Arum recalls Marvelous Marvin Hagler-Sugar Ray Leonard fight

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum promoted the Marvelous Marvin Hagler-Sugar Ray Leonard middleweight championship fight in 1987. Here is an edited, partial transcript of Arum’s interview with reporters:

(The fighters) did not really like each other?

Arum: “(Hagler) would put a picture of his opponent on his bedroom wall so that he would glare back at it. Now, the guy he really hated was (Thomas) Hearns. But Marvin was disdainful toward Ray because he believed Ray had it easy in boxing, and Marvin had struggled so hard.’’

How easy was it (Top Rank) to sign the fight?

Arum: “(Leonard’s attorney-adviser, Mike Trainer) wanted Ray to control the promotion. So he said the fight would only happen if Top Rank, Marvin’s promoter, was not involved. The Petronelli brothers (who trained and managed Hagler) were loyal guys. (They) said they were not interested in fighting unless Top Rank promoted the fight. Trainer said, ‘OK, Arum, buy us out for $11 million.’ I agreed to do that. I paid Marvin on a percentage, and Marvin earned $19 million. Ray Leonard never will let me forget that.’’

Why did Hagler quit after the fight?

Arum: “Well, he wanted to quit after (he stopped Hearns in two rounds in 1985). He didn’t want to fight Leonard. (Hagler) said, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to fight this punk.’ ’’

(Fight judge Jo Jo Guerra of Mexico) scored the fight 118-110 for Leonard, and he still judges fights, believe it or not.

Arum: “Yes, but not in the United States. We built a wall to keep him out.’’

Ray had an outgoing personality and a million-dollar smile to match. How was Hagler?

Arum: “Hagler was the polar opposite. He was relatively introverted. He didn’t show his emotions. (But) he was a real man — the kind of guy that if you were in a war and in a foxhole, you would want to be with a Marvelous Marvin Hagler.’’

Does Marvin still act?

Arum: “Well, he is getting to an age where he can’t play the gangster as well. I don’t know if they made their last ‘spaghetti Western,’ as they call it in Italy, but to listen to him speak Italian is hilarious.’’

How hard did you try to (make) a rematch?

Arum: “(At a boxing awards dinner at Caesars Palace), Ray called me over and said, ‘Bob, go speak to (Hagler) and say, ‘Let’s do the rematch – it will do a fortune.’ So I went over and talked to Marvin and said, ‘Ray wants me to talk to you about a rematch.’ Marvin looked at me with that scowl and said, ‘Tell that guy to get a life.’ ’’