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Forced to the ninth round by the Ontario star, Leonard would twice put Lalonde on the canvas in the round, the second time for good — having struggled with his own knockdown in the fourth round. Returning twice the following year, Leonard would not be seen for the next two years, beginning the ultimate downfall of his heroic career. Sugar Ray Leonard’s dubious win over Marvin Hagler Just months before landing the WBC light heavyweight title against Lalonde, Leonard would meet his final ‘Four Kings’ rival in the ring, in the form of middleweight icon Hagler. And in a tale as old as time, Leonard emerged with a hugely controversial victory over the Brockton-born slugger, inflicting his first defeat as champion in the division and ending his heralded reign at 168lbs. Regarded as the most controversial result in the sport’s entire history, Leonard went down in history as the sole member of the ‘Four Kings’ to defeat his fellow stablemates, robbing Hagler of that same feat in the process. Calling time on his career in the aftermath of the loss, Hagler criticized the business aspect of the sport compared to sporting merit, with Leonard refusing to grant him a rematch for his crowns.
