Sorcery at Caesars: Sugar Ray's Marvelous Fight

by Steve Marantz

On the night of April 6, 1987, Sugar Ray Leonard stole a fight. A couple of million witnesses saw him get away with it. Leonard s theft was so slick that the victim, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, didn't know until it was too late. His middleweight title was picked clean and gone, forever.... In its own way, it was a perfect Sting. Of course, Hagler did not see it that way. But if winners write history, a salesman, a con, a Sweet Scientist, and a sorcerer wrote this one. Leonard was each and all in the parking lot behind Caesars. This is the story of sorcery at Caesars, and how Sugar Ray put the Fight Game on Marvelous Marvin.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

233 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Tony Rampling · Rating 5 out of 5]

To this day I still think Marvelous was robbed.

[Dwight Kincy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great and incisive book, with a lot of nuggets a must read for anyone interested in 80s boxing, Sugar Ray was very manipulative and Hagler carried a grudge against the boxing establishment that kept him from being able to counter Sugar Ray's mind games.

[Joseph Hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember a long time ago when the comedian Gene Wilder was being interviewed about his dynamic with fellow legend, comic Richard Pryor. He said words to the effect that, "I hope this doesn't come out wrong, but it's like sex."

Boxing, like literal dancing, the interplay between musicians in a band, or acting between two thespians, is also ultimately about such chemistry. Some boxers would bridle at that assertion, since there's something that lacks machismo in saying it, and boxing scribes who maintain that boxing is the most solitary athletic pursuit might also not be quite comfortable with recognizing that Fistiana is ultimately about two men, not one man. But that's the way I see it, and the book "Sorcery at Caesars" does nothing to disabuse me of my theory.

You tend to get great boxing matches when two fighters have very different styles, with the clash and contrast as the heart of the aforementioned chemistry. If the boxers have contrasting personalities in addition to different styles, it can end up being something even more special, sometimes truly magical.

"Sorcery at Caesars" is a great book, short and fast-paced, about two very different men who fought with radically different styles, whose one meeting in the 1980s still has the power at this great remove to produce heated arguments among boxing fans.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler (no need to put the "Marvelous" in quotes, since he legally had his name changed) was a bald-headed scrappy New Englander who favored a two-fisted, front-footed relentlessly aggressive attacking style in the ring, and was a man of few words outside of the ring. His partner, his foil in this great alchemical combustion, was "Sugar" Ray Leonard ("Sugar" needs the quotes, since it was just a nickname); Ray was not a throwback to the glory days of boxing, but very much a man of the moment; true, it was a moment that was close to passing as the coke wore off, the bonds bounced, and pastels made even Don Johnson want to puke, but it was a moment still in its final efflorescence and Ray was its apotheotic avatar. He was a "Me" fighter for the "Me" decade, media savvy and vain outside the ring, slick and deceptive and light on his feet in the ring.

Author Steve Marantz charts the tightrope walk these two men made toward each other to produce their single great fight, in muscular prose that shows his background as a newspaperman who was seasoned by the best in his cub years. It's a seamless book, peppered rather than overflowing with photos. It's also great. Highest recommendation.

[Anthony Lenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in one sitting

This is one of the most compelling sports books I’ve ever read. I was literally unable to put it down and read it through in one hit. The best feature of the book is that it marries exhaustive research and statistics with a subtle and informed character analysis of everyone engaged in the boxing of the Hagler, Hearns, Leonard and Duran era. If anyone thinks that boxing is a trial of strength and strategy decided within the confines of a ring this book will show them otherwise. Superb!!

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good.
But four kings is better.

[Kym Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book covers the 1986 super fight between Marvin Hagler and Ray Leonard. While it is a good book and does have some interesting moments for any one who is a fan of the sport or either fighter, I could not help but to feel that at times it reads like an extended 'article'.

I have watched this fight and most of the fights mentioned in this book numerous times and feel quite familiar with the bouts featured. So I did not gain any new knowledge on the matches from this book, whereas others may. The book did not really add or detract from any of the viewing experience of the actual fight and instead added elements that only ever seem to matter to those who have never fought. Points that appeal to those who are fascinated by the fight game with a timid interest whereby they attempt to find drama in areas that most prize fighters would not even consider.

Over all a good read for fight fans and I am grateful I bought this book.

66 %

[J.C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I thought it was a bit better than Sugar Ray's autobiogrpahy which I still haven't grown to love yet. I did learn a few interesting things about Marvelous Marvin Hagler which was nice (I knew nothing about him at all) and the scoring controversy was interesting to read about as well.

As for the writing style its just okay, journalists writing long formats tend to be hit or miss for me. Sometimes I love them, sometimes I hate them, mainly because of the trapped mindset of the reverse pyramid journalism style.

All things being equal I probably should have just gone to you tube and searched out the actual fight and just watched it instead.

[Philip Girvan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable telling of the long build-up and match between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard. As the story moves toward April 6, 1987, Marantz covers the two champions' biographies, fight history, and professional and personal struggles. A must for fight fans, the book is an excellent case study of Sun Tzu's maxim that "every battle is won before it’s ever fought”.

[Jonathan Snowden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good history of a great fight. Interesting look at both fighters.