[Stardust]

RingTV.com: Didn't you say during several interviews before facing Hagler that you were going to steal the rounds and win the crowd?

RL: [Laughs.] You know, I did say that. I meant that. It's funny, if you go back to some of those interviews, among the last few things that I said was that my plan and my psychological warfare would work.

Because one of the things that Hagler said during one of the final press conferences before the fight was that, "I may surprise all of you, and I may out-box Ray."

When he said that, I said, "I got him." I knew that I had him because he was thinking about changing his strategy. Exactly.

I didn't want him to rush into me and bum-rush me like he did with Tommy. I wanted him to think that he was a better boxer than I was.



RingTV.com: How critical for you was it to go 12 rounds and not 15?

RL: The thing about the 12 versus the 15 rounds, I could have gone 15 rounds and I could train for 15 rounds.

I trained for 15 rounds. But psychologically, [12 rounds] processed better with my comeback, and the time off.



RingTV.com: What do you make of that little dance that Hagler did after your fight ended and before the decision was announced in your favor?

RL: You know, it always bothered me that no one ever mentioned that. The writers that are so observant never mentioned that it was so uncharacteristic of Marvin Hagler to do what he did after our fight.

With the dancing? He has never done that. You know, that is a clear indication that he knew that he lost.



RingTV.com: What did you think of how Floyd Mayweather Jr. dictated the pace against Victor Ortiz with his right hand?

RL: That was a thing of beauty. That takes a total commitment to that punch.



RingTV.com: What did you think of the ending to Mayweather-Ortiz?

RL: I think that the flagrancy of that intentional headbutt by Ortiz was so awful, that it gave Mayweather the right to throw the punch. I wanted the fight to go on as a fight fan, but I understand.

I hold no grudges against Floyd for doing what he did. It takes a while or a day or so for something like that to soak in, once you look back at it. But what Ortiz attempted to do could have been career-threatening.

He could have done some serious damage, do you know what I mean? He jumped up and was like a missile with his head. I mean, come on.

What people fail to realize is that this just took place 20 or 30 seconds ago. Mayweather was still in the moment. So hey, he did the right thing. That was not illegal to me.