Marvin Hagler

Born Marvin Hagler, in Newark, New Jersey on 23, May 1952. When a teenager his family relocated after race riots to Brockton, Massachusetts, the hometown of the late Rocky Marciano. Marvin Hagler added the word “Marvellous” to his name. He turned professional in 1973, and quickly gained the reputation of a man to avoid. Hagler had built up a record of fifty wins with only two loses (both of which he avenged), over a seven year period before getting a crack at the title. It came against Italian, Vino Antuofermo, in 1979, and although many at ringside thought Hagler had done enough to win, the bout ended a draw with Antuofermo retaining his title. Less than a year later Hagler travelled to London, England, to challenge for the title against Alan Minter. After Haglers, brutal assault Minter suffered a bad cut forcing the referee to intervene and call a halt to proceedings in the third round. Many of the partisan crowd were so incensed with the stoppage they hurled missiles into the ring, resulting in the new champion needing a police escort to his dressing room. It was an incident that severely damaged British boxing, and took many years to restore its reputation.

Hagler was part of the quartet of fighters who graced our screens in the mid-eighties, during the golden era any probably the best era ever in the middleweight division. There was his memorable battle with the tough Panamanian Roberto Duran in 1983, in which Hagler deservedly got the decision. Another of the quartet was the spindly Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, who a year later needed only two rounds to stop the tough Panamanian, and with this the seeds were planted for what became one of the biggest tear-ups ever to take place in a ring. The fight with Hagler and Hearns took place in Las Vegas on April 15 1985, the fight lasted less than three rounds, but in those three rounds, you witnessed more action than you would usually see in a contest that went the full championship distance. The opening round was arguably the best opening round to a championship fight in any division, both men tore out their respective corners and launched in a ruthless attack at each other, best described by the late broadcaster Reg Gutteridge, as being (carefully nurtured hate).

Two years later on April 6th 1987, the shaven headed Hagler met his nemesis in the charismatic Sugar Ray Leonard. Huge sums of money had been placed on the table to make the fight the world wanted to see, such was the demand Caesars Palace erected a temporary outdoor arena in their cark park. With no tune up fight and only one contest in the previous five years, Leonard won a sensational and hotly disputed decision. Hagler was sure he done enough to win, and so profound were his feelings he never boxed again, he turned his back on the sport and moved to Italy in pursuit of a career in films.

During Haglers seven-year reign, he successfully defended his title twelve times, setting a record for the division. The muscular Hagler was a fighter you could have envisioned fighting in any era gone before him. He was a ferocious puncher who could fight from either stance, often switching from southpaw to orthodox during a contest confusing his opponents. Of his fifteen championship fights his record was impressive 13-1-1 (12), of his thirteen wins only Roberto Duran heard the final bell.

Haglers half brother Robbie Sims 38-10-2 (26) was also a Boxer.