Happy Birthday Marvin Hagler!

Happy Birthday, Marvin Hagler!

Today, one of the best boxers to have ever fought in the middleweight division turns 66. To celebrate this day, BoxingGuru looks back at the 14-year eventful career of Marvellous Marvin Hagler.

Not only does today mark Hagler’s birthday, but last month was the 35^th anniversary of his penultimate, successful title defence against none other than Thomas Hearns. Their first-round included three famous minutes of the most intense, offensive and ferocious boxing one might ever see. Both contestants made up half of the historical ‘fabulous four’ and not only built but lived up to the hype it generated in the boxing world.

The undisputed middleweight champion was bloodied following the vicious first round where he stunned his opponent as well as getting stunned himself. After spending most of the second round switching stances to neutralise the challenger’s long reach advantage, Hagler closed the show in the third following three successful right hands from three different angles which had Hearns sprawled on the canvas unable to beat the count.

Sky Sports commentator Adam Smith used this year’s anniversary of that encounter to reminisce on watching it as a youngster.

“It was the fight that drew me to this incredible sport; that gripped me forever.”

“The greatest three-round fight of any weight class of any generation.”

It was this and 11 other title defences that really had the southpaw’s legacy etched in stone as he reigned as the king of the middleweights for seven years.

Hagler could’ve been described as a perfectionist when it came to his boxing record. If he fought a man and was unable to leave the ring with a victory on the night (whether he left on a loss or a draw) he was certain to revisit his opponent and literally set the record straight.

This happened with his two decision draws, one, in particular, a title shot against Vito Antuofermo in 1979. His rivalry with the Italian full circled as the draw saw Antuofermo leave with his belts. Two years later though, roles were reversed as Hagler was now the champion and rectified his last outing with a win albeit one surrounding mass controversy as Antuofermo’s trainers retired their fighter in the fifth after accusations of headbutts were audible from the corner.

Hagler had avenged all but one of his total three losses. Bobby Watts and William Monroe were the victims of his vengeance, yet he did not rematch the man who beat him for the third time as this result meant the end of the title reign and consequently the New Jersey native’s career.

His 12-round toe-to-toe bout with Sugar Ray Leonard meant Hagler had fought everybody in the fabulous four, he would’ve been hoping he could replicate the success he had against the other members and he might have thought, along with many others even after the final bell that he did enough.

Though his meeting with the Motor City Cobra went down in history for redefining pugilism, his battle with Sugar Ray made history for all the wrong reasons.

For Leonard it was one of Boxing’s finest comebacks, becoming undisputed in two weight divisions as he won the welterweight belts years prior, for Hagler it was a crushing defeat and his first as a titleholder and for fans it was one of the most controversial decisions in the sport.

Judge Dave Moretti favoured Leonard’s stylish technicality scoring the fight 115-113 to the challenger. Lou Filippo was sold by the power and heart displayed by the champion thus siding with him on a 115-113 scorecard. Finally, JoJo Guerra, in his own world, gave Leonard a landslide victory believing he won 10 rounds on a 118-110 scorecard much to the surprise of Caesar’s Palace.

Tired of waiting for a shot at redemption, Hagler retired a year after his “Superfight”. Although it wasn’t the brightest ending to a career that constantly overcame adversity and dominated a division for almost a decade, nobody should forget how much of an exceptional competitor and champion this Birthday Boy was in our sport.

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Max Taylor articles