45 years ago today: Marvin Hagler goes pro

05/18/2018 James Slater

https://youtu.be/lhz6QFsc6LY?t=9s There was no fanfare whatsoever, there was no big payday and there were hardly any fans … continue

Sugar Ray Leonard-Marvelous Marvin Hagler: The fight that never gets old (and neither does the debate over who really won)

04/07/201804/06/2018 James Slater

Over three decades on, fight fans everywhere STILL argue over who really won the middleweight title fight … continue

Hagler tames The Beast but Sugar Ray is watching and he likes what he sees

03/11/201803/09/2018 James Slater

Marvelous Marvin Hagler was making the twelfth defence of his middleweight championship of the world. With eleven … continue

Marvelous Marvin: The Early Years

01/13/2018 James Slater

Turning pro to little or no fanfare back in May of 1973, no-nonsense southpaw Marvin Hagler (the ‘Marvelous’ was added much, much later; and legally) slogged his way up the hard way. Fighting tough guys for low pay checks, Hagler’s inner hardness was formed. Nothing came easy to him, and there were very few opponents that could in any way be referred to as anything other than formidable.

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Fab 4 Rivalries – Duran, Leonard, Hagler, Hearns (Boxing Documentary)

05/07/201705/06/2017 Rummys Corner

The “Fab 4” is the nickname that refers to the four elite Hall of Fame boxers – Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, and Marvelous Marvin Hagler. These four men are widely regarded as four of the very best who ever competed in the long rich history of professional boxing.

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Happy Birthday, Hagler-Hearns! Is it still the greatest fight ever?

04/15/2017 James Slater

Imagine if, right now, you were eagerly awaiting the big fight tonight and it was Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns. Back when this one was coming up, fans everywhere knew they would get a great fight; they just didn’t know how great. For the three utterly explosive rounds these two special fighters gave us shocked even hardened fight experts, as the terrific HBO “The Tale Of Hagler-Hearns” show explains.

Often voted as THE greatest fight in boxing history; the result of the eight minutes of furnace-like warfare – a whole 15 rounds of action crammed into eight minutes – Hagler-Hearns has reached a near mythical status. Turn it on right now, and see if you still get shivers down your spine when watching that opening round; this without a doubt THE greatest opening three minutes in all of boxing (name a better, greater, more unbelievably exciting opening round if you can!)

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30 years ago today: Leonard-Hagler – The Superfight that caused a debate like no other

04/06/201704/06/2017 James Slater

The date of April 6, 1987 is etched firmly in the memory banks of all boxing fans who were of sufficient age to have been aware of “The Superfight” – the astonishing world middleweight title fight between defending champ Marvelous Marvin Hagler and underdog challenger Sugar Ray Leonard – when it took place.

The fight caused an enormous stir when first made official; in large part due to the perceived “crazy” decision former welterweight king Leonard was making in attempting to come back, after almost five years out of action, to challenge the formidable Hagler – this after having undergone major retinal surgery. But the debate that followed – one that continues to rage a full three decades later and shows no sign of fading away – proved absolutely monstrous.

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30 Years Later – Valdez / Ramirez / Magdaleno / Stevenson Score Hagler vs. Leonard

04/01/2017 Top Rank

It took place on Monday, April 6, 1987 at Caesars Palace and it was promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank®. The SuperFight: Hagler vs. Leonard, with Marvin Hagler defending his middleweight title against Sugar Ray Leonard, making a return after a three-year absence from the ring and a big question mark about his surgically-repaired eye. It was one the biggest and most successful sporting events of that era. Caesars Palace was sold out with 15,000 spectators and an estimated 400 million more watching worldwide via closed-circuit or on pay-tv. The media credentialed for fight week was close to 1,1000. It was the quintessential promotion of that time and the foundation on which mega fights are now promoted. And the result? It is as hotly debated today as it was 30 years ago when the judges’ scores were read that night. Dave Moretti scored it 115-113 for Leonard. Lou Fillippo scored it 115-113 for Hagler. Jo Jo Guerra scored it 118-110 for Leonard, making him the new middleweight champion, and completing one of the greatest career comebacks in boxing .

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Menacing middleweights: Hagler, Golovkin and Burley – the most avoided fighters in the division’s history

09/03/2016 Adam McMeeking

Even after ascending to the position of #1 contender in 1977, Marvin Hagler’s title shot was not forthcoming. His wait as the division’s top challenger – lasting over 2 years – became the longest in middleweight history.

Early on in Hagler’s career, heavyweight royalty, Joe Frazier, warned the young middleweight why promoters and their showpiece fighters would want nothing to do with him:

“You have three strikes against you: you’re black, you’re a southpaw and you’re good.”

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Hagler-Hearns – when they tried to set up a rematch

08/30/2016 James Slater

Once again, Marvellous Marvin Hagler and Thomas “Hitman” Hearns would box under the bright lights of Las Vegas, this time together, on the same night, against dangerous opposition. It was almost a full year after these two warriors had gone to hell and back against one other, and the grand plan for promoter Bob Arum was to set up a Hagler-Hearns II. Fans got two thrilling fights for their money this night in 1986 – one ending via violently quick KO, the other being an absolute war of attrition – as a rematch of the greatest fight in history was in the works.

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