2021: The Year We Lost The Great Marvin Hagler

By James Slater - 12/28/2021 - Comments

Forget any boxing upset we witnessed this year; when it comes to the biggest shock, the event that left boxing fans most upset, there was one event that stands alone. Back in March, we woke up to the news (here in the UK at least, the news breaking in the early hours here) that the great, the Marvelous, Marvin Hagler had suddenly passed away. At just 66, the man many experts and fans, and fellow fighters say was the greatest middleweight ever was gone.

From March 13th, 2021 on, we would have to get used to the fact that of the celebrated “Four Kings,” only three were left living: Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Duran; the three men Hagler went to war with, in so doing giving the sport one of its most shockingly violent and action-packed fights (the War with Hearns) and one of the most controversial/debated fights of all-time (the 12 rounder with Leonard).

From time to time, these “Three Kings” pop up, often delighting fight fans with public appearances and the like, but we will never see Hagler again aside from on video. Over nine months on from his untimely death, it’s still hard to get used to the idea that Hagler is gone. But he is.

Hagler fought in an era that is all but unrecognizable today, where the superstars of the sport fought three times, maybe even four times a year. And there was far less cherry-picking going on, if any at all.

2021: The Year We Lost The Great Marvin Hagler

It was less a business to fighters back then compared to today, with mega-stars like Hagler, Leonard, Mike Tyson, and others routinely looking to fight the best and not get too overly concerned about the monetary rewards that would go with the fight. Winning and proving you were the best was what really counted, not the counting of the money.

Former two-weight champ Tony Lopez recently told this writer how, when he was fighting his biggest fights, he wasn’t worrying about the money – “I knew the money would be there,” Lopez said.

And Hagler was the same. Sure, he picked up a gargantuan payday for the Leonard fight, yet by that time in his career – after some 66 pro fights, many of them tough affairs – he was more than entitled to a massive retirement fund. Did Hagler know, perhaps deep down, that the Leonard fight of 1987 would be his swansong? Probably. There was no ill-fated comeback in the career of Hagler, although he was for a while tempted to fight Sugar Ray a second time, so badly did that split decision against him hurt.

But Hagler proved he was one of the smart ones. He stayed retired, his legacy as secure as can be imagined for a fighter who exited on the back of a defeat (to this day, of course, fans everywhere argue, quite fiercely, over who really won the “Super-Fight”).

It’s a crying shame Hagler is not still here enjoying a long, long, retirement; one that was more than earned. Hagler gave his all in the ring every single time he fought. There are not many fighters you can say that about, but it’s true of Hagler; there were no out-of-shape, less than motivated ring appearances from Hagler. Instead, Hagler fought at 160 rock-solid pounds every single time, and he never, ever disrespected the sport itself or his own skills.

We fight fans who were lucky enough to have seen Hagler fight live, either from ringside or sat at home watching on TV, will never forget him. Marvelous was more than a nickname, of course. Marvelous was Hagler’s real name. In every sense of the word.

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15 thoughts on “2021: The Year We Lost The Great Marvin Hagler”

Howie

01/05/2022 at 8:41 pm

Took the vaccine. History of heart ptoblem . An incredible in shape athlete. It was uncle Joe’s vax. Wake up
Steve

01/04/2022 at 8:54 pm

One of the greatest fighters ever . Sadly died from the vaccine side effects.
- Anonymous
  
  01/04/2022 at 9:44 pm
  
  Not true.
SpArK

01/04/2022 at 1:14 am

I agree. Marvelous was my favorite fighter from the time I was a 15 yr. old in1977. His professionalism and skill made me love and respect the sport. I respect Sugars’ skill but I hate that he played the retirement game off and on and took the Hagler fight 3-4 years after it should’ve been made because he saw Marvin lose a step or 2 and knew he could run 2 min. Flurry 1 and get rounds. Long Live Marvelous !!! One of the greats!
SUGAR RAY SANCHEZ

01/03/2022 at 8:55 pm

Marvin Marvin hagler was a great fighter in Sugar Ray was an entertainer case closed we’ll never see another one like him again
LD

01/03/2022 at 2:48 pm

I had 3 of Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s fight recorded on beta Max VCR Hagler vs John the beast Mugabe
Marvin vs Hearns
And the Hagler vs Sugar Ray
It was clear that Hagler conroled the fight and landed the more effective punches Sugar Ray concentrated on trying to steal the last part of the rounds shoe shinning and got a bealt from a legitimate champ that’s a shame so if you watched the fight unbaised then you would know Sugar Ray lost and there was a reason he ain’t give Marvelous Marv a rematch cause he wasn’t gone play nice and nobody wanted to see a motivated Hagler in the ring and that’s what ultimately lead him to his retirement
Alfred Green

01/01/2022 at 8:05 pm

The sport is called boxing not fighting and he boxed him
PNUT

01/01/2022 at 10:31 am

We were lucky to have Marvelous Marvin Hagler and the other Three Kings. They made boxing proud. It’s a shame that fighters these days are so inactive and the promoters are too greedy to work with each other to make the best fights and the fights that fans want to see. Marvin was a great example of a Champion as a fighter and a man.
Rest In Power , Marvelous One.
- Anonymous
  
  01/03/2022 at 11:46 am
  
  Emile Griffith would have put Hearns and Sugar Ray to sleep in the same night
Stefan Jones

12/31/2021 at 8:56 pm

The best and greatest Middle weight fighter of all times. Never backed down never quit. A true fighter, robbed by the Sugar Ray fight. Always a champ. If you missed him, you will never see anyone else like him. It was an honor to see him box
- Sc
  
  01/01/2022 at 7:45 am
  
  If you watch the haggler leanird fight amd score it properly a person would be blind or bias not to give it to sugar i loved both fighters but sugar simply took thay fight away from hagler. How he did it with the eye and the long lay off makes me scratch ky head too but watch it and score it and you sill see ray came out ahead of course you have to watch it unbias
- Anonymous
  
  01/02/2022 at 8:03 pm
  
  Absolutely 100 percent agree
Robert Hemingway jr

12/31/2021 at 7:27 pm

Marvin Hagler was truly one of the great middleweights
Mike

12/31/2021 at 7:00 pm

I couldn’t agree with you more about Marvelous he was the greatest middleweight of all time. To me the Champion must be beat to lose his title. Sugar danced and moved the whole fight didn’t want to mix it up with the Marvelous one.
- Suber
  
  01/02/2022 at 6:24 pm
  
  You are so right, I watched that fight over and over. Each time getting more pissed at how they cheated Marvin 😒

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