Legend of the sport Marvelous Marvin Hagler passed away on Saturday at his home in New Hampshire at 66, according to his wife, Kay Hagler. She informed his fans on Facebook and asked for privacy at this time.
Hagler was one of the greatest fighters in the 1980s, winning three world titles at middleweight, and battling the legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns, and Robert Duran.
Hagler was a powerful puncher with a huge heart, a great chin, and an attack & destroy-style of fighting. The way that Hagler took apart Tommy Hearns in a third-round stoppage in April 1985 was stunning.
Hagler’s other great fights during his career:
- Alan Minter
- Robert Duran
- Sugar Ray Leonard
- Mustafo Hamsho
- Vito Antuofermo
- John Mugabi
Hagler’s 11th round knockout victory over knockout artist John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi in March 1986 was one of the last fights of his career and one of most entertaining.
Mugabi came into the fight with Hagler with a long string of early knockouts, and many boxing fans felt that he would be too much for Marvin.
But Hagler was able to withstand Mugabi’s power and take him deep into the fight to score a knockout. That fight was arguably a lot harder for Hagler than his fight with Sugar Ray Leonard, which he lost.
While still in his prime at 33, Hagler retired from boxing a year after his questionable 12 round split decision loss to Sugar Ray Leonard on April 6th, 1987.
Hagler asked Leonard for a rematch, but instead, Sugar Ray chose to retire from the sport rather than face him again.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler waited for 14 months for Leonard to give him a rematch, but when saw that it wasn’t happening, he retired from the sport in June 1988. Hagler said he was “tired of waiting” for Leonard to fight him a second time.
It’s understandable why Hagler chose to retire rather than stick around because the money he would have made fighting the other guys at middleweight would have paled in comparison to the payday he’d have gotten in a rematch with Leonard.
Interestingly, Leonard eventually offered Hagler a rematch two years after his retirement in 1990, but he was no longer interested in the fight. The money that Hagler reportedly would have made is $15 million.
“I am sorry to make a very sad announcement. Today unfortunately my beloved husband Marvelous Marvin passed away unexpectedly at his home here in New Hampshire.
Our family requests that you respect our privacy during this difficult time. With love,” said Kay Hagler on Facebook.
