Yesterday marked the second anniversary of the wholly surprising, and much too early, passing of Marvelous Marvin Hagler from this mortal coil, and for this battle fan who nonetheless vividly recollects the thrill of watching this latter-day nice in motion within the 1980’s, his dying stays a surreal occurring, nonetheless troublesome to consider. Particularly because the reminiscences of him battling guys like Caveman Lee and Marcos Geraldo on reside tv are nonetheless contemporary, and the fun of the opening bell to his legendary battle in opposition to Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, one of many biggest fights of all-time, stays unforgettable.
That Marvelous Marvin is an all-time nice, nobody can doubt. He’ll endlessly be some of the feared and completed middleweight champions in boxing historical past, and among the finest southpaws to ever step into the ring. Which begs the query: which performances greatest exemplify his greatness? Effectively, go away it to us to catalogue and rank probably the most spectacular victories in Hagler’s legendary profession. On the anniversary of his start, time to look again and respect anew one of many biggest boxers who has ever lived, Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Examine ’em out:
12. Loucif Hamani, KO 2, February 16, 1980: Convincing victories over David Love and Emile Griffith attested to the truth that Algeria’s Hamani was an completed pugilist, each novice and professional, a fighter who figured to present Marvelous Marvin, on the very least, some severe work. However what Loucif and his folks couldn’t have anticipated was that this was a model of “The Marvelous One” primed for destruction, seething as he was over the injustice he suffered three months earlier than when the judges robbed Marvin blind in his first bout in opposition to Vito Antuofermo. A raging Hagler wasted no time in demonstrating his superiority, his second spherical knockout of Hamani among the many most vicious in his profession.
11. Fulgencio Obelmejias, TKO 8, January 17, 1981: Few knew on the time, and even fewer recall now, however “Absolutely Obel,” as Marvin appreciated to name his Venezuelan rival, was a legit contender. The person might battle and went on to have a really respectable profession, however a razor sharp Marvelous Marvin utterly out-classed him in each of their contests. Obelmejias was the taller, longer man with a busy jab and a serviceable proper hand, and he was additionally robust, as he needed to be to final so long as he did in his first conflict with “The Marvelous One” on the Boston Backyard. It took a number of rounds for Hagler to resolve the fashion of Obelmejias, however as soon as he did he dominated, shelling out a vicious, two-fisted battering earlier than the referee mercifully ended the one-sided bloodbath in spherical eight.
10. Willie Monroe, TKO 12, August 23, 1977: They referred to as him “Willie The Worm” and the person might field, as wins over Stanley “Kitten” Hayward, Billy “Dynamite” Douglas, and Eugene “Cyclone” Hart attest, however the biggest night time of Monroe’s profession was in March of 1976 when he went toe-to-toe with Marvelous Marvin Hagler on the Philadelphia Spectrum and received a ten spherical unanimous choice. This was no theft; Monroe fought his ass off and gave Hagler his first (and arguably, final) authentic defeat. So naturally Marvin’s convincing victory of their rematch has to rank on this listing. After the primary battle, Hagler is on document as saying “I’ve acquired quite a bit to be taught.” So he went again to Brockton and put within the work and the next yr confirmed everybody he had certainly discovered his classes, out-boxing “The Worm” with ruthless effectivity earlier than getting the TKO within the twelfth and last spherical.
9. Juan Domingo Roldan, TKO 10, March 30, 1984: On the time nobody knew who the hell Roldan was past the truth that he had put a sudden and violent finish to Frank “The Animal” Fletcher’s run as a prime contender, a formidable feat in its personal proper. However on the time Marvelous Marvin acquired little credit score for rumbling with the rugged Argentine and ultimately stopping him in spherical ten. However wanting again it is a rattling nice victory seeing as this is similar Roldan who additionally beat Carlos Herrera, Juan Carlos Gimenez and James Kinchen, and who got here very near knocking out “The Motor Metropolis Cobra” in 1987.
8. Vito Antuofermo, D15, November 30, 1979: Yeah, we all know, the title is “High 12 Best Victories.” And this wasn’t a victory. Effectively, screw that. Anybody who watches this battle and says with a straight face that the judges acquired it proper once they scored it a draw and denied Hagler a world title belt must get their eyes checked, pronto. As a result of the reality is that this was a stunning efficiency from Marvelous Marvin, one deserving of extra accolades than it has ever obtained as Hagler performed matador to Antuofermo’s bull, artfully deflecting and sidestepping Vito’s offensive efforts whereas touchdown his personal telling pictures. It’s no exaggeration to say Hagler received as many as eleven of the fifteen rounds. To hell with the official verdict: this was a victory over among the finest middleweights on the earth on the time, and an emphatic one.
7. Mustafa Hamsho, TKO 11, October 3, 1981: Add Hamsho’s identify to the listing of formidable fighters who would possibly nicely have turn into a world champion if not for the unfortunate incontrovertible fact that they shared the middleweight turf with an all-time nice. The Syrian was exceedingly robust and robust, packed some severe energy, and had received 27 straight, with victories over Wilford Scypion, Curtis Parker and Alan Minter. He bravely took the battle to the champion, however Hagler was simply too sharp and too sensible, side-stepping and parrying Hamsho’s assaults, countering with precision, and successful each spherical. Within the eleventh a collection of blows had a worn-out and bloodied Hamsho helpless and the one-sided clinic was stopped.
6. Bennie Briscoe, W10, August 24, 1978: With out query the nice “Unhealthy Bennie” was on the downslide by the point he locked-up with Hagler on the Philadelphia Spectrum. However there’s additionally little question that Briscoe, one of many all-time greatest to by no means win a world crown, a Philly warrior who twice battled Carlos Monzon and gave the Argentine legend a few of his hardest rounds, represented a stern take a look at for the younger Marvelous Marvin. Thus it was becoming {that a} document crowd jammed the Philadelphia Spectrum to see Hagler win a clear-cut ten spherical choice. Later Briscoe paid Marvin an enormous praise when he opined that the southpaw would have had the sting in a dream battle in opposition to Monzon.
5. John Mugabi, KO11, March 10, 1986: Little doubt some thought Mugabi, aka “The Beast,” made-to-order for “The Marvelous One.” In any case, he was a come-forward slugger, open to Hagler’s pin-point counters, and transferring up from the tremendous welterweight division. However within the Ugandan’s career-best efficiency, he gave Marvin a great deal of bother and followers an exciting battle, preventing with exceptional aplomb as he greater than held his personal. Along with his offensive expertise, Marvelous Marvin confirmed off his unimaginable toughness this night time, as the damaging Mugabi slammed dwelling scores of heavy pictures however couldn’t shake “The Marvelous One” earlier than Hagler acquired the clear knockout in spherical eleven.
4. Roberto Duran, W15, November 10, 1983: On the time many regarded Hagler’s efficiency in opposition to a supposedly over-the-hill “Fingers of Stone” slightly underwhelming, however this victory has aged like nice wine as Marvelous Marvin clearly acquired the higher of the identical Duran who would convincingly defeat Iran Barkley in 1989, and who’s now universally considered one of many biggest fighters to have ever lived, pound-for-pound. Marvin fought a tactical battle, his ring expertise on par with these of the legendary Panamanian, to prevail by clear-cut fifteen spherical choice.
3. Alan Minter, TKO3, September 27, 1980: Little doubt Hagler knew it was do-or-die as he acquired his second crack at a world title in opposition to the succesful Briton who had established himself as the highest man within the division by twice defeating the robust Antuofermo. A decided Marvelous Marvin boxed with managed fury on the champion’s dwelling turf of Wembley Area in London, unleashing a vicious assault within the third spherical that had a bloodied Minter reeling concerning the ring earlier than the champion’s coach signaled give up. The professional-Minter crowd rioted because the victorious Hagler was whisked to security by police, however Marvin later mentioned it didn’t matter, that the second his hand was raised as the brand new world champ it was “a dream fulfilled.”
2. Tony Sibson, TKO6, February 11, 1983: The sport Sibson was not considered an important menace to take Hagler’s belt, however on the similar time he was the legit prime contender for the title, sturdy and sturdy, with the whole lot to battle for. And certainly he gave it his all, continually coming ahead and firing huge pictures. However Hagler was so sharp, a lot in command, he made his opponent appear like a rank novice at occasions, Marvin’s footwork, jab, protection, stance-switching, and mixtures all working in sync, as Marvelous Marvin placed on a clinic for his Massachusetts followers. Shut observers already knew Hagler was a grasp boxer, however in opposition to Sibson he was so spectacular, so dominant, he appeared nearly unbeatable. From a technical perspective, that is Marvelous Marvin’s most masterful efficiency.
1. Thomas Hearns, TKO3, April 15, 1985: There might be no query as to what victory belongs on the very prime of this listing. Hagler vs Hearns was a blockbuster, one of many largest “superfights” of the 1980’s, a conflict of the 2 greatest boxers on the planet, and it greater than lived as much as the hype. Hearns was coming off a surprising two spherical destruction of Roberto Duran, whereas Hagler had by no means confronted a challenger as formidable as “The Hit Man.” The legendary “Eight Minutes of Fury” is now a part of boxing lore and it noticed Hagler overcome the facility of Hearns and a foul lower to place his rival down and out in spherical three. The victory cemented Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s standing as not simply one of many nice middleweight champions, however as, pound-for-pound, among the finest of all-time.
