Marvelous One
By M. Abduh

“If they cut my bald head open, they will find one big boxing glove.” —Marvelous Marvin Hagler

To be honest, I rooted for Sugar Ray Leonard. After Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray was my favorite fighter. He had all the gifts: fast hands, quick feet, enormous heart. But I also had love & the upmost respect for Marvelous Marvin Hagler, like all boxing people I knew. But before his fight with Leonard—& certainly after it—Hagler felt anything but loved or respected: “What do I have to do to get the recognition?” he said in an interview. “Do I have to kill someone?” (He even legally changed his name to Marvelous Marvin Hagler, so announcers would be forced to call him “Marvelous.”) Nevertheless, throughout his career, he earned his respect. A three-round war with Tommy Hearns & an epic battle with John “The Beast” Mugabi are but two examples of why Marvelous Marvin Hagler is universally revered.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, Hagler’s family moved to Brockton, Massachusetts in 1967, after the Newark rebellion. At the time, Brockton was known for another fighter. It was the birthplace of former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. Hagler started boxing around 1969 in a gym owned by the Petronelli brothers, Pat & Goody, who became his handlers. Hagler turned pro in 1973. After going unbeaten in his first three years, (including a draw on November 26, 1974, with the other Sugar Ray—Sugar Ray Seales), his first loss came at the hands of Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts on January 13, 1976. Then he lost to Willie “The Worm” Monroe on March 9, 1976, both at the Spectrum in Philadelphia. He would go on to avenge both losses & would not lose again until April 6, 1987. A loss he would not avenge.

A southpaw who could also fight orthodox, Hagler’s style was relentless. He walked down opponents & worked nonstop. He always entered the ring in top form, a result of his rigorous training regimen. Former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis said that Hagler “was the one I emulated my own training camps after, when I saw how seriously he took training camps.” Hagler was so feared, he did not get a title shot until 1979 against middleweight champ Vito Antuofermo—after fifty-three fights. Former heavyweight champion Smokin’ Joe Frazier explained why Hagler had such a hard time getting a title shot: “You’re black, you’re southpaw, & you’re good,” he said. And although he got his shot that night in Las Vegas, he did not get his belt. The bout ended in a controversial draw, with Antuofermo retaining the title. Hagler would later say that this fight taught him not to leave things in the hands of judges. He would instead “destruct & destroy” with his own hands.

Hagler finally became world champion on September 27, 1980 after defeating Alan Minter in Wembley Arena. With a third round TKO, he won the WBA, WBC, & Ring middleweight titles. Before the fight, Minter was quoted as saying that he did “not intend to lose his title to a Black man.” The audience that night had similar intentions. After Hagler dispatched Minter in three rounds, the crowd hurled beer bottles into the ring. Hagler had to be surrounded by cornermen, then by bobbies, & rushed to safety. & while he did not get to hold up his new belts in the ring, he was the undisputed middleweight champion of the world, a title he would successfully defend for the next seven years, completely dominating the division—until he faced Sugar Ray Leonard.

It was touted as a dream fight. “War II,” Hagler called it. After visiting both camps, HBO sportscaster Barry Tompkins said that “if looks win fights, then this fight is dead even. Both of them look ready, right now.” Before the fight, Leonard said that the first round was important. He needed to get off to a fast start & get Hagler‘s respect. Hagler, to the surprise of many, started the fight in the orthodox stance (even though Leonard had been struggling with southpaws throughout training camp), while Leonard tiptoed around every inch of the 20-foot ring. Leonard took the first round. Moving well & clinching often, he took second round as well. Those first two rounds would prove pivotal to the judge’s decision. Leonard went on to win the early rounds. Hagler took the middle rounds. Hagler was more aggressive, but Leonard was able to stay on his bicycle & throw enough flurries to outscore Hagler. After a close fight, announcer Chuck Hull read the decision: “The winner by split decision &…new middleweight champion of the world: Sugar Ray Leonard! (The judges scored the fight 118-110, 115-113, & 113-115.) A visibly stunned & incredulous Hagler continued to shake his head and repeat that he won the fight, that he had been robbed by the judges. He was not alone in his opinion. Over the years, many fight fans & boxing experts have expressed their belief that Hagler indeed won the fight. But as I said that night to my father, & have repeated ever since, the fight was so close I could see it going either way. But “robbed” Hagler was not.

Unfortunately, this would be Hagler‘s final fight. After Leonard denied him a rematch & a chance to even the score, Hagler retired. He left the States for Italy & remained there for many years, becoming something of an action film star. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993, finishing his career at 62-3-2, 52 KO’s. Like his fighting style, Hagler’s road to the middleweight crown was hardscrabble, but he reigned atop the division for years, successfully defending his title twelve times. Ring magazine, the “Bible of Boxing,” named him the fourth greatest middleweight in history.

After news of his death on Sunday, tributes poured in from the boxing world. Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson tweeted: Marvin Hagler was one of the best warriors in the sport. Condolences to his family.  He will be missed. Promoter Bob Arum said of him, “He was a man of honor & a man of his word, & he performed in the ring with unparalleled determination. He was a true athlete & a true man.” As for his old nemesis, Sugar Ray Leonard tweeted, You are definitely gone too soon. But you will forever live on as one of the greats. Marvin Hagler was indeed one of the greatest, the epitome of skill, pride, grit, determination, & heart. In a word, he was Marvelous.