It’s been over a 12 months because the nice Marvelous Marvin Hagler departed this mortal coil and for this battle fan who can vividly recall the thrill of watching Marvelous Marvin in motion within the 1980’s, it’s nonetheless a bit unreal. Consider it or not, the reminiscences of him battling guys like Caveman Lee and Marcos Geraldo on dwell tv are nonetheless recent, and the joys of the opening bell to his legendary battle towards Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, one of many best fights of all-time, stays unforgettable.
That Marvelous Marvin is an all-time nice, no one can doubt. He’ll perpetually be one of the vital feared and completed middleweight champions in boxing historical past, and top-of-the-line southpaws to ever step into the ring. Which begs the query: which performances finest exemplify his greatness? Effectively, go away it to us to catalogue and rank essentially the most spectacular victories in Hagler’s legendary profession. On the anniversary of his delivery, time to look again and admire anew one of many best boxers who has ever lived, Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Test ’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 beginner and professional, a fighter who figured to offer Marvelous Marvin, on the very least, some critical work. However what Loucif and his individuals 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 towards 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 “Totally 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 powerful, 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 couple of rounds for Hagler to unravel the type of Obelmejias, however as soon as he did he dominated, doling 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 best 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 gained 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 file as saying “I’ve acquired lots to study.” So he went again to Brockton and put within the work and the next 12 months confirmed everybody he had certainly discovered his classes, out-boxing “The Worm” with ruthless effectivity earlier than getting the TKO within the twelfth and closing 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 high 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 finally stopping him in spherical ten. However trying again this can be a rattling high quality 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 City Cobra” in 1987.
8. Vito Antuofermo, D15, November 30, 1979: Yeah, we all know, the title is “Prime 12 Biggest 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 after 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 acquired as Hagler performed matador to Antuofermo’s bull, artfully deflecting and sidestepping Vito’s offensive efforts whereas touchdown his personal telling photographs. It’s no exaggeration to say Hagler gained as many as eleven of the fifteen rounds. To hell with the official verdict: this was a victory over top-of-the-line middleweights on the planet on the time, and an emphatic one.
7. Mustafa Hamsho, TKO 11, October 3, 1981: Add Hamsho’s title to the listing of formidable fighters who would possibly effectively have turn into a world champion if not for the unfortunate proven fact that they shared the middleweight turf with an all-time nice. The Syrian was exceedingly powerful and robust, packed some critical energy, and had gained 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 good, side-stepping and parrying Hamsho’s assaults, countering with precision, and profitable each spherical. Within the eleventh a sequence 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 finest 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} file 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 towards Monzon.
5. John Mugabi, KO11, March 10, 1986: Little question some thought Mugabi, aka “The Beast,” made-to-order for “The Marvelous One.” In spite of everything, he was a come-forward slugger, open to Hagler’s pin-point counters, and shifting 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 exhilarating struggle, combating with outstanding aplomb as he greater than held his personal. Along with his offensive abilities, Marvelous Marvin confirmed off his unbelievable toughness this night time, as the harmful Mugabi slammed house scores of heavy photographs 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 towards a supposedly over-the-hill “Palms of Stone” fairly underwhelming, however this victory has aged like high quality 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 best fighters to have ever lived, pound-for-pound. Marvin fought a tactical battle, his ring abilities on par with these of the legendary Panamanian, to prevail by clear-cut fifteen spherical choice.
3. Alan Minter, TKO3, September 27, 1980: Little question Hagler knew it was do-or-die as he acquired his second crack at a world title towards the succesful Briton who had established himself as the highest man within the division by twice defeating the powerful Antuofermo. A decided Marvelous Marvin boxed with managed fury on the champion’s house 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 stated 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 a terrific risk to take Hagler’s belt, however on the similar time he was the legit high contender for the title, sturdy and sturdy, with every part to battle for. And certainly he gave it his all, continually coming ahead and firing massive photographs. However Hagler was so sharp, a lot in command, he made his opponent appear like a rank beginner at instances, 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 towards Sibson he was so spectacular, so dominant, he seemed nearly unbeatable. From a technical perspective, that is Marvelous Marvin’s most masterful efficiency.
1. Thomas Hearns, TKO3, April 15, 1985: There may be no query as to what victory belongs on the very high of this listing. Hagler vs Hearns was a blockbuster, one of many largest “superfights” of the 1980’s, a conflict of the 2 finest boxers on the planet, and it greater than lived as much as the hype. Hearns was coming off a stunning 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 reduce 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, top-of-the-line of all-time.
