Some posters will know that boxing equals football as my first love in sport, so I couldn't let the death at the young age of 66, a couple of weeks ago, of one of my favourite all time fighters (Rocky Marciano was the other) pass without comment. Hagler who added 'Marvelous' to his name by deed poll as so many journos described him so, is rated by many expert pundits and judges as having been the greatest middleweight of all time. As a very keen student myself, I agree with them.
Marvin was a modest and likeable family man who was born into abject poverty. He took to boxing to put food on the table for his family and was very good at it; so good that he had difficulty in getting fights. He was a superb technician with vicious punching power and a chin that was regarded as the most durable in boxing history. He suffered only one knock-down and that was highly disputed. In short, no one wanted to fight Hagler and, as Joe Frazier told him: "You've got three strikes against you. You're black, you're a southpaw and you're good".
Hagler held the undisputed world title from 1980 to 1987 with 12 successful defences in an era that boasted several 'greats' of boxing history. No bum of the month for Hagler who had a 78% KO ratio during his career, the highest in middleweight boxing history. And then in 1985 Marvin met Thomas 'Hitman' Hearns in a battle that was christened "The Fight" and then afterwards "The War". Hearns himself was one of the all time greats winning 61 of 67 fights with 48 KOs. He was naturally lighter than Hagler but with a freak upper body muscular build and stood 6ft 1" to Hagler's 5ft 10". Hearns, himself a devastating puncher, won FIVE world titles at different weights from welterweight to light heavyweight having to put on 50 pounds to battle the cruisers.
As hard as Hagler hit, Hearns was reckoned to be the harder one punch hitter but Hagler used heavy cluster or combination punches to despatch his opponents and he used that durable chin of his to absorb any punches that did get through to him. When you watch boxing on film the devastating impact of the punches is lost, much like the speed of the cars in Formula 1. You have to attend both sports live to appreciate both sports properly and fully. Better yet, take part in them.
Hagler was a genuinely likeable man and modest with it but he did admit that as soon as he entered the ring he became a monster - much like Marciano as it happens. When Hearns threatened to take his title, Hagler truly went to war, as did Hearns come to that. And when the referee came to Hagler's corner to check if he could see properly after an accidental headbutt had opened a bad gash, Hagler snarled at him and said: "I ain't missing him am I?" Fabulous!!
So, even if you're not a boxing fan, give yourself a treat and watch this first round. And bear in mind that just one of the heavier punches would likely come close to killing any of us: or those fairies in football who fall to the floor in 'agony' following the faintest touch. Enjoy.
And now the finish of the fight in the third round.
A comment I read about this pair of warriors. "Two of the greatest fighters of all time. Hearns was a monster, a 6ft 1" wrecking ball. If you couldn't hurt him, you couldn't beat him. He couldn't be outboxed, you HAD to fight him. Hagler was as ferocious a fighter as ever lived. He would walk through anything to get to you and eventually he got to you. MEN OF A DIFFERENT ERA!
Footnote: Hagler had his last fight when Sugar Ray Leonard, yet another great of that era, was ludicrously adjudged to have edged a split points decision against him. Of course Leonard was the Golden Boy, the darling of the media and, as superb a boxer as he was, some said that you had to knock him out to get a draw. One judge actually admitted after the fight that, upon reflection, he would have amended his scorecard in favour of Hagler. Be that as it may, Hagler was so incensed he quit boxing saying he wanted no part of it after a dishonest decision like that. He became an actor.
When asked who was the hardest puncher he ever faced he replied, "My mother". As for his death, it is rumoured that he suffered an allergic reaction to a Covid vaccine although his wife refutes that. She went on to say: "When Marvin departed from us he did so with that usual lovely smile on his face".
RIP, Marvin and thank you so much for some truly wonderful boxing memories. You were a great man in and out of the ring.
Marvin was a modest and likeable family man who was born into abject poverty. He took to boxing to put food on the table for his family and was very good at it; so good that he had difficulty in getting fights. He was a superb technician with vicious punching power and a chin that was regarded as the most durable in boxing history. He suffered only one knock-down and that was highly disputed. In short, no one wanted to fight Hagler and, as Joe Frazier told him: "You've got three strikes against you. You're black, you're a southpaw and you're good".
Hagler held the undisputed world title from 1980 to 1987 with 12 successful defences in an era that boasted several 'greats' of boxing history. No bum of the month for Hagler who had a 78% KO ratio during his career, the highest in middleweight boxing history. And then in 1985 Marvin met Thomas 'Hitman' Hearns in a battle that was christened "The Fight" and then afterwards "The War". Hearns himself was one of the all time greats winning 61 of 67 fights with 48 KOs. He was naturally lighter than Hagler but with a freak upper body muscular build and stood 6ft 1" to Hagler's 5ft 10". Hearns, himself a devastating puncher, won FIVE world titles at different weights from welterweight to light heavyweight having to put on 50 pounds to battle the cruisers.
As hard as Hagler hit, Hearns was reckoned to be the harder one punch hitter but Hagler used heavy cluster or combination punches to despatch his opponents and he used that durable chin of his to absorb any punches that did get through to him. When you watch boxing on film the devastating impact of the punches is lost, much like the speed of the cars in Formula 1. You have to attend both sports live to appreciate both sports properly and fully. Better yet, take part in them.
Hagler was a genuinely likeable man and modest with it but he did admit that as soon as he entered the ring he became a monster - much like Marciano as it happens. When Hearns threatened to take his title, Hagler truly went to war, as did Hearns come to that. And when the referee came to Hagler's corner to check if he could see properly after an accidental headbutt had opened a bad gash, Hagler snarled at him and said: "I ain't missing him am I?" Fabulous!!
So, even if you're not a boxing fan, give yourself a treat and watch this first round. And bear in mind that just one of the heavier punches would likely come close to killing any of us: or those fairies in football who fall to the floor in 'agony' following the faintest touch. Enjoy.
And now the finish of the fight in the third round.
A comment I read about this pair of warriors. "Two of the greatest fighters of all time. Hearns was a monster, a 6ft 1" wrecking ball. If you couldn't hurt him, you couldn't beat him. He couldn't be outboxed, you HAD to fight him. Hagler was as ferocious a fighter as ever lived. He would walk through anything to get to you and eventually he got to you. MEN OF A DIFFERENT ERA!
Footnote: Hagler had his last fight when Sugar Ray Leonard, yet another great of that era, was ludicrously adjudged to have edged a split points decision against him. Of course Leonard was the Golden Boy, the darling of the media and, as superb a boxer as he was, some said that you had to knock him out to get a draw. One judge actually admitted after the fight that, upon reflection, he would have amended his scorecard in favour of Hagler. Be that as it may, Hagler was so incensed he quit boxing saying he wanted no part of it after a dishonest decision like that. He became an actor.
When asked who was the hardest puncher he ever faced he replied, "My mother".
As for his death, it is rumoured that he suffered an allergic reaction to a Covid vaccine although his wife refutes that. She went on to say: "When Marvin departed from us he did so with that usual lovely smile on his face".RIP, Marvin and thank you so much for some truly wonderful boxing memories. You were a great man in and out of the ring.
