Marvelous Marvin Hagler

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Marvelous Marvin Hagler boxer
Marvelous Marvin Hagler
Data
Birth Name Marvin Nathaniel Hagler
Weight class medium weight
nationality US-american
birthday May 23, 1954
place of birth Newark
style Legal display
size 1.75 m
Combat Statistics
Struggles 67
Victories 62
Knockout victories 52
Defeats 3
draw 2

Marvelous Marvin Hagler (* 23. May 1954 in Newark , New Jersey as Marvin Nathaniel Hagler ) is a former American professional boxer in the middleweight division. From 1980 to 1987 he was the undefeated world champion in this weight class and is considered one of the best middleweight boxers of all time. He won 62 of his 67 professional fights, 52 of which by knockout, and boxed twice in a draw. He also starred in the movie Two Fists for Miami .

Amateur career

Hagler won the 1973 Middleweight Championship of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and is said to have won a total of 57 fights.

Professional career

Beginnings

On May 18, 1973 Hagler played his first professional fight. Though left-handed boxing mostly in the advantageous right display, Hagler was known to be a switchhitter , someone who constantly changes display to confuse opponents. His first 14 opponents were classic development opponents , among whom there was not a single former, reigning or future title holder. Only three of these opponents could show a positive match record at all. Hagler won all 14 fights, 12 of which by knockout. On August 30, 1974, he boxed against the 1972 Olympic champion, who was undefeated in 21 professional fights, Sugar Ray Seales , and won by unanimous decision. Hagler had shown that he was also made for larger tasks and then defeated two other opponents k within two weeks. o., before he played a rematch against Seales on November 26, 1974, which ended in a draw. He was able to win his next eight fights again, six of them early. Among them was Johnny Baldwin , unbeaten in 29 professional fights , whom he defeated unanimously on points.

Unbeaten in 26 professional fights so far, he went on January 13, 1976 against Bobby Watts (26-3-1) in his hometown of Philadelphia and lost completely surprisingly by an extremely close, split decision. After a subsequent knockout win in Round 2 against former World Cup challenger Matt Donovan, he boxed on March 9, 1976 against Willie Monroe (32-3-1), also in his hometown Philadelphia. Hagler also lost this fight surprisingly on points. However, it would be his final defeat for over eleven years.

From June to December 1976 he played four more fights, all of which he won by knockout. On February 15, 1977, he won the vacant North American championship title by technical knockout in round 12 against Willie Monroe and thus returned the favor for the defeat in March 1976. On his way to the world championship fight, he won the following 15 fights, 13 of them by knockout. He defeated again Willie Monroe (knockout in round 2) and Sugar Ray Seals (knockout in round 1), as well as twice the former and future European champion Kevin Finnegan (knockout in round 7 or 9).

Fight against Vito Antuofermo

As number 1 in the WBA rankings and number 2 in the WBC rankings, he rose to the ring as a worthy challenger on November 30, 1979 against the reigning WBA and WBC world champion Vito Antuofermo in Las Vegas . At the time, the WBA and WBC were the only two recognized world associations in professional boxing, which made the fight a prestigious duel. The fight records of the two were extremely similar; both had fought 49 professional fights so far, Antuofermo 45 and Hagler had won 46 fights.

Hagler was the clearly superior man in the first laps and landed numerous impact hits. Antuofermo, who was known for his susceptibility to cut injuries , did not want to get involved in an open exchange with Hagler, who was known for his punching power and worked more out of cover. From lap 11, however, the tide began to turn when Hagler suddenly took the pace out of the fight and gave Antuofermo, who had been under pressure, the opportunity to regenerate. This became stronger in the further course of the fight and could now land impact hits in turn. In lap 13, Hagler almost went down after a right hook from the native Italian, but was able to lean his back against the ropes and continue boxing. However, Hagler remained dangerous and was able to score several times with his stroke combinations that left their mark on Antuofermo's face.

After the full 15 rounds it came to one of the most controversial point judgments in boxing history; Judge Duane Ford scored the match 145: 141 for Hagler, judge Dalby Shirley, however, 144: 142 for Antuofermo. The third, decisive judge Hal Miller scored the fight 143: 143, which ended the fight in a draw and Antuofermo could keep his title. The New York Times, for example, saw Hagler as the real winner, while the Associated Press saw Antuofermo as the winner.

Battle against Alan Minter and win WBA and WBC titles

On February 16, 1980, he defeated the African champion Loucif Hamani by knockout in round 2, and on April 19, 1980 Bobby Watts by technical knockout in round 2, which he now also for the narrow defeat of January 1976 could avenge. On May 17, 1980, there was a unanimous victory on points against the multiple Mexican champion Marcos Geraldo.

On September 27, 1980 Hagler got the chance to win the world championship of the WBA and WBC again in London against the new title holder Alan Minter , who had previously dethroned Vito Antuofermo by winning points and also won the rematch by technical knockout in round 8. Hagler clearly dominated the fight and finally won by technical knockout in round 3 after the Brit was taken out of the fight due to a cut injury over the left eye. Even before Hagler could be declared the new world champion of all associations, he was attacked by the angry spectators with projectiles and had to be evacuated from the ring.

Title defenses

In his first title defense on January 17, 1981, he defeated Fulgencio Obelmejias, who was unbeaten in 30 fights, by technical knockout in round 8 and also won the rematch on October 30, 1982 by technical knockout in round 5.

On June 13, 1981 he won the long-awaited rematch against Vito Antuofermo by technical knockout in round 4. Antuofermo then did not contest a fight for 39 months and disappeared from the international stage. He also defeated the two world championship challengers Mustafa Hamsho and William Lee by technical knockout in round 11 and 1. On February 11, 1983, he defended both titles against European champion Tony Sibson by technical knockout in round 6 .

Winning the IBF title and other title defenses

On May 27, 1983 he won by knockout in round 4 against the US champion Wilford Scypion and thus became the first world champion of the newly founded world association IBF , which he helped to gain a lot of reputation.

On November 10, 1983, he defended all three titles against boxing legend Roberto Durán . Durán had won 77 of 81 fights so far, 58 of them by knockout and was a former WBA and WBC lightweight world champion, WBC welterweight world champion and WBA light middleweight world champion. Hagler won the fight in Las Vegas by unanimous decision on points.

On March 30, 1984 he boxed against the number 1 in the WBA world rankings, the Argentine Juan Roldán (52-2-2) and won by technical knockout in round 10. Roldán started the fight at high speed and was able to do several strong Landing hits. After 20 seconds of the first lap, Hagler went down for the first time in his career, but insisted that he only slipped when he made an evasive move. Although he was immediately back on his feet and showed no impact, he was counted by the referee standing to 8 before the fight was released again. Roldán could not keep up his high pace and had to take hits again and again, with his right eye completely swelling. After a knockdown in round 10, he showed the referee no willingness to continue boxing, whereupon the referee ended the fight in favor of Hagler.

On October 19, 1984 he defended his title with a technical knockout in round 3 against Mustafa Hamsho, whom he was able to knock out on October 3, 1981.

Fight against Thomas Hearns

On April 15, 1985, one of the most spectacular boxing matches of all time took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and went down in history under the name "The War". Marvin Hagler, as world champion of all three recognized world titles at the height of his career and unbeaten for over nine years, was challenged by Thomas Hearns from Detroit. Hearns had won 40 of his 41 fights, 34 of them by knockout, and was a former WBA welterweight champion and a former WBC light middleweight champion. He suffered his only defeat in September 1981 in a title union fight against Sugar Ray Leonard , Olympic champion from 1976. Hearns was still so convincing in the fight that this duel was voted "Fight of the Year" by Ring Magazine . Against Hagler he was now planning his successful entry into the middleweight division.

While Hagler largely withdrew from the public eye prior to the fight and focused fully on his training, Hearns had a strong public presence. An ongoing rivalry erupted between the two boxers. When the gong rang in the first round, there was an open exchange of blows that lasted the whole round. Hagler's tactic was to keep harassing Hearns, leaving no time to think and regenerate. In round 2, too, the wild exchange of blows continued until the end, with the first signs of the fight becoming apparent on both boxers; Hearns had injured his slap hand, as he later claimed it even broke, and Hagler had suffered a severely bleeding laceration on his forehead. In all three rounds, Hearns stumbled repeatedly, allegedly, according to his trainer, because he got a massage before the fight. In round 3 the fight was finally interrupted for a short time because referee Richard Steele wanted to have the laceration examined by the ring doctor; However, he gave his okay to continue the fight. Hagler then landed a right to Hearn's temple, whereupon the latter stumbled through the ring. Before he could recover, Hagler hit with two other rights, causing Hearns to go down and be tallied. Hagler won by technical knockout; the two opponents then became good friends.

Many boxing experts called the duel the best middleweight fight of all time. The journal Ring Magazine spoke of the greatest round of boxing history and the most compelling eight minutes of all time . The first round was voted “Round of the Year” and the fight itself “Fight of the Year”.

Fighting Sugar Ray Leonard

On March 10, 1986 he defeated the undefeated, later WBC world champion John Mugabi by knockout in round 11. Mugabi had previously won each of his 25 fights by knockout.

On April 6, 1987 he played a fight against the fast counter-boxer Sugar Ray Leonard , which he narrowly - and, according to various experts, wrongly - lost on points. After years of abstinence from ringing, Leonard had made a comeback, waived part of his fee in order to be able to determine the type of glove and asked for an extra-large ring. This should pay off. Two of the judges scored the fight in favor of Leonard (118: 110 and 115: 113), while the third judge scored the fight 115: 113 for Hagler. The Associated Press , Newsday, Chicago Sun-Times , Chicago Tribune and San Jose Mercury-News also saw Hagler as the real winner, The New York Times , New York Post and The Washington Post tied the fight. Ring Magazine again voted the bout "Bout of the Year".

After he was not granted a rematch, Hagler resigned from active boxing.

Private life

Former middleweight boxer Robbie Sims is Hagler's half-brother. Hagler has five children with his first wife Bertha. In May 2000 he married his second wife Kay from Italy.

successes

amateur

  • 1973: AAU middleweight champion

professional

  • February 15, 1977: North American middleweight champion
  • September 27, 1980: WBC World Middleweight Champion (11 title defenses)
  • September 27, 1980: WBA World Middleweight Champion (11 title defenses)
  • May 27, 1983: IBF World Middleweight Champion (5 title defenses)

Further honors

Others

Since many sports commentators did not use his nickname Marvelous ("wonderful, fantastic"), he changed his real name to Marvelous Marvin Hagler in 1982.

After his boxing career he became an actor in Italy and worked as a police officer in Virtual Weapon , as well as a US marine in the films Indio and Indio 2 .

He is a member of the Laureus World Sports Awards .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ira Winderman: After A Year's Prefight, Bell Tolls For These . In: Sun-Sentinel , April 5, 1987. Retrieved November 12, 2016. 
  2. ↑ Bob Carter: You Look Marvelous. In: ESPN.com. September 26, 2006, accessed March 31, 2012 .
predecessor Office successor
Alan Minter World Middleweight Boxing Champion ( WBA )
September 27, 1980–1987 		vacant
Sumbu Kalambay
predecessor Office successor
Alan Minter World Middleweight Boxing Champion ( WBC )
September 27, 1980 to April 6, 1987 		Sugar Ray Leonard
predecessor Office successor
First title holder Middleweight Boxing Champion ( IBF )
May 27, 1983 to April 6, 1987 		vacant
Frank Tate
personal data
SURNAME Hagler, Marvelous Marvin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hagler, Marvin Nathaniel (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American boxer
DATE OF BIRTH May 23, 1954
PLACE OF BIRTH Newark