We live in a time in which mediocrity is promoted as the greatest thing ever. Hacks, bitches, lotion boys and hoes get promoted as the greatest thing ever! Either they put a label on themselves, or the mainstream media does. The reality is that they all suck and any person with a scintilla of intelligence cannot seriously lionize let alone, consider them to be “great”!
That said, one guy who did not suck, was Marvelous Marvin Hagler. He earned and deserved the name “Marvelous”, because he marvelously beat the shit out of the other boxers, who were foolish enough to get in the ring with him. This no-nonsense boxer was there to fight and fighting he did. Before he became a professional, he had an amateur record of 55-1. His professional record became 67 fights, 62 wins, 3 losses and 2 draws. Of the 62 wins he won 52 by knockout. Hagler has the highest knockout percentage of all undisputed middleweight champions still to this day. He was world champ from 1980 until 1987 and I will get to that later.
7-year champ Marvelous Marvin Hagler
When Hagler started as professional people didn’t want to fight him. Joe Frazier told him :“You have three strikes against you, "You're black, you're a southpaw, and you're good!" And good he was.
In 1979 he got his first title shot and that was a draw.
In 1980 he got his second title shot against Brit Alan Minter. Before the match Minter said : “No black man is gonna take my title”. I wonder if the press really covered that like they covered Bernard Hopkins when he said :”I will never lose to a white boy!”
In a hostile Wembley Arena, Hagler defeated Minter and afterwards Hagler and his trainers had to be escorted back to their locker room by big group of cops, while enduring a steady rain of beer bottles and glasses. True “sportsmanship” by the Brits, I tell ya!
Now tell me why Hagler received a title shot after “only” 50 fights? I would really like to know. That was a disgrace!
The most historic match during his title reign Hagler had with Thomas The Hitman Hearns. Those two guys just did not like each other, and it showed! In the greatest boxing match ever, they pounded the shit out of each other until Hagler got the upper hand. You will never see a boxing match like that again. Hagler and Hearns became friends after that.
The best boxing match ever!
In 1987 Hagler’s match against Sugar Ray Leonard was a crime. The fight lasted until the end and while it was obvious that Hagler was the better man the judges awarded the match to Sugar Ray Leonard. They stole Hagler’s title in what is the greatest crime in boxing history. They knew damn well that Hagler could not be beaten so they had to steal the title. After Leonard stole Hagler’s title, Hagler demanded a rematch and Leonard, like the bitch he was, refused to give it to Hagler. Therefore, I can never have any respect for Leonard.
Fucking cowardly bitch!
14 months after the title theft Hagler retired. He was sick and tired of waiting for Leonard to give him a rematch. A rematch Hagler deserved, and a rematch in which I think he would beat the living shit out of Leonard.
Hagler got into acting and made a few movies in Italy. After that he enjoyed his retirement.
When you think of great boxers you think of Ali and Tyson, but Marvelous Marvin Hagler belongs in the same category. A topnotch no-nonsense boxer who deserved more respect and did not get a fair shake at all.
R.I.P. Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Thank you for the entertainment and thank you for being a man’s man!
Written by Bop