RIP Marvelous Marvin Hagler

[Longhaul]

Still one of my favorite fights to watch:

 

[LBC]

Marvin Hagler is my single favorite boxer of all time. I don't think you can overstate how GREAT this weight class...welterweight through middleweight...these guys used to move up and down just so they could fight the best guy on the biggest stage...really was during this period...Thomas 'Hitman' Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran...until Sugar ray embarrassed him in front of the world in the famous 'No Mas' fight...Wilfred Benitez...etc.

And these guys fought!! Hearns is like 61-5 with losses to Hagler, Leonard and Iran Barkley twice...Hagler is 62-3-2 with 52 knockouts...dude had the title for like 6 and half years...fought everybody there was to fight..

The Hagler/Hearns fight is as good as it gets...straight legendary. And I still say Hagler won the 'Super Fight' against Leonard...even though I think Leonard was genius in how he stole that fight. Hell Wilfred Benitez is like 41-1-1

Hagler also had the best back in history...his entire body was lats, shoulders and fists...hard to believe those dudes weighed like 160 lbs...crazy

 

[JimG]

I really liked Marvin. He was a solid guy who didn't do much trash talking. 

Bob Arum had some great words:

“Marvelous Marvin Hagler was among the greatest athletes that Top Rank ever promoted," Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum said. "He was a man of honor and a man of his word, and he performed in the ring with unparalleled determination. He was a true athlete and a true man. I will miss him greatly.”

https://www.azfamily.com/news/ap_cnn/marvin-hagler-middleweight-boxing-great-dies-at-66/article_95ac253d-12fa-5cef-bc52-bcaa90ad2138.html?block_id=997198

 

[FurmanCock]

Marvin Hagler is my single favorite boxer of all time. I don't think you can overstate how GREAT this weight class...welterweight through middleweight...these guys used to move up and down just so they could fight the best guy on the biggest stage...was during this period...Thomas 'Hitman' Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran...until Sugar ray embarrassed him in front of the world in the famous 'No Mas' fight...Wilfred Benitez...etc.

And these guys fought!! Hearns is like is like 61-5 with losses to Hagler, Leonard and Iran Barkley twice...Hagler is 62-3-2 with 52 knockouts...dude had the title for like 6 and half years...fought everybody there was to fight..

The Hagler/Hearns fight is as good as it gets...straight legendary. And I still say Hagler won the 'Super Fight' against Leonard...even though I think Leonard was genius in how he stole that fight. Hell Wilfred Benitez is like 41-1-1

Hagler also had the best back in history...his entire body was lats, shoulders and fists...hard to believe those dudes weighed like 160 lbs...crazy

This may have been the zenith of boxing, at least in my lifetime (fully recognizing the popularity of the sport in the '20s and '30s).  And now boxing is simply a shell of its former glory.  I wonder if it will even exist as sport in another generation?  When you look at the the longterm effects and risk of CTE within the sport, maybe it's demise is a good thing.

 

[LBC]

This may have been the zenith of boxing, at least in my lifetime (fully recognizing the popularity of the sport in the '20s and '30s).  And now boxing is simply a shell of its former glory.  I wonder if it will even exist as sport in another generation?  When you look at the the longterm effects and risk of CTE within the sport, maybe it's demise is a good thing.

There is no doubt about it! There was so much talent and quality...especially in this weight class. It was insane and then every so often you'd get some combination of a Hearns/Hagler/Leonard/Duran/Benitez fight.

I  think I might have to re-watch the two Hearns/Leonard fights...those were absolute wars. I was a big Tommy Hearns fan as well...especially over Leonard...who was a FANSTATIC FIGHTER! IMHO...one of the best two or three 'boxers' of all times and far tougher than he ever got credit for...he fought and beat...I use that term loosely in some cases...everybody. If you remember...Leonard had knocked out Benitez in the 15th to win the WBC title...then Roberto Duran had beaten Leonard in a close decision to take the title from him...5 months later was the infamous rematch/ 'No Mas' fight where Leonard absolutely embarrassed Duran in front of the planet to take the title back. Hearns had the WBA title and had defended it a few times already when 'The Showdown' between these two was scheduled to sort things out. In the first Hearns/Leonard fight Hearns was ahead on all three scorecards when he got TKO'd in the 14th...they then fought again...8 years later...and that one went the distance ending in a bullshit draw...yet another fantastic fight! Then you'd have Hearns/Hagler and then Hagler/Leonard...these things were just monster events...its hard to explain to someone who wasn't living these things back when they were happening. I like UFC but this was a different sport...a different deal.

 

[JimG]

 I was a big Tommy Hearns fan as well...

Motor City Cobra....sledge hammer right.