* “He was so full of life, energy and positivity”
* The American dominated the middleweight division from 1979
* Until his controversial defeat by Sugar Ray Leonard in April 1987
* He fought 67 times during his 14-year professional career
* Winning 62 in which he triumphed on 52 occasions by knockout
The BBC
Tributes poured in for former undisputed middleweight world champion ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler, who died on Sunday at the age of 66.
Advertisement
In a tweet, former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis said: “The world is one great man less today. This one hits so hard also because he was the one I emulated my own training camps after I saw how seriously he took his training camps.
“Not only was he a living legend, but I was proud to call him my friend. He was so full of life, energy and positivity in our conversations that you would never guess what a wrecking machine he was in the ring.
Lennox Lewis
“Our wives would speak on the phone to connect us and I’ll miss his voice saying ‘It’s Marvelous’ on the other end of the line.”
His promoter Frank Warren said “boxing has lost an all-time great today” while former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan said he was “shocked and deeply saddened” to hear of the “incredible” Hagler’s death.
The Irishman added: “I’m honoured to have spent some amazing times with him. My heartfelt sympathies to his wife Kay and his family. Rest in Peace Champ.”
‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler
Before the world super flyweight unification fight between Juan Estrada and Roman Gonzalez in Dallas last Sunday night, a “memorial count of 10” was led by ring announcer Michael Buffer, with the bell rung 10 times in Hagler’s memory.
The American dominated the middleweight division from 1979 until his controversial defeat by Sugar Ray Leonard in April 1987.
Hagler fought 67 times during his 14-year professional career, winning 62 in which he triumphed on 52 occasions by knockout, while he drew two and lost three times.
In September 1980, Hagler fought Britain’s Alan Minter at Wembley Stadium to claim his first world titles, winning the WBA and WBC belts.
His most famous fight came in April 1985 when he fought Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns over three brutal rounds — a classic known as ‘The War’.
Hagler made 12 successful title defences until his defeat by Leonard by a split decision and he retired a year later.
Was Hagler vs Hearns round one the greatest round in boxing history?
According to badlefthook.com, Hagler and Thomas Hearns went to absolute war in 1985, and their first round may still be the best ever.
“We saw a great fight between Juan Estrada and Roman ‘Chocolatito Gonzalez in Dallas last Saturday night. We see great fights every year in boxing,” writes Scott Christ on badlefthook.com.
“Some, though, stand the test of time and become truly legendary. The April 15, 1985 middleweight championship fight between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns is one of those.
“Hagler was a true middleweight king, one of the best 160-pound fighters to ever live. Hearns had won titles at welterweight and junior middleweight, and was coming up in weight to challenge for a genuine throne while Hagler had been champion for five years.
“Known by many simply as ‘The War’, Hagler and Hearns traded vicious and heavy leather for less than three rounds — seven minutes and 52 seconds, to be exact — but what a seven minutes and 52 seconds.
“And none of it was better than the first three minutes. There is still a strong argument to this day that the first round of Hagler-Hearns is the best round in boxing history.
“Not only is it crazy action, but it comes from two skilled, fearsome and fearless fighters, true legends, and the crowd at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas was simply rabid for the fight already.
“What they got immediately only kicked things up another notch.
“All sports change and evolve and go different ways. All of them have up periods and down periods and golden ages, and I personally don’t like to focus on the past.
“But let’s be honest — some things were just better. This is one of them,” writes Scott Christ.
Coronavirus alert