Marvin Hagler, middleweight champion.
Hagler made 12 successful title defenses in the 1980s, 11 by knockouts along with a unanimous decision in 1983 over Roberto Duran when the middleweight division featured a host of outstanding fighters. Fighting from an unorthodox left-handed stance, his head shaved, he was perpetually bearing in on his foes.
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After a knockout of John Mugabi in 1986, Hagler lost his championship in Las Vegas in April 1987 on a controversial split decision that went to Sugar Ray Leonard, who was making a comeback after almost three years away from the ring.
Leon Gast, director of “When We Were Kings”, which I have heard is a swell documentary. (Amazon affiliate link: I actually did not know there was a Criterion edition of this.)
This is another one of those cases where the story behind the documentary is almost as interesting (if not more) than the documentary itself, but I will leave that for the obit. One tidbit:
At one point the Hells Angels hired him to make a film that would counter their reputation as violent criminals — though they undercut their own case when several of them beat up Mr. Gast (without seriously injuring him) for refusing to give them editorial control. (The film, “Hells Angels Forever,” was widely panned.)
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Hagler Hearns was one of the best brawls I ever saw outside of a bar.
RIP, vaccine victim.
In a hundred years, or less, there will be a 3D/immersive VR experience where we can be Marv or Thomas.
But we cannot. Not that fast, that powerful or that tough to accept so many blows and still punch back.
God give his healing to the boxers that live, grace and peace to those that have passed.