Obituary: Marvin Hagler

Sad news to note is the death of boxing great Marvelous (he made it part of his legal name during his championship years) Marvin Hagler, 66, who died suddenly today, his wife announced.  He was one of the greats and was popular in the early-to-mid 1980s, when there was a bumper crop of outstanding boxers.  He was known as one of the big four in the middleweight division:  Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran, and Sugar Ray Leonard were the others.  Hagler might have been the best of the four.

He is best remembered for his match in 1985 with Tommy Hearns, which was dubbed "The War."  And believe me, from the time of the opening bell, it was.  The first round is considered by many boxing fans to be the best round in boxing history.  The match lasted just three rounds, with Hagler emerging bloodied but the winner.

Hagler was middleweight champion from 1980 to 1987.  He was one of the best fighters ever in any weight division.  He compiled a record of 62 wins (52 by KO), 3 losses (all by decision), and 2 draws.  

The War:

Update:  Anti-vaxxers, taking a cue from Hagler's former rival Tommy Hearns, made the sensationalist claim that Hagler died as a result of a reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine.  However, those who should know, such as his family, said Hagler died of natural causes.  In fact, his son said his dad had suffered from chest pains.

It sounds like a heart attack, which is common among men past the age of 60.

Hearns, meanwhile, was not happy with the anti-vaxxers' claims.  Snip:

But on Saturday night, Hearns hit out at anti-vax campaigners, posting on Instagram: 'Our love and respect to Marvin and his family, this is not an anti vaccine campaign.. it's outrageous to have that in mind during the passing of a King, Legend, Father, Husband and so much more.'  

New York Times obituary:

necessary.”

Hagler was born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler on May 23, 1954. He said he later had his name legally changed to Marvelous Marvin Hagler. 

He grew up in Newark, but his mother moved the family to Brockton, Mass., after the 1967 riots, when fires and violent clashes between the Newark police, National Guard troops and Black residents consumed the city and 26 people were killed. 

He learned to box in Brockton, the hometown of another great prizefighter, Rocky Marciano, where he was trained by the brothers Pat and Goody Petronelli, who ran a gym in the working-class city. During the day, he worked for the Petronellis’ construction company and was paid $3 an hour. 

“He needed money very bad,” Pat Petronelli recalled in 1987. “So he’d only eat what he had to. He’d borrow 50 cents for a submarine sandwich, 25 cents for a soda — we’d deduct it on Fridays. He didn’t spend unless he thought it was necessary.”