In November 1979 Hagler took to the ring with world middleweight champion Vito Antuofermo who gave "Marvellous" Marvin Hagler a shot at the middleweight crown, a fight turned into a middleweight classic and one of the greatest middleweight championship boxing bouts in the history of boxing was unfortunately marred by controversy. Marvin Hagler had to settle for a draw. This only added to Hagler's frustrations. Vito Antuofermo lost his middleweight title in a later boxing match to Alan Minter on 16th March 1980, who became the second world middleweight boxing champion who was brave enough to defend his middleweight title against the Brockton Menace, Marvin Hagler who had go come to London and beat Alan Minter in 3 rounds at the Wembley Arena on the 27th September 1980. At the conclusion of that bout all riots broke out headed by the Alan Minter's East End fans which was indeed, a disgraceful act of British behaviour. Marvin Hagler and his trainers had to be carried away to their locker rooms by the police, in the middle of a rain of beer bottles and glasses being thrown into the boxing ring. Almost everyone in the United Kingdom saw the disgraceful act of Alan Minter's East End thugs on television. It was the most disturbing act of violence seen in a British ring.
"Marvellous" Marvin Hagler Defends Against Thomas "Hitman" Hearns And "The Beast"
No boxer had ever lasted the distance with Marvin Hagler until Ro
bert Duran in a 15 round unanimous decision. Then came Juan Roldan, the only boxer to drop Marvin Hagler, scoring a knockdown after only seconds into the fight. This made Hagler extremely angry knocking out Roldan, in round 10. Then came the fight billed as "The War" with Thomas "Hitman" Hearns on 15th of April 1985. "Marvellous" Marvin Hagler and Thomas "Hitman" Hearns in one of most sensational slugfests. Marvin Hagler survived one of the best first rounds in history and won by an electrifying knockout in the 3rd round. Next on the list for Marvin "The Brockton Menace" Hagler was John "The Beast" Mugabi, a deadly and thunderous puncher who had a record of 26 knockouts and no loses. His fight with Hagler took place on the 10th of March 1986. Marvin Hagler took John Mugabi's best shots and came back handily to stop Mugabi in the 11th round in what would turn out to be Haggler's last successful defence.
The Dilapidated Heavyweight Division Need A Jolt
Marvin Hagler, who had legally changed his first name to Marvellous in 1982, was now ranked among the world's pre-eminent boxers. On 6th April 1987, in one of the most renowned middleweight title fights, Marvellous Marvin Hagler lost his long held crown to Sugar Ray Leonard in what was considered controversial 12-round split decision. Marvin Hagler wanted a return with Leonard, but story has it: Sugar Ray Leonard refused. Unable to accept the defeat of that fight Marvellous Marvin Hagler retired from boxing. Although Sugar Ray Leonard long commanded enormous earnings for his matches, the $11 million he received for this bout was $1 million shy of Marvin Hagler's own record setting purse of $12 million. Throughout Marvin Hagler's boxing career he had a total of 52 knockouts, three losses and two draws from his 62 fights. The dilapidated heavyweight division received a needed jolt with the emergence of "Iron Man" Mike Tyson in 1985.
The Great Middleweights And Welterweights Boxing Fighters of The 1980's
No single fighter emerged to fill the void created by Tyson’s fall, and the heavyweight title remained fractured for almost all of the 1990s and into the 21st century. The top heavyweights during this era included Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe, and, in an improbable comeback in his 40s, George Foreman returned to the ring to beat Moorer for the WBA World Heavyweight title. The memory of fighters the likes of "Marvellous" Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, "Iron Fists" Roberto Duran, Wilfredo "The Radar" Benitez, The Motor City Cobra" Thomas "Hitman" Hearns, and John "The Beast" Mugabi. But as with the period just after Muhammad Ali retired. The smaller fighters filled the heavyweight vacuum. Boxers such as Roy Jones, Oscar de la Hoya, Sugar Shane Mosley, and Felix Trinidad became some of the sport's most popular attractions!