Marvelous Marvin Hagler is my absolute favorite MW, and most days of the week, if someone were to ask me to list my favorite fighters, he'd definitely be amongst my top 3. A list of my favorite fighters is not the same thing as a list of who I think are the best fighters. Hagler is one of the few who I'd have ranked very highly on both lists. My very first memory of the sport of boxing is of my grandfather watching the HBO replay of the Hagler vs Leonard fight which would've been the week after it occurred. I also vaguely remember some of the TV commercials Hagler was in when he finally had gained some mainstream public notoriety. When my dad died 3 years ago and I desperately needed something to keep my mind from going to some bad places I got back into paying attention to the sport of boxing which I'd only kept up with peripherally for the 10ish yr prior. When I did come back to the sport I was amazed at how YouTube was giving me and other fans the opportunity to watch classic fights on demand. One of the first fighters who's career of fights I "ran" through was Hagler's, and I have "ran" through his available fights again and again in these 3 years.
War
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Marvin Hagler 159 lbs beat Thomas Hearns 160 lbs by TKO at 1:52 in round 3 of 12
Date: 1985-04-15
Hagler and Hearns were originally scheduled to fight on May 24, 1982 at Windsor Arena in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, but the fight was postponed after Hearns injured his finger. The fight was rescheduled for July 15, but Hearns then wanted the fight moved to the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Hagler said he would not fight Hearns in the Detroit area, and the fight was canceled. Hagler said, "Hearns is afraid to fight me. He always was, and he always will be."
The Fight
In the days leading up to the fight, Hagler wore a hat with the word "War" on the front. It proved to be quite prophetic. Hagler, normally a slow starter, attacked Hearns from the opening bell and pinned him to the ropes. Hearns fired back with a barrage of punches, opening a cut on Hagler's forehead and stunning the champion, who then tied up the challenger. After being separated from the clinch, the two went right back at each other, with each loading up on power punches. Hagler backed Hearns into the challenger's corner and Hearns clinched. Hearns then started moving around the ring. He caught Hagler numerous times at long range as the champion pursued. With a minute left in the round, Hagler once again backed Hearns into the challenger's corner, where they fought furiously. Hearns was able to get the fight back to ring center in the final seconds of the round and landed several hard shots. Hagler glared at Hearns as they walked to their corners after the bell ended the round. The crowd of 15,088 roared their approval. The Ring called round one "the greatest round in boxing history."
When Hearns got back to his corner, he told his trainer, Emanuel Steward, that he had broken his right hand. Steward said, "You've got to stick and move. Jab. Don't fight with him." Hearns followed his trainer's advice and came out boxing in the second round. Hearns was able to stay on the outside and circle the ring for most of the round. With about thirty seconds left, Hagler, who was switching back and forth from southpaw to orthodox, pinned Hearns to the ropes and kept him there until the bell.
Hearns' legs appeared unusually weak as he moved around. Steward blamed it on a massage. While the trainer was absent from the dressing room, a member of Hearns' entourage rubbed down the challenger's legs. "A massage leaves the body spent and Tommy’s legs began giving out on him even before we made the walk to the ring. I was nervous,” Steward said.
A minute into the third round, referee Richard Steele stopped the action so the ringside doctor could check Hagler's cut. The physician asked, "Can you see all right?" Hagler replied, "I ain't missing him, am I?" The doctor told Steele to let the fight continue. Soon after the fight resumed, Hagler caught Hearns with a right hook that sent the challenger reeling into the ropes. Hagler chased after him and nailed him with a right cross to the chin, sending Hearns to the canvas. Hearns struggled to beat the count. He got up but was in no condition to continue, and Steele stopped the fight.
Hagler's victory over Hearns was his tenth knockout in eleven successful title defenses and is widely regarded as the pinnacle achievement in his career. It cemented his legacy as one of the greatest middleweights of all-time.
The Ring named Hagler vs. Hearns the Fight of the Year for 1985, and round one was named Round of the Year.
