On this day: Marvelous Marvin Hagler is born

Marvelous Marvin Hagler was born on May 23, 1954, in Newark, New Jersey. He became one of the greatest middleweights of all time, reigning as one of the 'Four Kings' of the division in the 1980s.

Hagler made his professional debut in 1973 at Brockton High School Gymnasium in Brockton, Massachusetts. He retired in 1987 with a record of 62-3-2 after fighting Sugar Ray Leonard at Caeser's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was his first loss in eleven years and the split-decision that Leonard claimed is still widely disputed.

Marvin Hagler had eight fights in 1973 and eleven fights in 1974, including two bouts against Sugar Ray Seales. His second bout with Seales, in November 1974, was declared a draw after ten rounds. Hagler went on to win his next eight bouts, bringing his record to 25-0-1 by the end of 1975, his third year in the ring.

Hagler's first loss came on January 13, 1976 when he stepped into the ring with Bobby Watts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He won his next bout via second- round stoppage a month later; however, he took his second career loss in March of that year when he fought Willie Monroe, also in Philadelphia.

After his loss to Monroe, Hagler won his next twenty bouts, mostly by stoppage or knockout. Then, in 1979, he got his first shot at a world title. 'Marvelous' challenged Vito Antuofermo for the WBC, WBA, and The Ring Middleweight Titles. The fight ended in a highly-controversial split-decision draw. Fortunately, he got another title shot just a year later.

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Marvin Hagler's Greatest Hits

Eleven months after his draw with Antuofermo, Hagler challenged Alan Minter for the same titles at the Wembley Arena in London, England. The British boxer had claimed them from the Italian, Antuofermo, just months before.

Hagler stopped the champion in the third round and became champion of the world. He later said that Minter had the best chin of any man he ever faced.

Once Hagler's reign as world champion began, he seemed unstoppable. The Jersey-born fighter had twelve successful title defenses over six years. In 1983, he knocked out Wilford Scypion and added the IBF Title to his collection. Then, on November 10, 1983, Hagler was challenged by one of the other greats of his era, Roberto Durán.

Marvin Hagler and Roberto Durán had a fifteen-round classic in Las Vegas. At the time, Durán was a three-time world champion. Yet, Hagler outfought the Panamanian and retained his titles. Hagler later said that 'Hands of Stone' was the best boxer he faced in his entire career.

After Durán, Hagler stopped Juan Roldán. During the bout, Hagler was knocked down for the only time in his career, though the call was disputed. He then knocked out Mustafa Hamsho before stepping into the ring with Tommy 'Hitman' Hearns for one of the greatest fights in boxing history.

Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearns' bout, dubbed 'The War,' lasted only nine minutes, yet it was one of the most explosive fights of all time. Hagler and Hearns knew one another from their amateur days and grew bitter over the course of their professional careers. By the time they met in the ring, the men both had bad intentions. After two dramatic rounds, Hagler knocked 'Hitman' out in the third.

After Hearns, Hagler fought only two bouts. He stepped into the ring for another war with John 'The Beast' Mugabi in mid-1986 before his meeting with Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987. The fight with Leonard was another case of bad blood. Though Leonard claimed the victory, Hagler put on a tremendous performance. After losing to Leonard, and relinquishing his titles, he made a graceful exit from the sport.