OT: Boxing Legend 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler Has Died

[Gator Mike]

Loved watching him as a kid, back when boxing meant something.

And I will go to my grave believing that he beat Sugar Ray Leonard.

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[Fenway]

 

[Fenway]

This was one pay per view event that nobody felt cheated over

 

[Gator Mike]

For what it's worth, Hagler won the Middleweight Championship in September of 1980 by beating a British boxer named Alan Minter at Wembley.

In the build up to the bout, Minter told reporters that he "did not intend to lose his title to a black man".

After the fight, Minter needed 15 stitches and surgery to repair the beating that Hagler inflicted on him.

 

[CDJ]

RIP to a generational talent

 

[Fenway]

For what it's worth, Hagler won the Middleweight Championship in September of 1980 by beating a British boxer named Alan Minter at Wembley.

In the build up to the bout, Minter told reporters that he "did not intend to lose his title to a black man".

After the fight, Minter eventually needed 15 stitches and surgery to repair the beating that Hagler inflicted on him.

The fans in London were throwing beer bottles at Hagler and they were full

 

[Fenway]

One afternoon I was in a fender bender on Memorial Drive as I was hit in the rear. I get out of the car furious ready to scream at the other driver until I saw it was Hagler.

 

[Gee Wally]

Wow.
I loved watching his fights.
RIP Champ.

 

[Fenway]

The fans in London were throwing beer bottles at Hagler and they were full

 

[LSCII]

This was one pay per view event that nobody felt cheated over

Beat 3 round fight you’ll ever see.

 

[RustyBruins72]

Wow.
I loved watching his fights.
RIP Champ.

Whenever I hear the word "Marvelous" I think of him.

Rest easy Champ.

 

[Bruinaura]

Anything I may know about boxing pretty much comes from the Rocky movies. Or hockey. Which is to say, nothing, really.

But I definitely knew who Hagler was. It's a shame. 66 is still pretty young.

 

[SPB2776]

A proud adopted son of Brockton.
Only furthered the credentials for calling it the City of Champions.
Far too young at 66.
He's smoking a cigar in fighter's heaven with Rocky tonight, no doubt.

 

[ylekot]

Rip champ. What an incredible fighter.

 

[Over the volcano]

All time favorite- had an autographed glossy of him in my room as a kid.

 

[Therick67]

The house we stay at in New Hampshire was two houses down from his. We saw him a lot, nice guy who would talk about anything but the Leonard fight.

He was as tough as they come.

RIP Marvin.

 

[Number8]

Loved watching him as a kid, back when boxing meant something.

And I will go to my grave believing that he beat Sugar Ray Leonard.

Can’t leave this with a simple “like”. 100% spot on. RIP Marvin.

 

[Lobster57]

One afternoon I was in a fender bender on Memorial Drive as I was hit in the rear. I get out of the car furious ready to scream at the other driver until I saw it was Hagler.

"hey champ! sorry my car damaged yours by merely existing"

 

[jgatie]

The house we stay at in New Hampshire was two houses down from his. We saw him a lot, nice guy who would talk about anything but the Leonard fight.

He was as tough as they come.

RIP Marvin.

I was playing in a softball game in Brockton in the 80s, when Marvin walked by with his son. He took his son over to the kid's part of the park, seesaw, jungle gym, etc. Then he came back to our bench to watch the game and keep an eye on his son This was at the height of his boxing fame, and he sat down with us to watch and talk sports. Just a regular guy taking his kid to the park on a Sunday afternoon.

RIP Champ.

 

[Fenway]

"hey champ! sorry my car damaged yours by merely existing"

He was so apologetic.

He could have left Brockton in the rearview mirror like Marciano but never did.

 

[Therick67]

He was so apologetic.

He could have left Brockton in the rearview mirror like Marciano but never did.

Marciano got a statue, but Marvin never did...a shame, he deserved it..

 

[LouJersey]

His fights were an event. You were never short changed. RIP Champ.

 

[stungun54]

Marvin used to come into my cousins pub in NH over the years. Nice guy would sign autographs all night very approachable from what I remember. RIP champ...

 

[rfournier103]

I love boxing. A lot.

So much that whenever I’m channel-surfing (I still do that on occasion) and I see a fight on, I watch it. I don’t care what weight class or even who’s fighting. I love the sport that much.

Marvin Hagler was one of the best I’ve ever seen in any weight class or any era. The word “great” is ridiculously overused, but that’s what he was - great.

He was GREAT, and when he walked away, he stayed away. He had a tremendous life after boxing in Italy, and prospered in retirement as so few in the fight game do.

God speed, Champ.

 

[Fenway]

Marvin caught the eye of a Boston boxing promoter Sam Silverman and convinced Eddie Andelman to put 2 of his early fights live on Channel 7. Eddie bought the time from the old WNAC-TV and the fights were held in the same studio that Candlepins for Cash used and it was his second Channel 7 fight that put him on the local radar of Boston fans.

Silverman was killed in a car crash on Rte. 2 by the old Faces disco and never saw Marvin hit the big time.

Silverman, Ring Promoter, Killed (Published 1977).

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 9 (AP)—Sam Silverman, a boxing promoter for almost 40 years who gave Rocky Marciano most of his early bouts, died today after his car ran off the road on Route 2 here, the police said. He was 64 years old.

The Cambridge Fire Rescue squad had to use the “jaws of life” tool to extricate Silverman from his car, giving him resuscitation while he was still trapped in the vehicle, Lieut. Joseph Roberts said.

The police said he was driving East toward Cambridge at 6:25 A.M. Treatment continued while Silverman was sped to Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, where he died, Roberts said. Hospital authorities said cause of death still was undetermined.

Silverman, who was still active in promoting fights, matched the undefeated Marciano in 31 of his bouts before he won the heavyweight title.

In the 1950's, Silverman broke away from the International Boxing Club run by Jim Norris and tried to break the club's domination of the fight game in the country.

Known as “Unsinkable Sam,” Silverman was returning early today from Geneva, N.Y., where he watched a fight involving Al Romano, the “Battling Cop” from North Adams, Mass., according to Bill Ebel, an associate. After driving from New York through the night with Romano, Silverman dropped off the boxer and started for his own residence in Chelsea, said Ebel.

Silverman was credited with keeping boxing alive in New England. In addition to promoting in Boston, he matched bouts in Danvers, Holyoke, Pittsfield, Fitchburg and other Massachusetts towns. He presented a weekly boxing show in Portland, Me.
He also was known as “Subway Sam” because so many of his fights were staged in Boston.