Boxing History: March 7, 1982 Marvelous Marvin Hagler KO 1 William Lee, Atlantic City.
Retains World Middleweight Title.
The first 1st-round KO in any world title fight since Alexis Arguello starched Diego Alcala on June 3rd, 1978.
Marvin Nathaniel Hagler; Born: May 23, 1954, is a retired American professional boxer who was Undisputed World Middleweight Champion from 1980 to 1987. Hagler made twelve undisputed title defenses and holds the highest KO% of all middleweight champions at 78%. At six years and seven months, his reign as undisputed middleweight champion is the second longest of the last century, behind only Tony Zale (although Zale was inactive for four years due to World War II). In 1982, annoyed that network announcers often did not refer to him by his nickname, “Marvelous”, Hagler legally changed his name to Marvelous Marvin Hagler.”
Hagler is an inductee of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame. He was named Fighter of the Decade (1980s) by Boxing Illustrated and twice named Fighter of the Year by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America. In 2001 and 2004 the Ring named him the 4th greatest middleweight of all time and in 2002 named him the 17th-greatest fighter of the past 80 years. The International Boxing Research Organisation (IBRO) rates Hagler as the sixth-greatest middleweight of all time. Boxrec rates Hagler the fifth-best middleweight of all time. Many analysts and boxing writers consider Hagler to have one of the best “chins” in boxing history.
— with Angelo Arroyo.
Middleweight Training Champion Marvin Hagler works Saturday, Jan. 24, 1983 at his training camp in Provincetown, Massachusetts., Hagler in preparation of his upcoming title defense. Hagler will be meeting Tony Sibson in Worcester Feb.11 for the title match. (AP Photo/George Marcelonis)
