Marvelous Marvin Hagler is widely considered to be one of the greatest fighters of all time.
Hagler burst onto the scene during the late 1970s and would go on to reign as the undisputed middleweight world champion for seven years between 1980 and 1987, making no less than 12 successful defences of his crown along the way.
He became a member of the iconic ‘Four Kings’ during the height of his storied professional career, alongside former rivals Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran, facing each of these legendary fighters on one occasion each through his tenure.
In a TV interview with On The Ropes, Hagler sent a stern message out to Sugar Ray Leonard where he claims the five division world champion ‘ran like a little girl’ when they clashed back in 1987, stating he wasn’t a ‘real champion’ because he did not want a rematch after their controversial fight.
“I will give Duran, I will give Tommy Hearns, and I will give Mugabi the more respect because these guys came to take away my title. Not like a Leonard who ran like a little girl – excuse my language, I’m sorry.”
“I feel as though I won the [Leonard] fight and I feel as though that I don’t think there’s any way in the world that you can beat the champion on a close fight decision.
“With the Leonard fight, it just showed me that he wasn’t really a champion because a real champion would have gave me a rematch just to show the public that it wasn’t right. If it was me, and the shoe was on the other foot, I automatically felt as though that if you felt as though you got a raw deal, ‘Okay, let’s do it again!’ That’s the way that a real champion is about. Today, you don’t got these real champions.”
Leonard defeated Hagler via split decision when they locked horns for the undisputed middleweight championship in April of 1987, although it has been argued over the years that this was the incorrect result.
This would prove to be Hagler’s final ring appearance, going on to announce his retirement from the sport in the summer of 1988 after he failed to secure the return fight.
