Marvelous Marvin Hagler dies

Boxing great Marvelous Marvin Hagler died on Saturday at age 66. Hagler, a middleweight, had 52 knockouts in 67 fights and a record of 62-3-2 over 14 years as a pro. His 1985 victory over Thomas Hearns in three rounds is one of boxing’s most famous fights, and his 1987 split-decision loss to Sugar Ray Leonard is one of the most controversial.

What happened after the Leonard bout? Hagler retired from boxing after losing to Leonard, a fight he believed he had won. He rejected suggestions of a rematch with Leonard and said he was glad he had retired: “I feel fortunate to get out of the ring with my faculties and my health.” He was a member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame and World Boxing Hall of Fame. In the early 1980s, Hagler legally added his nickname “Marvelous” to his name.

Dig deeper: From WORLD’s archive, read a report by Barnabas Piper on the attention and hype surrounding a 2015 boxing match.