42 years ago today: "Marvelous" Marvin Nathaniel Hagler vs. Fulgencio "The Animal" Obelmejías I

If Fully Obel was an animal, he would have been a baby giraffe. Or maybe a cuddly kitten.

He had a manufactured record built to let his WBA buddies make him a mandatory challenger. Not once but twice. And again at super middleweight I think.

Obel was in no way worthy of a title shot. Marvin took out the trash, and good on him for doing so, but let’s not act like this is a quality win.

 

I reckon we see things differently. He fought Hagler twice, got KO’d twice and won, at best, one round across two fights.

He came to fight but he had no resume worthy of a title shot. Knocking out your grandma 30 times doesn’t make you a good fighter. He had a carefully manufactured record designed to let the alphabet boys take bags of cash to keep getting title shots and he finally managed to win one … but I don’t know anyone who considered him a quality fighter at the time regardless of that. He was, through no fault of his own mind you, a poster boy for the crooked shenanigans of how boxing is run.

I don’t consider him among Hagler’s 20 best wins, much less 10, but almost by default he barely cracks my top 25 after a quick glance at Marvin’s record … but to be fair, I’m not sure he’s better than Roy Jones Sr or a few others who might have been equally as good or better but without the political backing to maneuver him that Fully had.

 

I always remember how pi$$ed off Hagler was when the WBA ordered another pointless mismatch between the two. Hagler really took it out on the politically-connected Obel and stated afterwards, "I never want to see his ugly face again!"

 

Marvin always made it personal because that gave him fuel. He was driven and created reasons to be offended by or angry at his opponent to make himself train harder and fight harder.

You want to know how personal it was in reality? After the first fight, Marvin asked at the press conference, “What was his name?” He had no idea who this guy was as he was just a challenger foisted on him by the alphabet boys.

 

I thought Obel actually put on two decent showings TBF, given what he was up against. He was dealing with absolute peak Hagler and Hagler was in the middle of one helluva streak. No-one in the division at that time could do much of anything with him.

 

Too bad you werent able to get in the ring to prove what a pussycat he was

A much better win than a Kalule, Green, Finch, or Lalonde

 

you dont know anyone who considered anyone who considered him a quality fighter?

You're either deaf or a liar. Listen to Merchant & Thompkins following the first fight and you'll hear the compliments they paid him as a challenger

 

Obel had height and reach and punching power. But mediocre boxing ability and defense. He showed a good chin here because he took a hellacious beating before finally falling.

Fully Obel was a prime example of WBA favortism - they were based in his home country - Venezuela.

He had a glossy record but hadn't really beaten any top 10 contenders

It was a real travesty that he got a second shot later.

 

Chong Pal Park was also connected

Obel had beaten the ranked Park, who had never fought out of the orient, in 1982 to get a second crack at Hagler.

After Park failed to make a dent at 160, he won the newly created 168 title which was made up of 160 lb retreads like Murray Sutherland and Ernie Singletary.

The one prime fighter Park defended against Lindell Holmes lost a very disputed decision in Korea.

Anyway Obel was lucky to get a fight with a mediocre champion like Park, who he had already beaten years earlier.

During Hagler's reign the good American contenders fought and eliminated one another while Obel sat on the sidelines and got two shots at Hagler