The ESB British Forum Encyclopedia

:deal

Also, Chisora to Jofre is a mad old change as well :rofl

 

Look forward to it :good

I'm not as knowledgable on Ike as I probably should be. But know enogh about him to give others enough incentive to watch the fights, that's all I hope to achieve with my contributions to this thread, to get people watching stuff they might not otherwise have thought about waching.

I hope a relative noob comes in with the intention of learning and reads this thread from start to finish. Little debates, different posters points of view, plenty to think about and, most importantly, some insane footage to watch :happy

 

Has anyone else read "The killings of Stanley Ketchel"?

Best book Ive read in ages.

 

I'm pleased you mentioned this, I was looking at this on google the other day. I doubt I'll find it here so I was considering getting it shipped over, if it was worth it. Which it sounds like it is.

 

Klompton has exposed a new Ketchel biog as being absolutely shocking over on the Classic.

I don't think it's that one though. TYSON DURAN has that I think, I'll see if he thinks it's any good :good

I can't wait to read the Langford book. After that I need to get the rest of Adam Pollocks amazing books on the first gloved Heavyweight champs.

 

I'm gonna do one sometime this week on Jimmy Mclarnin. Just need to find the time..

 

:happy Cant wait for that :good

Some good footage of McLarnin about as well. Hopefully RAREBoxings McLarnin Vs Leonard is still on there. It was only recently that I learned that a green McLarnin fought PANCHO VILLA @ Bantam :yikes

 

MARVIN HAGLER

BORN: 23 MAY 1954, BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS

WEIGHT: MIDDLEWEIGHT

RECORD: 62-3-2

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Regarded by many as the greatest middleweight ever, Marvin Hagler came to the square ring via Brockton, Massachusetts.
From making his pro debut in 1973 it would take Hagler some twelve years before he would achieve his crowning glory. But things were never easy for the man who decided to call himself Marvelous.
Whilst names like Leonard and Hearns were being bandied about boxing circles as the next big things, Hagler had been plying his trade under the guidance of the Petronelli brothers (who he would call ‘The Whities) fighting seasoned rough houses such as Willie Monroe and Bennie Briscoe.

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Six years after his professional debut Hagler would get his shot at greatness. Joe Frasier once told Hagler you have three things against you; you’re black, you’re a lefty and you’re good. But Joe didn’t take into account the judges too. So come Nov 30, 1979 little known Italian, Vito Antuofermo - in making the first defence of his titles - would stand between Hagler and that last piece of the jigsaw he had been trying so hard to assemble over the years.
But in taking two steps forward one would be taken back when the three judges at ringside declared the fight as a draw. Hagler was deemed to have been robbed. Many thought he would never reach his potential and fulfil his belief of becoming a world champion.

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In September of 1980 a trip to London saw Hagler (much to the annoyance and anger of the home fans) win his first world titles when Alan Minter was defeated in three rounds due to a badly cut eye. Sadly, Hagler never got to celebrate in the ring as beer cans and other objects were thrown into the ring.

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Now, with the world titles by his side and Hagler ever improving it would take something extraordinary to grasp those them away. "I plan on being around a long time," said Hagler.
From redemption against Antuofermo, to claiming a third title against Wilfred Scypion in 83, destroying Mustafa Hamsho second time around inside 9 minutes - Hagler had made a total of ten defences when all roads eventually lead to Thomas Hearns.

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Having fought off another member of the ’fab four’ in Roberto Duran this was to be the moment when Hagler would cement his name in boxing history and take part in a fight that will simply be never forgotten. Thomas Hearns, himself, had just came up short in a previous super fight against the final member of the quintet, Sugar Ray Leonard, and despite throwing the kitchen sink via a broken right hand (in the 2nd round) an extremely monstrous and Hagler would put Hearns on his backside in three rounds in a moment that would go down in boxing’s folklore.
Finally, the world knew who Marvelous Marvin Hagler was. His fists had done the talking and the quiet, hard headed, fearsome middleweight had achieved greatness.

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After being suckered into an appearance where the world thought Sugar Ray Leonard would announce a fight of the century with Hagler, the champion was told that Ray Leonard was retiring from the sport. In his penultimate fight Hagler himself found an equally fearsome opponent in John Mugabi who would eventually be put away in eleven of the newly introduced twelve round distance.
1987 and Hagler’s swansong to the square ring was a fight with arch rival Sugar Ray Leonard. A fight that is still debated around the world to this day the champion lost his titles via a split decision. A mega money rematch was to never happen and Hagler retired to Italy were a B-type movie career would pass his time as well as still going on five mile runs early in the morning.

The snarling tone still remains and whether it was getting his name changed to Marvelous via the legal system or learning the rewards of the sport via defeats and dodgy decisions, Marvin Hagler will be forever remembered as one of the finest warriors ever to grace our sport.


I had the pleasure of interviewing Hagler last year for Boxing News and if I never achieve anything else in my lifetime I can die a happy man.

 

Quality Shaun. :good

I can't believe no one had done Hagler before!

 

Thanks mate. Forgive me for not repaying the compliment if you have put anything up, haven't had the chance to read it. Quite a bit of reading in this thread.

 

I did a Joe Frazier one. Yeah, it's a great thread.

 

Bloody good work on Smokin Joe. Didn't know Merchant was one of his early sponsors.

 

:good

When I was finding those Cloverlay figures I saw Slip&counter had posted that about Merchant. I never knew myself until then.

 

Its a dramatised bio but is brilliantly written, I really enjoyed it.

 

Shaun that is **** hot pal :good