Marvin Hagler is regarded as one of the greatest middleweights of all time, having made twelve successful title defences of his undisputed status in the division.
Revered for his chin just as much as his power, Hagler hung up the gloves with a record of 62 wins from 67 fights, 52 of which came by knockout.
Within that record, he was one half of the bout that many regard as the most action-packed the sport has seen – his 3rd round TKO of Thomas Hearns.
Hagler was a fan favourite indeed, proven by his ability to draw crowds from across the States. He sadly passed away in 2021.
In a recent promotional video from Top Rank, veteran promoter, Bob Arum, has put the weight of Marvelous Marvin’s legacy onto the shoulders of Shakur Stevenson.
“I remember years ago, way before you were born, when I was promoting Marvin Hagler.
Hagler fought a lot in New England and when became a real big star and started fighting in these big places in Las Vegas, thousands of people would come to New England to watch him fight. And so he was a big, big attraction and every casino wanted Hagler to fight there.
“As good as he was, and he was great, you’re gonna surpass him. I really believe that.”
Stevenson is a two-weight world champion with a realistic goal of making that three.
He moved up to the lightweight ranks this year and announced himself with a stoppage over Shuichiro Yoshino. That made him mandatory for Devin Haney’s WBC belt and, therefore, the undisputed titles – assuming Haney doesn’t vacate.
Whilst not known for his power like Hagler was, Stevenson mesmerises his fans with some of the slickest and smartest boxing out of the southpaw stance that’s on display in the modern game.
Whilst he’s angling for the Haney fight, the 25-year-old is also up for facing Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.