(Boxing) Marvelous Marvin Haglar

Tonight on ESPN Classic's Sports Century, the new special on the great middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Haglar is on at 8 pm est. Haglar was one of the most impressive athletes in any sport in the past 50 years. A heck of a good case can be made for his being the greatest middleweight champion ever.

Most sports fans are familiar with his greatest fight: the 3 round knockout of Thomas "the Hit Man" Hearns. Many people believe it was the most exciting three rounds in boxing history. I remember thinking that Tommy could land his best punch on Marvin when the champ attempted to get inside Hearn's enormous range. And, indeed, he did .... early in the first round, Hearns landed a punch that would have flattened most people. Haglar was rattled, but he came right back.

At one point, the ref broke the fight to look at Haglar's severe gash. He asked the Marvelous One if he could see? "I'm hitting him, ain't I?" Marvin snarled.

And fans remember Sugar Ray Leonard making another of his come backs, and pulling out a disputed decision over Haglar in Vegas. What a strange fight! Marvin wanted him so bad, that he agreed to fight in Vegas, in a big ring, with big gloves, in a 12-rounder instead of the 15-round route. Ray outboxed him.

Leonard knew that older fighters rarely, if ever, can be up for two fights in a row. Haglar had just beat John "The Beast" Mugabi, one of the hardest punchers of his day. It was a war. Haglar took a heck of a lot of punches, including a severe body attack. My brother had been in Mugabi's training camp, and told me that he had never seen anyone who hit like this guy. Ray knew Haglar would be off in his next fight.

Man! I remember Haglar when he was young. He was from Brockton, and turned pro in the late spring of 1973. He fought in the northeast for three years .... Boston, Brockton, and Portland ME. He was 25-0-1, with 19 KOs, before he traveled to Philly in '76. That was at a tough, tough time to be a middleweight in Philly. Marvin went 5-2 with 5 KOs that year. He lost to two of the toughest guys in Philly by decision; Bobby "Boogaloo" Watts and Willie "the Worm" Monroe. But he came back, and knocked out Eugene "Cyclone" Hart, an outstanding puncher, in September of that year, and then he was on his way.

Haglar had a tough time getting a title shot. But of course all that will be on tonight's show. I hope that people watch it, and enjoy a tribute to one of the all time great boxers.