Marvelous Marvin Hagler was an American professional boxer and film actor. He competed in boxing from 1973 to 1987 and reigned as the undisputed champion of the middleweight division from 1980 to 1987, making twelve successful title defenses, all but one by knockout. Hagler also holds the highest knockout percentage of all undisputed middleweight champions at 78 percent. His undisputed middleweight championship reign of six years and seven months is the second-longest active reign of the last century. He holds the record for the sixth longest reign as champion in middleweight history. Nicknamed "Marvelous" and annoyed that network announcers often did not refer to him as such, Hagler legally changed his name to "Marvelous Marvin Hagler" in 1982.
Ray Charles Leonard, best known as "Sugar" Ray Leonard, is an American former professional boxer, motivational speaker, and occasional actor. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, he competed between 1977 and 1997, winning world titles in five weight divisions; the lineal championship in three weight divisions; as well as the undisputed welterweight title. Leonard was part of "The Four Kings", a group of boxers who all fought each other throughout the 1980s, consisting of Leonard, Roberto Durán, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler.
Thomas Hearns is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra", and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and oversized arms and shoulders allowed him to move up over fifty pounds in his career and become the first boxer in history to win world titles in five weight divisions: welterweight, light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight.
Vito Antuofermo is an Italian American actor and retired professional boxer. He is a former undisputed World Middleweight Champion.
John Mugabi is a Ugandan former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1991, and 1996 to 1999. He held the WBC super-welterweight title from 1989 to 1990, and challenged twice for world titles at middleweight, including the undisputed championship.
Mustafa Hamsho is a Syrian former professional boxer who competed from 1975 to 1989, challenging twice for a middleweight world title in 1981 and 1984.
Juan Domingo Roldán was a popular hard punching Argentine middleweight professional boxer, best remembered for his strong showing in the early rounds of an undisputed world championship bout against Marvelous Marvin Hagler. After flooring Hagler in the opening seconds with a swing that made contact with the forearm rather than glove on an off balance Hagler, Roldan was able to further exceed low expectations of the success he could enjoy against the dominant middleweight champion. Hagler methodically regained control, and after taking several rounds of punishment, Roldán declined to continue. He retired for a couple of years before coming back with a campaign that took him to another middleweight world title bout, this time with Thomas Hearns. In an exciting contest, Roldán shook Hearns early, but succumbed to a Hearns attack in the fourth. A final world middleweight title fight with Michael Nunn resulted in a loss by KO, following which Roldán ended his professional boxing career. Nicknamed Martillo (Hammer) Roldán often featured on Ring En Español magazine.
Boxing in the 1980s was filled with important fights, events and personalities that shaped the sport. Boxing in the 1980s was shaped by many different situations, such as the continuous corporate battles between the different world sanctioning organizations, the void left by Muhammad Ali as the sport's ambassador and consequent search for a new boxing hero, the continuous presence of Don King as the sport's most famous promoter, the surge of rival promoters as Bob Arum, Butch Lewis and Murad Muhammad, and major rule changes. In 1986, Mike Tyson emerged as a fresh new face in the heavyweight division, which had seen a decline in champion quality level after Ali's retirement and, later on, after longtime WBC ruler Larry Holmes' prime. In addition, the IBF and WBO began operating.
Fulgencio Obelmejias, sometimes known also as Fully Obel is a Venezuelan former boxer, who was world super-middleweight champion.
"Bad" Bennie Briscoe was an American professional boxer. A fan favorite for his punching power, he was known as the "quintessential Philadelphia boxer," and one of the greatest fighters of his era who due to various reasons did not become a world champion.
Eugene "Cyclone" Hart was a terrific punching American middleweight boxer who fought from 1969 to 1982. Hart never fought for the title and could not get a victory against the upper echelon fighters he faced. His best showing against a top notch fighter was when he fought "Bad" Bennie Briscoe to a 10 round draw on November 18, 1975. Unfortunately he was stopped in one round by Briscoe in their rematch on April 6, 1976. Another big win for Hart was the 10 round decision he earned over former Olympic champion Sugar Ray Seales on August 15, 1975.
Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns, was a world middleweight championship boxing match between undisputed champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler and challenger Thomas Hearns, the WBC super welterweight champion, who had gone up in weight for the bout. Won by Hagler by third-round knockout, the fight is considered to be the three greatest rounds in boxing history, due to its constant action, drama, and violent back-and-forth exchanges.
Bobby "Boogaloo" Watts is an American born middleweight boxer who fought primarily in the mid-1970s. Born in Sumter County, South Carolina in a small town named Rembert, Bobby Watts came to Philadelphia at age 10 and began boxing at the urging of his cousin, future heavyweight contender Jimmy Young.
Quincy Taylor, is a former professional boxer in the Middleweight (160lb) division.
"Sugar" Ray Seales, is an American former boxer. He was the only American boxer to win a gold medal in the 1972 Summer Olympics. As a professional, he fought middleweight champion Marvin Hagler three times. He is also the former NABF and USBA middleweight champion.
Guerino "Goody" Petronelli was an American boxing trainer and co-manager.
Tony Sibson is a former professional boxer.
Kevin Finnegan was an English boxer.
William Lee is a former professional middleweight boxer who fought out of the fabled Kronk Gym in Detroit.
Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard, billed as "The Super Fight", was a professional boxing match contested on April 6, 1987 for the WBC and The Ring middleweight titles.
