The Boxing History Blog

10th November 1983, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas Undisputed Middleweight Title Marvelous Marvin Hagler Vs Roberto Duran Marvin Hagler won seventeen contests in a row, before picking up his first blemish in November 1974; a draw against the 1972 Olympic champion, Sugar Ray Seales, who Hagler outpointed to inflict the first defeat on his record three months previously. In January 1976 Hagler travelled to the tough city of Philadelphia and suffered his first defeat to Bobby 'Boogaloo' Watts. The loss was controversial and many deemed Hagler to have been robbed. Two months later he was back in Philadelphia, losing on points again to another local fighter Willie 'The Worm' Monroe. This time there was no robbery and Hagler's credentials as a serious contender took a massive dent. Hagler kept winning and beat Monroe twice on stoppage defeats. His third fight with Seales ended with a first-round TKO and many people sat up and took notice of the man from B

16th September 1981, Caesars Palace, Outdoor Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, WBC & WBA Welterweight Unification Bout (Undisputed Title) Ray Leonard (WBC Champion) Vs Thomas Hearns (WBA Champion) Thomas Hearns, the freakishly tall welterweight, who wasn't much of a puncher in the amateur ranks, blasted out seventeen opponents on the bounce in a two year period. The first man to take him the distance was the former USA Pennsylvania State welterweight champion Alfonso Hayman. Hearns won every single round in the ten rounder, but failed to knock the tough Philadelphia fighter off his feet. Seven fights later Hearns was matched with middleweight Mike Colbert, where he had to negate the full ten rounds for only the second time in his career as he went 24-0. Two fights later he stopped Angel Espada in four rounds for the vacant USBA welterweight championship. The 'Hit Man' continued to knockout his opponents and was pitted against WBA welterweight champion Pipino Cuev