Interview: Marvelous Marvin Hagler on Boxing, Life After Retirement and Racism
He grew up in a very poor area in the united state of America but he found boxing and his life changed. He went on to compete from 1973 to 1987, reigning as the undisputed middleweight champion from 1980 to 1987. He made twelve successful defences of that title. The inductee of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame was one of the most fired boxers of his generation because of his marvellous records in pugilism. The boxer who now lives in Italy, where he relocated to after retiring from fighting, was born Marvin Nathaniel Hagler but became Marvellous Marvin Hagler in the course of his boxing career. How this came about, why he moved to Italy, what he currently does and many more, he shared in this interview with me.
Oma Akatugba
Good to be with you the marvellous one, could you take us back into your career in boxing?
Marvin Hagler
I could just tell you it was a marvellous career (laughs). No, it was a great career. I mean, it wasn’t easy, but I loved it, it made it much easier because I love boxing. I love to fight and so it made my job a lot easier. But it was a lot of hard work.
Oma Akatugba
What moment would you say remains fresh in your memory when you look back?
Marvin Hagler
I would have to say the Thomas Hearns fight, behind the fact that it was the highlight of my career. I believe I had to prove to the people my greatness and I think that they started to see it right there. I remember just saying, now, what do you think now? Am I great or what? They said oh Marvelous you’re great.
Oma Akatugba
Talking about greatness, Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer of all time continuously say that he’s the greatest of all time. Do you think self-praise is necessary as a sportsman?
Marvin Hagler
I know what you’re trying to say, but, you know, Ali was somebody different. He was a different person. But for myself, I always said that greatness will come, I can’t bring it. It has to be there, it has to shine. I think that after that Hearns fight, that’s when the greatness started to show.
Oma Akatugba
What role has boxing played in your life?
Marvin Hagler
You know, basically, I grew up in a very poor area. I mean in the poverty-stricken area. The greatest thing that ever happened to me was that I was able to find boxing. So it’s the same thing as what I’m doing, why I’m here and a sense down to Laureus because what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to give back to kids that are growing up, get them out of the ghettos, get them out of the street, give them hope, give them something that which we never had.
So, I mean, growing up the way that I grew up, it’s just showed me that if you ever make it to the top or whatever like that, the one thing that you got to learn is that you really didn’t do it by yourself and that what you should do is to be able to give something back. So for me, I find it hard to say it has helped me to put a smile on every kid’s face. That’s what’s important.
Like when you say marvellous, the kids love that. They know just who I am and whatever like that. They want to touch you, be able to talk with you and it’s exciting. I mean, you know, and you really didn’t realize how much impact that you really have on people and whatever and that people that even the old people that watched me when I was fighting, they talk to me just like the fight was yesterday.
They remember every round. They remember with the punch that I do. I mean, it’s unbelievable.
Oma Akatugba
Very, very interesting. On a personal level, how have you been able to give back in terms of helping young people?
Marvin Hagler
Well, I think basically what I get into is giving the kids education. Basically I’m interested in sports, I think every kid should play a sport and I think you should have education in the sense that if your sport or your job or whatever, it does not work out. If you get the education, you have something that you can turn back on and you can build, you know, deserve another life. I don’t mean just one way. Education is your last hope.
Oma Akatugba
Talking about another life, a lot of sportsmen are falling into depression after retirement. What do you think that can be done to help a lot of sportsmen stay alive after sports?
Marvin Hagler
It’s a terrible feeling. I think I don’t want to be there. You know, I think that you have to make yourself happy in that sense by going on to a different life, for me when I finished boxing, I wanted to become an actor. So that’s what I do. One thing I learned about being an actor, you know, if you get killed inside the film, at least you can come back alive. So that’s the great part.
You know, when you get whacked or whatever mean it really doesn’t hurt because it’s fake, you know, but inside the ring, everything is real, that’s realistic. So, you know, it’s fun to have something else to look forward to, and that’s what I’m trying to do, is look forward to the dreams, that which I’m trying to still fulfil and that is my acting career. I think one more film and I think I’m going to finish that.
Oma Akatugba
You are now officially marvellous, Marvin Hagler. Tell us the story.
Marvellous
I think that basically, you know, I focused on that. If you can call Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali and if you can call Sugar Ray Leonard. Sugar Ray, I mean, not even be the real sugar and, you know, all these titlkes that other fighters have tried to be Marvelous, you know, I didn’t want to be a person that was imitating anybody. So the reporters with everything years ago, they used to say to me. I was hearing the people go on about the name Marvelous like even in France, they used to say “hullala Merveilleux!”. I mean, the people really got to like the name. And so I loved it as well, you know? I mean and I always think that I was marvellous and I liked it so it fits.
Oma Akatugba
You moved to Italy, you left the U.S. Was it motivated by love?
Marvin Hagler
It was a different you know, moving to Italy is because basically, I started finding a job there. I did a couple of films in Italy and that’s what motivated me to stay. Plus, I found my lovely wife. And so, you know, it gave me a reason, being away from the ghetto type of area where you grew up and everything, being into a totally different world, which is, the Italian culture and whatever, learning about the culture, other people being able to try to speak the language. I mean, this helps you to grow. It’s a new challenge in my life. So that is what I’m working on.
Oma Akatugba
Let’s talk about racism. You are a legend, maybe because of your status, you don’t suffer much as far as racism is concerned, but a lot of people out at the lower end of the society, blacks who suffer racism, how do you think sports can help to eradicate racism?
Marvin Hagler
We all went through that, you know, growing up even as a fighter growing up in the black area and then being able to actually be able to mix with other nationalities, I think for me it was a great opportunity because it allows me to learn how other people live, how they sleep and whatever.
I cannot understand the ignorance basically from people who are against any other colour. OK, so I think basically the whole world has got to come together and realize that we are all on this earth together, you know what I mean? So I don’t look at it personally as black, white or whatever. I look at what they are.
On Sunday, August 30, 2020, 1:40:27 AM PDT, omavua Akatugba sportsbrandng@yahoo.com wrote:
Interview: Marvelous Marvin Hagler on Boxing, Life After Retirement and Racism
Oma Akatugba
Legendary Marvelous Marvin Hagler has given the reasons he relocated from the United States to Italy.
In an interview with Oma Akatugba, Hagler, a boxing legend said he found the country good enough for a lease of new life, as he also met his heartthrob there.
Oma Akatugba
Good to be with you the marvelous one, could you take us back into your career in boxing?
Marvin Hagler
I could just tell you it was a marvelous career. No, it was a great career. I mean, it wasn’t easy, but I loved it, it made it much easier because I love the sport. I love to fight and so it made my job a lot easier. But it was a lot of hard work.
Oma Akatugba
What moment would you say remains fresh in your memory when you look back?
Marvin Hagler
I would have to say the Thomas Hearns fight, behind the fact that it was the highlight of my career. I believe I had to prove to the people my greatness and I think that they started to see it right there. I remember just saying, now, what do you think now? Am I great or what? They said oh Marvelous you’re great.
Oma Akatugba
Talking about about greatness, Muhammad Ali greatest boxer of all time continuously say that he’s the greatest of all time. Do you think self praise is necessary as a sports man?
Marvin Hagler
I know what you’re trying to say, but, you know, Ali was somebody different. He was a totally different person. But for myself, I always said that the greatness will come, I can’t bring it. It has to be there, it has to shine. I think that after that Hearns fight, that’s when the greatness started to show.
Oma Akatugba
What role has boxing played in your life?
Marvin Hagler
You know, basically, I grew up in a very poor area. I mean in the poverty stricken area. The greatest thing that ever happened to me was that I was able to find boxing. So it’s the same thing as what I’m doing, why I’m here and a sense down to Willers, because what we’re trying to do is we’re trying to give back to kids that are growing up, get them out of the ghettos, get them out of the street, give them hope, give them something that which we never had.
So, I mean, growing up the way that I grew up, it it’s just showed me that if you ever make it to the top or whatever like that, the one thing that you got to learn is that you really didn’t do it by yourself and that what you should do is to be able to give something back. So for me, I find it hard to say it has helped me to put a smile on every kid’s face. That’s what’s important.
Like when you say marvelous, the kids love that. They know just who I am and whatever like that. They want to touch you, be able to talk with you and it’s exciting. I mean, you know, and you really didn’t realize how much impact that you really have on people and whatever and that people that even the old people that watch me when I was fighting, they talk to me just like the fight was yesterday.
They remember every round. They remember with the punch that I do. I mean, it’s unbelievable.
Oma Akatugba
Very, very interesting. On a personal level, how have you been able to give back in terms of helping young people?
Marvin Hagler
Well, I think basically what I get into is giving the kids education. Basically I’m interested in sports, I think every kid should play a sport and I think you should have education in the sense that if your sport or your job or whatever, it does not work out. If you get the education, you have something that you can turn back on and you can build, you know, deserve another life. I don’t mean just one way. Education is your last hope.
Oma Akatugba
Talking about another life, a lot of sportsmen are falling into depression after retirement. What do you think that can be done to help a lot of sportsmen stay alive after sports?
Marvin Hagler
It’s a terrible feeling. I think I don’t want to be there. You know, I think that you have to make yourself happy in that sense by going on to a different life, for me when I finished boxing, I wanted to become an actor. So that’s what I do. One thing I learned about being an actor, you know, if you get killed inside the film, at least you can come back alive. So that’s the great part.
You know, when you get whacked or whatever mean it really doesn’t hurt because it’s fake, you know, but inside the ring, everything is real, that’s realistic. So, you know, it’s fun to have something else to look forward to, and that’s what I’m trying to do, is look forward to the dreams, that which I’m trying to still fulfill and that is my acting career. I think one more film and I think I’m going to finish that.
Oma Akatugba
You are now officially marvelous, Marvin Hagler, it was a nickname, tell us the story.
Marvin Hagler
I think that basically, you know, I focused on that. If you can call Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali and if you can call Sugar Ray Leonard. Sugar Ray, I mean, you may not even be the real sugar and, you know, all these victories that other fighters have tried to be mindless, you know, I didn’t want to be a person that was imitating anybody. So the reporters with everything going, they used to say to me. I live here and the people don’t like even in France hulala balloons. I mean, the people who really got I really get to like the name. And so I love it all, you know? I mean and I always think that I was marvelous so it fits.
Oma Akatugba
You moved to Italy, you left the U.S. Was it motivated by love?
Marvin Hagler
It was a different you know, moving to Italy is because basically I started finding a job there. I did a couple of films in Italy and that’s what motivated me to stay. Plus, I found my lovely wife. And so, you know, it gave me a reason, being away from the ghetto type of area where you grew up and everything, being into a totally different world, which is, in Italian culture and whatever, learning about the culture, other people being able to try to speak the language. I mean, this helps you to grow. It’s a new challenge in my life. So that is what I’m working on.
Oma Akatugba
Let’s talk about racism. You are a legend, maybe because of your status, you don’t suffer much as far as racism is concerned, but a lot of people out at the lower end of the society, blacks who suffer racism, how do you think sports can help to eradicate racism?
Marvin Hagler
We all went through that, you know, growing up even as a fighter growing up in the black area and then being able to actually be able to mix with other nationalities, I think for me it was a great opportunity because it gives me an opportunity to learn how other people live, how they sleep and whatever.
I cannot understand the ignorance basically from people who are against any other color. OK, so I think basically the whole world has got to come together and realize that we are all on this earth together, you know what I mean? So I don’t look at it personally as black, white or whatever. I look at what they are.
