Marvelous Marvin Hagler’s Triumph: Overcoming a Controversial Knockdown Against Juan Roldán in Nevada

Marvelous Marvin Hagler was one of the greatest fighters of any generation and was involved in many memorable fights. The legendary middleweight reigned supreme as the undisputed champion from 1980 to 1987, dominating opponents and making 12 successful title defences. On March 30, 1984, during this period of dominance, Marvelous defended his WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles against Juan Roldán at the Riviera, Winchester in Nevada. Despite showing his class and ultimately winning by tenth-round TKO, Hagler had to overcome a controversial first round before he took control of the fight.

Marvin Hagler Stops Juan Roldán in Nevada

Marvin Hagler vs. Juan Roldán Revisted

A mere seconds into the fight, Hagler was knocked down for the only time in his career, but the legendary middleweight was unhurt and bitterly protested that he slipped. The left hook from Roldán appeared to pull down on the back of Hagler’s head as he was off balance.

The Argentine fighter caught Hagler with the occasional big shot in the opening two rounds, but the granite chin of the New Jersey native took every shot. Marvelous showed his class in round three when he put together a smart combination, which knocked his opponent momentarily through the ropes. Roldán kept coming forward, throwing big hooks, but the more thoughtful work was coming from Marvelous, who targeted the damaged eye of his opponent.

The challenger had trouble seeing and complained to his corner after round six. The Argentine fighter had protested the damaged eye was caused by a thumb, with the referee deeming it a legal punch that had caused the damage. The fight entered the 10th round with Marvelous in complete control, and he landed a beautiful left-right combination, which knocked down Roldán, who beat the count but shook his head at the referee, indicating he did not want to continue, with the fight awarded to Marvelous Marvin Hagler by tenth-round TKO.

Marvin Hagler Legacy

Hagler finished his career with an impressive record of 62-3-2, 52 KOs, cementing his place as one of the boxing greats. He will be remembered for his granite chin and brutal power, but he was a great boxer who could put together impressive combinations with plenty of spite.

Boxing was all the better for having a warrior like Hagler entertaining us, which saw him deservedly inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993. Marvelous unexpectedly passed away on March 13, 2021, but his legacy will live on.