Marvelous Marvin Hagler

stopped Thomas Hearns in a fight that lasted less than eight minutes yet was so

epic that it still lives in boxing lore. Two years later he was so disgusted

after losing a decision to Sugar Ray Leonard — stolen, he claimed, by the

judges — that he never fought again.

One of the great

middleweights in boxing history, Hagler died Saturday at the age of 66. His

wife, Kay, announced his death on the Facebook page for Hagler’s fans.

“I am sorry to

make a very sad announcement,” she wrote. “Today unfortunately my beloved

husband Marvelous Marvin passed away unexpectedly at his home here in New

Hampshire. Our family requests that you respect our privacy during this

difficult time.”

Hagler

fought on boxing’s biggest stages against its biggest names, as he, Leonard,

Hearns and Roberto Duran dominated the middleweight classes during a golden

time for boxing in the 1980s. Quiet with a brooding public persona, Hagler

fought 67 times over 14 years as a pro out of Brockton, Massachusetts,

finishing 62-3-2 with 52 knockouts.

Hagler was born in Newark,

New Jersey, and moved with his family to Brockton in the late 1960s. He was

discovered as an amateur by the Petronelli brothers, Goody and Pat, who ran a

gym in Brockton and would go on to train Hagler for his entire pro career.

He was inducted

into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and World Boxing Hall of Fame in

1983.