The city of Brockton, Massachusetts, will honor boxing legend Marvelous Marvin Hagler on Thursday.
City officials said a “stunning” $150,000 statue of Hagler will be unveiled at 11 a.m. in a new park and street named after him near 28 Petronelli Way.
“Brockton is known throughout the world as the 'City of Champions' thanks to the incredible and historic sports achievements of Marvelous Marvin Hagler,” said Mayor Robert Sullivan.
The statue, commissioned by Brodin Studios, was built with a $150,000 grant secured by Rep. Jerry Cassidy of Massachusetts, officials said.
Officials said the statue will be unveiled to the public at the new Marvelous Marvin Hagler Park, newly named Marvelous Marvin Hagler Way, next to the Petronelli brothers' former gym.
Hagler was born in Newark, New Jersey, and moved to Brockton in 1969, where he trained for many years under the Petronelli brothers and later became the undisputed middleweight boxing champion of the world.
Hagler fought and won against some of the “best of their era,” including Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns, Roberto Duran, Vito Antuofermo, and Mustafa Hamsho.
He boasts an “incredible record” of 62 wins and 3 losses, with 52 of those wins coming by knockout, including 12 title defenses.
Hagler held the middleweight title from 1980 to 1987 and was one of the biggest and most famous athletes in the world throughout the 1980s, according to sources.
He also was credited with helping launch HBO Boxing and the pay-per-view era of boxing, according to people familiar with the matter.
Hagler retired from boxing in 1987, moved to Italy and became an action movie star, and six years later was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in New York.
Hagler died suddenly in March 2021 at his New Hampshire home at the age of 66.
“Marvelous Marvin was a global boxing icon who embodied all the best qualities of this great city: toughness, perseverance, community and dedication. This statue will remain a symbol of his spirit for generations to come, inspiring people to always strive to be the best they can be,” Sullivan said.
