Brockton To Celebrate 'Marvelous Marvin Hagler Day' On May 23
BROCKTON (CBS) -- Brockton is gearing up to celebrate Marvelous Marvin Hagler on what would have been the legendary boxing champ's 67th birthday.
Hagler died unexpectedly in March at his New Hampshire home. His boxing career started in Brockton and he reigned as the undisputed middleweight champion from 1980 to 1987.
Gov. Charlie Baker has declared Sunday, May 23 to be "Marvelous Marvin Hagler Day." Brockton is planning a celebration at Rocky Marciano Stadium at 2 p.m. that will feature a video tribute and a celebrity lineup of speakers including boxing champion Bernard Hopkins and ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
"Marvelous Marvin Hagler has been an inspiration and a source of civic pride for Brockton for generations. He is one of the primary reasons why we are known as the 'City of Champions,'" Mayor Robert Sullivan said in a statement. "This public memorial will be a fitting tribute to one of our city's favorite sons and one of boxing's all-time greats."
Gates will open to the public at the high school stadium at 1 p.m. Seating may be limited due to COVID guidelines.
Hagler was the undisputed middleweight champion from 1980 to 1987. He was born in Newark, New Jersey, but moved to Brockton in the late 1960s.
