Marvin Hagler vs. Thomas Hearns, billed as The Fight,[1] (referred to afterwards as The War),[2] was a professional boxing match contested on April 15, 1985, for the undisputed middleweight championship.

[3] By 1985, Marvelous Marvin Hagler had been the undisputed champion of the middleweight division since September 27, 1980, after having been widely regarded as the No.

His first two shots at the world middleweight title resulted in controversy: the first was an unpopular draw against then-champion Vito Antuofermo in 1979 (allowing Antuofermo to retain the title), and the second was a three-round technical knockout (TKO) of Alan Minter, in London, which led to a riot by Minter's fans.

In Hearns's first title shot in 1980, he scored a spectacular second-round knockout over WBA champion Pipino Cuevas.

Hearns defended that title three times before meeting Sugar Ray Leonard in a thrilling fight dubbed "The Showdown."

He then successfully campaigned at junior middleweight, winning the WBC title from Wilfred Benítez, and defeating Roberto Durán.

Given the pair's renowned punching power and the way both men had won their respective fights coming into the bout, it garnered significant media attention and fan interest around the world.

In HBO's Legendary Nights: The Tale of Hagler-Hearns, Steward stated that he felt the massage weakened Hearns' legs during the fight and led him to adopt a more aggressive approach than he normally would have.

[citation needed] Hagler, normally a slow starter, stormed Hearns from the opening bell, landing with several brutal right hands eventually pinning him to the ropes.

The slugfest continued for the better part of the next two and a half minutes as both fighters traded heavy blows with little regard for defense or pacing.

When asked in the ring after the bout if he was hurt by Hearns' first right hand, a blow that caused him to step back and then fall into a clinch, Hagler commented, "He definitely tried to put the bomb on me... .

By the end of the round, Hagler pinned Hearns to the ropes, successfully landing a volley of punches.

The blow staggered Hearns, who awkwardly stumbled backwards into the ropes, Hagler running after him in hot pursuit.

It was widely regarded as the pinnacle of Marvin Hagler's career and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest middleweights of all time.

The fight is considered by some to be the greatest three rounds in boxing history, due to its constant action, drama, and violent back-and-forth exchanges.