Bernard Hopkins, age 48, won yet another world championship Saturday, easily outpointing Tavoris Cloud for the IBF light heavyweight title. It is the "Executioner's" second championship at 175 pounds.
But Hopkins is more closely associated with the middleweight division, where he made a record 20 title defenses between 1995 and 2005. He is considered one of the top three 160-pounders of all time, along with Carlos Monzon and Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
Fittingly, it was 27 years ago today - March 10, 1986 - that Hagler won his last fight - an 11th round knockout of Ugandan knockout artist John "The Beast" Mugabi. It was a cold, rainy night outdoors at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. But the heat in the ring was intense, as Hagler and Mugabi engaged in one of 1986's best fights. On the undercard, Thomas Hearns knocked out James Shuler in the first round, seemingly setting up a Hagler-Hearns rematch that never happened.
In his next fight, Hagler lost to Sugar Ray Leonard on April 6, 1987.
Other memorable March dates:
March 1 - Roy Jones Jr. W 12 John Ruiz (2003)
March 3- John Ruiz W 12 Evander Holyfield (2001)
March 4- Virgil Hill W 12 Bobby Czyz (1989)
March 5- Sumbu Kalambay W 12 Mike McCallum (1988)
March 6- Hector Camacho W 12 Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini (1989)
March 7 - Mike Tyson W 12 James "Bonecrusher" Smith (1987)
March 8- Samuel Peter W 12 Oleg Maskaev (2008)
March 9- Donald Curry KO 2 Eduardo Rodriguez (1986)
March 10- Gaby Canizales KO 7 Richard Sandoval (1986)
March 13- Lennox Lewis D 12 Evander Holyfield (1999)
March 15- Manny Pacquiao W 12 Juan Manuel Marquez (2008)
March 16- Mike Tyson KO 3 Frank Bruno (1996)
March 17- Julio Cesar Chavez KO 12 Meldrick Taylor (1990)
March 18- Mike Tyson KO 7 Razor Ruddock (1991)
March 19- Milton McCrory W 12 Colin Jones (1983)
March 20- Iran Barkley W 12 Thomas Hearns (1992)
March 23- Arturo Gatti KO 6 Wilson Rodriguez (1996)
March 24- Oscar De La Hoya KO 5 Arturo Gatti (2001)
March 25- Michael Nunn KO 1 Sumbu Kalambay (1989)
March 27- Larry Holmes W 12 Lucien Rodriguez (1983)
March 28- Sugar Ray Leonard KO 10 Larry Bonds (1981)
March 30- Marvelous Marvin Hagler KO 10 Juan Roldan (1984)
March 31- Terry Norris KO 1 John Mugabi (1990)

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