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WWW.BOXINGNEWSONLINE.NET8 lBOXING NEWSlJUNE 27, 2019 http://www.boxingnewsonline.netNEWS AND OPINION
A tribute to
‘The Worm’,
the Philly
fighter who
defeated
Marvin Hagler
SHOULD you go to YouTube and type
in ‘Willie Monroe vs Marvin Hagler’ you
will find footage of their last two fights,
that conclude with Monroe on his back,
but not the first, which finished with his
arms in the air. It seems somewhat cruel
that when Monroe outscored the future
middleweight king in March 1976, a
snowstorm prevented the film crew from
getting to the Spectrum in Philadelphia.
Monroe, considered the only fighter
to beat Hagler without controversy, died
last week. More than 3,000 fans braved
the weather to pack into Philly’s famous
fight venue and watch Monroe and
Hagler engage over 10 rounds before
Willie “The Worm” was adjudged the
unanimous victor.
“In the second round, Hagler suffered
a nosebleed from a short left hook and
a straight right hand,” wrote the United
Press reporter who had made it to
ringside. “In the fifth, Monroe came out
with three consecutive uppercuts and
Hagler lost his mouthpiece and his nose
started to bleed profusely. Hagler tried
desperately to battle back and returned
with a series of body punches. Monroe
picked his opponent apart in the seventh
with the jabs and the nose continued
to bleed... In the 10th, Monroe took
command and put too much pressure
on Hagler.”
Promoter Russell J Peltz would later
say that Monroe won at least seven
of the 10 rounds while Hagler, with a
suspected broken nose, complained
of not being able to breathe for much
of the bout. But he did not grumbleabout the decision. “I learned a lot
from Monroe and I’m still young,” he
said afterwards. Hagler – who stopped
Monroe in 12 rounds in their rematch
and just two in their third fight – would
not lose again for 11 years, when Sugar
Ray Leonard won a contentious decision
after 12 rounds to end one of the
greatest reigns in middleweight history.
Monroe never really came close to
winning the world title and, following
the Hagler triumph, he would lose seven
of his final 14 fights to finish his career in
1981 with a record of 39-10-1 (26).
One of 16 children, Monroe was born
in Florida on June 5, 1948, before his
family moved to Rochester in New York.
That was where young Willie caught the
boxing bug after watching the sport on
the television. Before long he was in the
gym and, according to early reports, he
was bewitching all-comers with a style
that reminded onlookers of Cassius Clay,
as Monroe leant out of danger before
pouncing with punches from both sides.
At the age of 19, Monroe made his
way to Philadelphia where he was
introduced to top trainer Yank Durham
by welterweight contender, Gypsy JoeWILLIE MONROE, 1948-
Harris. Durham, both perplexed and
impressed, watched Monroe go about
his business and would unwittingly birth
Willie’s famous nickname when he said,
“Why just look at that boy out there, he’s
actin’ just like a worm.”
Monroe would have significant
success as an amateur and, by his own
reckoning, amass a record of 43-0 (37).
Reports claim a bug prevented him from
fighting for a place in the 1968 Olympic
Games so he turned professional the
following year. His turnover came
without great fanfare, though, and he
was forced to retain his job as a truck
driver with Clarkie’s Inc, a building
maintenance firm, as he made his way in
the pro ranks. By 1971 his record stood
at an impressive 15-0 (14) and he caught
the eye of former BN contributor Jack
Obermayer, who was then writing for
Boxing Illustrated.
“He has the physical attributes to
mould himself into a great fighter,” wrote
Obermayer. “At six feet even, he is tall
for his 158lbs and he uses his long reach
advantage that he uses to the fullest. He
has blinding speed of both hand and
foot and when he stops to punch, he
does more than just sting, he bangs.”
A stablemate of Joe Frazier, Monroe
would later be trained by Eddie Futch
and then George Benton following
Durham’s death in 1973. The following
year, Monroe – on the right-hand
side of the poster – would show off
his considerable skills to defeat feared
Philly rival Eugene “Cyclone” Hart over
10 rounds. Other noteworthy victims
included Billy Douglas, Stanley Hayward,
Carlos Marks, Jose Gonzalez and Don
Cobbs. But Monroe would frequently
fight with indecision, lost between two
styles – the boxer and the puncher and,
aside from Hagler, was defeated by
Bobby Watts, David Love, Curtis Parker
(in a wild affair) and Dwight Davison.
In retirement Monroe, who truly
adored boxing, worked as a referee
and trained young fighters. His
nephew, of the same name, is a current
middleweight contender who vowed to
win the world title in his uncle’s honour
when he heard of his death.‘HE HAS BLINDING
SPEED OF BOTH
HAND AND FOOT,
AND HE DOESN’T
STING, HE BANGS’
FAMILIAR FOES:
Monroe takes it to
Hagler, whom he
fought on three
occasionswhen he heard of his death.