Ex proffessional boxer Marvin Hagler of the US reacts to the crowd before the Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhtan versus Japan’s Nobuhiro Ishida middleweight WBA boxing match, on March 30, 2013 in Monaco. AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE (Photo by VALERY HACHE / AFP)
American boxing legend Marvelous Marvin Hagler may be 64 but he told AFP that age won’t stop him hunting down more roles in action adventure movies.
However, there is one condition — he will not do love scenes.
The undisputed middleweight world champion from 1980-87 has made four films in Italy where he lives with his second wife Kay.
His most recent silver screen appearances were in 1997 in movies Notti di Paura and Virtual Weapon.
However, Hagler says while he enjoys commentating and carrying out charity work, the chance to lose himself playing someone else in movies has its attractions.
“Hopefully for me to land another film,” he told AFP of his future plans.
“I love to do that, that is what I have been doing, action and adventure.”
However, light-heartedly suggesting that his wife may not be happy, he added: “You always get the girl in adventure films, but I cannot do any love scenes.”
Hagler, who retired from the ring after a controversial loss to bitter rival Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987, says he found himself as immersed in films as he had once been in boxing.
“It is not real; it is all fake, a fantasy,” said Hagler, who is in Monaco for the annual Laureus Awards.
“You can die and come back the next day, you know what that stuff cracks me up.
“Its another game in the sense you can get lost and become another character.
“I got to live it same as I did it in boxing — walk it, talk it, live it, sleep it just try not to look like it afterwards!”
‘Brings back respect’
Hagler, who retired with a record of 62 wins, including 52 inside the distance, two draws and three defeats, shakes his head at the amount of titles that are on offer in his former sport today compared to his heyday.
“Now they have so much they throw them (titles) away like candy,” he said.
“It was a long hard road in my day. I said you have to kill me to take it (the title).”
Hagler says there is one boxer who he believes represents the good old days and that is Kazakhstan’s former unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
“I saw ‘Triple G’ (Golovkin’s nickname) and I told him I am glad that you became champion because it brings back respect into my division, you look like a champion who will be there for a while.
“Most champions these days, they come and they go, they confuse the public, who do not know who the real champion is.
“Right now they think Mike Tyson is the champion,” he adds, chuckling.
Hagler, though, derives great pleasure in his work with disadvantaged youngsters in his role as an academy member of Laureus, a global movement that aims to use the power of sport to tackle social challenges in the world.
“I like to give them hope and direction and put a smile on their faces,” he said.
“I went to Brazil before the Olympics to see some of these kids who had bad habits.
“I had to step in there but my wife says ‘Marvin, what are you doing?’. However it gets into your blood and you get carried away.
“The coach (at the gym) says I am not going to stop you going in there.
“It is important to catch them when they are young. It was exciting and they responded.”