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Blood & Hate: The Untold Story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler's Battle for Glory
“Blood & Hate reads like a a raw, unflinching saga of survival, betrayal, and the kind of obsession that turns underdogs into kings. Wedge delivers Hagler’s story like a haymaker to the jaw—brutal, brilliant, and impossible to forget.”—Ben Mezrich, New York Times bestselling author of The Accidental Billionaires, Bringing Down the House and Dumb Money.
Most know Marvelous Marvin Hagler from his epic battles against Thomas Hearns and John Mugabi and his controversial split-decision loss to Sugar Ray Leonard. But it is his escape from riot-torn Newark in the late 1960s, the unbreakable bond he built with the Petronelli brothers, and his 1980 title fight against Britain’s Alan Minter—with its deep racial animus—that captures the real story of Hagler.
In Blood & Hate, New York Times bestselling author Dave Wedge tells the riveting and inspirational tale of how Hagler overcame incredible odds, joined with Goody and Pat Petronelli to rise through the rigged ranks, and morphed from a fatherless teenager in Brockton, Massachusetts, into Marvelous Marvin Hagler, one of the best boxers ever and arguably the greatest middleweight in history.
Through exclusive interviews with Bob Arum, the Petronelli and Hagler families, and a who's who of the boxing world, Blood & Hate reveals fascinating details about Hagler's early life as well as the legendary Minter fight, and once and for all delivers the definitive chronicle of Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
Most know Marvelous Marvin Hagler from his epic battles against Thomas Hearns and John Mugabi and his controversial split-decision loss to Sugar Ray Leonard. But it is his escape from riot-torn Newark in the late 1960s, the unbreakable bond he built with the Petronelli brothers, and his 1980 title fight against Britain’s Alan Minter—with its deep racial animus—that captures the real story of Hagler.
In Blood & Hate, New York Times bestselling author Dave Wedge tells the riveting and inspirational tale of how Hagler overcame incredible odds, joined with Goody and Pat Petronelli to rise through the rigged ranks, and morphed from a fatherless teenager in Brockton, Massachusetts, into Marvelous Marvin Hagler, one of the best boxers ever and arguably the greatest middleweight in history.
Through exclusive interviews with Bob Arum, the Petronelli and Hagler families, and a who's who of the boxing world, Blood & Hate reveals fascinating details about Hagler's early life as well as the legendary Minter fight, and once and for all delivers the definitive chronicle of Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
- GenresSports
228 pages, Hardcover
First published June 17, 2025
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49 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 17, 2025
Blood & Hate is a very engaging story about Hagler's upbringing and rise through the boxing ranks. Wedge does a thorough job detailing the bleakness Hagler lived in and overcame through a combination of his tight knit family and unbelievable willpower. The bond with the Petronellis has been covered in other sources, but Wedge seems to flesh out the earlier years in further detail. While "hate" is in the book's title, Wedge documents the support system that clearly loved and respected Hagler.
I like to read detailed accounts of fights in boxing books. Wedge's blow-by-blow account of the Hagler-Minter fight is one of the best I've ever read. Unfortunately, the other fights Wedge covers are reduced to short summaries. These fights, especially the Philadelphia fights that served as Hagler's trial by fire, deserve more detail.
Be advised, this is not a book about the "Four Kings" rivalry. Hagler's fights with Duran, Hearns, and Leonard are dealt with in five sentences in the book's epilogue. Since these fights have been documented in-depth in numerous books, I can appreciate Wedge's focus here on the early part of Hagler's career.
Boxing fans definitely need to read this.
I like to read detailed accounts of fights in boxing books. Wedge's blow-by-blow account of the Hagler-Minter fight is one of the best I've ever read. Unfortunately, the other fights Wedge covers are reduced to short summaries. These fights, especially the Philadelphia fights that served as Hagler's trial by fire, deserve more detail.
Be advised, this is not a book about the "Four Kings" rivalry. Hagler's fights with Duran, Hearns, and Leonard are dealt with in five sentences in the book's epilogue. Since these fights have been documented in-depth in numerous books, I can appreciate Wedge's focus here on the early part of Hagler's career.
Boxing fans definitely need to read this.
September 1, 2025
3.75-4.0 stars for me. I preface this by saying that I have always been a fight fan, and that Marvelous Marvin Hagler has always been a favorite of mine. This book is about Marvin’s early life in Newark,NJ … his move to Brockton, MA (the home of Rocky Marciano) … his relationship with the Petronelli brothers and his rise to becoming World Middleweight Champion.
What I always loved about Hagler are the things that Wedge covers so well. Namely, Marvin’s dedication to the sport, his work ethic & he refuses to fail. He was always exceptionally well conditioned and had the ability to box and brawl and he could take a punch.
A little disappointed that the book stopped when he won the title from Alan Minter in London. There is barely a mention of his latter fights with Hearns, Duran & Leonard, however there’s mention of a book by George Kimball … The Four Kings … that deals with those years. I’ll have to check that out.
If you’re a boxing fan & especially if you were a fan of Marvin Hagler, you’ll enjoy this book.
What I always loved about Hagler are the things that Wedge covers so well. Namely, Marvin’s dedication to the sport, his work ethic & he refuses to fail. He was always exceptionally well conditioned and had the ability to box and brawl and he could take a punch.
A little disappointed that the book stopped when he won the title from Alan Minter in London. There is barely a mention of his latter fights with Hearns, Duran & Leonard, however there’s mention of a book by George Kimball … The Four Kings … that deals with those years. I’ll have to check that out.
If you’re a boxing fan & especially if you were a fan of Marvin Hagler, you’ll enjoy this book.
January 15, 2026
Great reporting and engaging writing. Learned a lot about a local sports legend.
July 13, 2025
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: **THE STORY OF ALL-TIME GREAT MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD… **MARVELOUS-MARVIN-HAGLER**
**THIS REVIEWER… GIVES THE AUTHOR… A UNANIMOUS… *****FIVE-STAR-DECISION!!*****
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As a lifetime boxing fan… who started watching the fights as a young child in New York… with my Dad… when the “FRIDAY-NIGHT-FIGHTS” were a nationally televised sensation… and then when my family moved simultaneously with our beloved Brooklyn “Bums” to Los Angeles… and I got a little older… my Dad would take me to the Olympic Auditorium… to see the likes of “Smoking Joe” Frazier… Jerry Quarry… and my Dad’s friend “Joltin-Johnny” Smith… the middleweight champion of California… who everyone was afraid to fight… and he would have to go to far off countries to get fights and make a living. These are memories I’ll never forget… and there’s a very important reason… I start this review… with this personal… flashback…
This book is wonderfully written by Dave Wedge… who has a somewhat similar… childhood… boxing memory… not only with his Dad… but with the subject of this book… Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Any true old-school boxing fan… who also has loving memories of sharing life-events like I’ve described… with their Dad… and has a powerful love affair with the art of boxing… will immediately… have their emotions tingling… and… their heart warmed… by the introductory… dedication… of this book by the author:
**THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE PEOPLE OF BROCKTON—THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS—AND MY PARENTS, ARLENE AND ROGER, FOR RAISING ME IN SUCH A PROUD CITY. ***AND THANKS DAD, FOR TAKING ME TO MY FIRST PRO BOXING MATCH AT BOSTON GARDEN WHERE I WATCHED MARVELOUS MARVIN HAGLER BEAT UP VITO “THE MOSQUITO” ANTUOFERMO, MAKING ME A BOXING FAN FOR LIFE.**
So… the author… TRULY… HAS SKIN IN THE GAME!! And I am so thrilled that he does! He cares for Marvin… he cares for Brockton… he cares for boxing… and cares about the facts… wherever they may lead… and every potential reader is better for it… and I truly believe that boxing… which is absolutely nothing… like it used to be… is way better off… because of this book… even if the incremental improvement… is simply reader by reader.
All-time great Middleweight Champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler… was just like my Dad’s friend… Joltin-Johnny Smith… except on a much bigger scale… EVERYBODY WAS AFRAID TO FIGHT HIM!!! He went years and years with the top-ranked fighters avoiding him at all costs. He had to fight in tiny gyms… in different cities… and different countries. If that wasn’t bad enough… he had decisions against him… in many fights… that even Stevie Wonder could see that he won! But this classic boxing tale… starts way before Hagler ever set foot in the ring.
Marvin was born in Newark, New Jersey… without a Father in the household… during the time of the ongoing riots. When he was a child… it literally was like living in a war zone. After a number of years… his Mother got them out and moved to Brockton, Massachusetts… which any true boxing fan would know… before the second syllable was spit out… was the home of ***THE ONLY UNDEFEATED HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION IN HISTORY… (AND ONE OF MY IDOLS)… ROCKY MARCIANO!!***
And at this juncture which is still early in the book… the reader senses… that this book is a literary boxing classic. After intricately detailing Marvin’s impoverished… dangerous youth… the author seamlessly… without any unnecessary fluff… tells you every important background feature that’s important about Rocky Marciano… and the impact he had on Brockton… boxing… and unseen lives to come. When young Marvin shows up unannounced at the Petronelli Brother’s (Goody and Pat) boxing gym… a gym that until Rocky’s tragic death… was going to include Rocky himself as a partner… with the brothers… there is… even more flawless… infusion… of the Hagler… Rocky… Petronelli… integration.
Marvin… had never had real experience interacting with white people… and as impressive as his eventual championship was… it’s even more empathetic… how their business relationship… then friendship… becomes family… and regardless of how much the underbelly of boxing tried to turn Hagler against the brothers… as his fame and earning power grew… a Sherman Tank… and atomic bomb couldn’t… pull them apart. And the best of the worst… such as the despicable Don King… tried and failed. All three of them… WERE-THE-DEFINITION-OF-STAND-UP-GUYS!
Though I was a Marvelous Marvin Hagler fan… and studied and idolized Rocky Marciano… I learned so much more! It was amazing… how in the mini-historical-flashbacks of Rocky… that he was always in the absolute greatest… phenomenal shape for every fight he had… he was never detracted by all the things that detract other fighters…during the boredom of training camps… and Hagler was literally the exact same way. As Hagler’s fame grew… though he was originally from Newark… he loved… honored… and supported Brockton… every moment of his life… exactly like Rocky did.
His championship victory over Alan Minter in England… that became a riot… was perhaps the most racist… anti-Semitic… disgusting… repellent… repulsive… public episode in the history of boxing. Hagler’s long fight… and dedication… to paying the price to become a world champion… was unnecessarily tarnished by this stain on boxing and on England…
But he had his World Championship… ***AND HE SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED HIS TITLE TWELVE TIMES***… and he had it stolen from him once. Many boxing historians say that ON APRIL 15, 1985… WHEN MARVELOUS MARVIN HAGLER… KNOCKED OUT… TOMMY HEARNS… IN THREE ROUNDS… THAT IT WAS THE GREATEST THREE ROUNDS IN BOXING HISTORY***
Hagler had a park named after him in Brockton… a statue erected of him in Brockton… and a street named after him in Brockton…
And Dave Wedge… wrote a book about him and Brockton!
**THIS REVIEWER… GIVES THE AUTHOR… A UNANIMOUS… *****FIVE-STAR-DECISION!!*****
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As a lifetime boxing fan… who started watching the fights as a young child in New York… with my Dad… when the “FRIDAY-NIGHT-FIGHTS” were a nationally televised sensation… and then when my family moved simultaneously with our beloved Brooklyn “Bums” to Los Angeles… and I got a little older… my Dad would take me to the Olympic Auditorium… to see the likes of “Smoking Joe” Frazier… Jerry Quarry… and my Dad’s friend “Joltin-Johnny” Smith… the middleweight champion of California… who everyone was afraid to fight… and he would have to go to far off countries to get fights and make a living. These are memories I’ll never forget… and there’s a very important reason… I start this review… with this personal… flashback…
This book is wonderfully written by Dave Wedge… who has a somewhat similar… childhood… boxing memory… not only with his Dad… but with the subject of this book… Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Any true old-school boxing fan… who also has loving memories of sharing life-events like I’ve described… with their Dad… and has a powerful love affair with the art of boxing… will immediately… have their emotions tingling… and… their heart warmed… by the introductory… dedication… of this book by the author:
**THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE PEOPLE OF BROCKTON—THE CITY OF CHAMPIONS—AND MY PARENTS, ARLENE AND ROGER, FOR RAISING ME IN SUCH A PROUD CITY. ***AND THANKS DAD, FOR TAKING ME TO MY FIRST PRO BOXING MATCH AT BOSTON GARDEN WHERE I WATCHED MARVELOUS MARVIN HAGLER BEAT UP VITO “THE MOSQUITO” ANTUOFERMO, MAKING ME A BOXING FAN FOR LIFE.**
So… the author… TRULY… HAS SKIN IN THE GAME!! And I am so thrilled that he does! He cares for Marvin… he cares for Brockton… he cares for boxing… and cares about the facts… wherever they may lead… and every potential reader is better for it… and I truly believe that boxing… which is absolutely nothing… like it used to be… is way better off… because of this book… even if the incremental improvement… is simply reader by reader.
All-time great Middleweight Champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler… was just like my Dad’s friend… Joltin-Johnny Smith… except on a much bigger scale… EVERYBODY WAS AFRAID TO FIGHT HIM!!! He went years and years with the top-ranked fighters avoiding him at all costs. He had to fight in tiny gyms… in different cities… and different countries. If that wasn’t bad enough… he had decisions against him… in many fights… that even Stevie Wonder could see that he won! But this classic boxing tale… starts way before Hagler ever set foot in the ring.
Marvin was born in Newark, New Jersey… without a Father in the household… during the time of the ongoing riots. When he was a child… it literally was like living in a war zone. After a number of years… his Mother got them out and moved to Brockton, Massachusetts… which any true boxing fan would know… before the second syllable was spit out… was the home of ***THE ONLY UNDEFEATED HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION IN HISTORY… (AND ONE OF MY IDOLS)… ROCKY MARCIANO!!***
And at this juncture which is still early in the book… the reader senses… that this book is a literary boxing classic. After intricately detailing Marvin’s impoverished… dangerous youth… the author seamlessly… without any unnecessary fluff… tells you every important background feature that’s important about Rocky Marciano… and the impact he had on Brockton… boxing… and unseen lives to come. When young Marvin shows up unannounced at the Petronelli Brother’s (Goody and Pat) boxing gym… a gym that until Rocky’s tragic death… was going to include Rocky himself as a partner… with the brothers… there is… even more flawless… infusion… of the Hagler… Rocky… Petronelli… integration.
Marvin… had never had real experience interacting with white people… and as impressive as his eventual championship was… it’s even more empathetic… how their business relationship… then friendship… becomes family… and regardless of how much the underbelly of boxing tried to turn Hagler against the brothers… as his fame and earning power grew… a Sherman Tank… and atomic bomb couldn’t… pull them apart. And the best of the worst… such as the despicable Don King… tried and failed. All three of them… WERE-THE-DEFINITION-OF-STAND-UP-GUYS!
Though I was a Marvelous Marvin Hagler fan… and studied and idolized Rocky Marciano… I learned so much more! It was amazing… how in the mini-historical-flashbacks of Rocky… that he was always in the absolute greatest… phenomenal shape for every fight he had… he was never detracted by all the things that detract other fighters…during the boredom of training camps… and Hagler was literally the exact same way. As Hagler’s fame grew… though he was originally from Newark… he loved… honored… and supported Brockton… every moment of his life… exactly like Rocky did.
His championship victory over Alan Minter in England… that became a riot… was perhaps the most racist… anti-Semitic… disgusting… repellent… repulsive… public episode in the history of boxing. Hagler’s long fight… and dedication… to paying the price to become a world champion… was unnecessarily tarnished by this stain on boxing and on England…
But he had his World Championship… ***AND HE SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDED HIS TITLE TWELVE TIMES***… and he had it stolen from him once. Many boxing historians say that ON APRIL 15, 1985… WHEN MARVELOUS MARVIN HAGLER… KNOCKED OUT… TOMMY HEARNS… IN THREE ROUNDS… THAT IT WAS THE GREATEST THREE ROUNDS IN BOXING HISTORY***
Hagler had a park named after him in Brockton… a statue erected of him in Brockton… and a street named after him in Brockton…
And Dave Wedge… wrote a book about him and Brockton!
June 22, 2025
What a fantastic book and tribute to Marvelous Marvin. I did not realize when I started the book that it would end with him winning the middleweight championship; that felt like a breath of fresh air as opposed to the traditional cradle-to-grave biographies. I appreciated the author's focus on the backstories of Hagler's most significant opponents during his rise, specifically Alan Minter, and fleshing out the stories of Goody, Pat, and Tony Petronelli. I had a difficult time taking breaks from this book, it just kept drawing me back, and though I was familiar with the main beats of Hagler's rise, I really felt like I learned lots of new information. For anyone looking for an introduction into the story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler, I would start here before moving on to any other literature.
February 11, 2026
I wanted nothing more than to *LOVE* this book. I grew up a short distance from Brockton and knew Hagler’s story well enough. This book filled in some holes, but I am disappointed that it ended so abruptly.
I get it that the author wanted to end it on a high note, but there is so much more to the story. Leaving out Hagler’s downfall could lead readers to believe his retirement was all sunshine and rainbows.
If you’re reading this review long after 2026 and the author has released a second-half biography, then disregard all of what I have written. If there is no second-half biography, then I stand behind what I have written.
I get it that the author wanted to end it on a high note, but there is so much more to the story. Leaving out Hagler’s downfall could lead readers to believe his retirement was all sunshine and rainbows.
If you’re reading this review long after 2026 and the author has released a second-half biography, then disregard all of what I have written. If there is no second-half biography, then I stand behind what I have written.
December 29, 2025
Long time Hayley fan - pretty disappointing book. Reminded me of a history book “on this date, this happened…on this date this happened” very little compelling narrative.
Loaded with cliché, abrupt transitions, stilted dialog and some editorial mistakes (I noticed a couple repeated sentences in same paragraph).
I finished it but didn’t learn anything new.
Loaded with cliché, abrupt transitions, stilted dialog and some editorial mistakes (I noticed a couple repeated sentences in same paragraph).
I finished it but didn’t learn anything new.
August 20, 2025
Great read
I moved to Brockton the same time a marvelous v did and knew him, so it was a lot of fun reliving so much. Only disappointed there wasn't a narrative on the Sugar Ray fight.
I moved to Brockton the same time a marvelous v did and knew him, so it was a lot of fun reliving so much. Only disappointed there wasn't a narrative on the Sugar Ray fight.
July 28, 2025
An excellent book of research and writing by Dave Wedge.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews