Blood & Hate

The Untold Story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler's Battle for Glory

Dave Wedge author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Hamilcar Publications

Published:19th Jun '25

Should be back in stock very soon

Blood & Hate cover

Blood & Hate reads like a thriller: 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 BillionairesBringing 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.

 

“Inspirational, moving, eye-opening . . . [A] boxing biography that libraries should consider not just adding to their sports collections but profiling on display as a vivid account of how one great boxer rose above prejudice, racism, and preconceptions.”Midwest Book Review

“It’s the book that Hagler’s talent and achievement deserves.”—All Sports Book Reviews

“Dave Wedge's masterpiece about the rise of Marvelous Marvin Hagler stands alone as the undisputed champion of its genre. Wedge has weaved a narrative that is full of action, drama, and political intrigue. But this isn't merely a book about one of boxing's most legendary fighters. It's a universal story about unlikely friendships, earned trust, and bridging the gap of the racial divide. Blood & Hate is a compulsive read.”—Casey Sherman, New York Times bestselling author of Helltown and Blood in the Water

“With gut-punch prose Wedge dives deep into the violence, politics, and pride that shaped one of boxing’s fiercest warriors—stripping away the myth to reveal the man: quiet, brutal, brilliant. This isn’t just a biography. It’s a battle poem for the forgotten. A love letter to the hard way up.”—Elgin James, filmmaker/musician, creator of the hit TV series Mayans MC 

ISBN: 9781949590845

Dimensions: 228mm x 152mm x 19mm

Weight: unknown

248 pages

New edition