One measure of the legacy of a champion is the quality of his opposition. Hagler's title reign is studded with middleweight contenders who would have threatened in any era. Fulgencio Obelmejias, his first defense after demolishing Alan Minter to win the title, is a case in point. Obelmejias hailed from Venezuela. He was 6'1" tall and broad shouldered. He looked like a light heavyweight and indeed moved to that weight class after his two unsuccessful bids to win Hagler's title. Obelmejias came into the first fight with an undefeated record, with 27 of his 30 wins coming inside the distance. After his eighth round stoppage loss to Hagler, Obelmejias ran off eight straight wins, all inside the distance, to earn a second show at Hagler's title. Hagler stopped Obelmejias in five rounds in the rematch. Obelmejias retired with a record of 52-5 (41).
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