At the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas on 30 March 1984, Marvin Hagler reaffirmed his dominance over the middleweight division with a tenth-round stoppage of Argentina’s Juan Domingo Roldán, retaining his WBA, WBC, and IBF world titles in emphatic fashion.

It was a contest that began with high drama. Within seconds of the opening bell, Hagler found himself on the canvas after a glancing left from Roldán caught him on the back of the head. Referee Tony Perez ruled it a knockdown — the only official one of Hagler’s illustrious career — though the champion immediately protested it as a slip. The early moment of chaos sent a murmur through the crowd and gave Roldán the confidence to press forward with his trademark aggression.

Roldán, ranked as the WBA’s number one contender, tore into Hagler with wild right hands and relentless pressure, testing the champion’s composure. But Hagler, a master of adaptation, steadied the tempo by the third round. A sharp left uppercut to the Argentine’s eye began to change the tide, followed by a thudding combination that sent the challenger into the ropes for a count. From that moment, Hagler’s superior skill and conditioning began to tell.

As the rounds progressed, Roldán’s face bore the marks of a punishing education. His right eye was swollen shut by the middle rounds, and cuts opened across the bridge of his nose. Still, the challenger fought on with admirable bravery, swinging that sledgehammer right in desperate bursts of defiance. Hagler, ever the consummate professional, maintained a measured pace — switching stances, picking his shots, and breaking down his opponent with precision.

By the ninth, the outcome seemed inevitable. Roldán’s face was a mask of damage, yet he refused to yield. The referee and ringside doctor conferred but allowed the bout to continue. Early in the tenth, Hagler landed a series of crisp punches that sent the exhausted Argentine to the floor. He rose at the count of seven but shook his head moments later, signalling that he could not go on. The time was 0:39 of round ten.

Hagler, earning £1 million to Roldán’s £80,000, extended his reign as undisputed middleweight champion with his eighth successful defence. The fight demonstrated once again his ability to blend power, patience, and technical mastery against a fearless challenger who refused to surrender easily.

In the end, it was a triumph of skill over spirit — and another chapter in the storied career of one of boxing’s greatest middleweights. On that March night in Las Vegas, Marvin Hagler defeated Juan Domingo Roldán and left no doubt about his supremacy.