Marvellous Marvin Hagler is best known for his blockbuster bout with Thomas Hearns, but, in 1982, was responsible for a separate brutal knockout, one that would have devastating affects for his opponent.
William ‘Caveman’ Lee had racked up a record of 21-2 by the time he faced Marvin Hagler, who held a record of 53-2-2, but in truth, he had never wanted to box.
It was the dream of Lee’s father, who suffered a fall whilst working in construction, disabling him for life. As a result, he put his dreams onto his sons. This, combined with his abusive nature, led to Lee suffering with his mental health.
After joining the army to avoid his father, Lee continued with boxing and was a decent boxer, nicknamed ‘Caveman’ as a child because of his sideburns.
Ahead of the Hagler fight all but one of his wins had come by way of knockout, and all but one of those happened before the halfway point in the fight.
However, it would be after facing Hagler that Lee’s life would spiral into chaos.
Caveman Lee robs a bank after humiliating defeat to Marvin Hagler
In 1982, Lee, who trained at the Kronk gym in Detroit had worked himself up to challenging for Hagler’s WBC middleweight title in Atlantic City, but instead of greatness, Lee was stopped by Hagler in just 67 seconds.
Lee’s father blamed his trainer, Emanuel Steward, for the loss, and Lee soon stopped speaking with Lee Sr. Lee withdrew from boxing, and life, sinking into a depression. Speaking on his boxing career, he said:
“I guess I just didn’t have the heart for it. I don’t know if I ever did. I never liked boxing, I guess it was just something that was drilled into me.”
Lee’s life soon spiraled as a result of his mental health issues and devastating loss to Hagler, and resorted to armed robbery, stealing $18,000 from a bank. His plan was foiled, however, when he was captured. Lee claimed he didn’t do it for the money, he did it to be sent to prison.
Caveman Lee returned to boxing four years after Hagler defeat
Caveman would serve his time, and decided to get back in the ring once more. He fought 9-4-1 Orlando Paulding, and knocked him out in the very first round.
The commentators exclaimed: “I think Caveman Lee is back.”
Lee had one more fight after this, two years later, which he lost by knockout. Though his boxing career was now over, Lee is to this day remembered for an enthralling bout with John LoCicero, which he won by stoppage.
Lee was arrested once again for an armed robbery after this fight. He got sober and found work in an auto parts yard after getting out of prison.
Speaking on his life and career, Lee said: “I don’t know what I would have done in life if I had followed my own dreams. I don’t even know what my dreams were. My pop gave me his dreams.”
In an interview with TSS, Caveman said one thing he hoped people knew about him was: “That I fell into the deepest darkness that anyone can fall into.”
Lee may not have broken records for world title defenses like Joe Louis, who defended his title 25 times over 11 years, and may not have been known by the masses like Muhammad Ali, whose fight with Joe Frazier was watched by 10% of Earth’s population, he may not have faced his toughest opponents in the ring, like The Boston Bonecrusher who fought despite his blindness, but he was a man who fought his demons, and won.