About the Book.
“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 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.
About the Author.
Dave Wedge is a New York Times bestselling author based in Boston. Among his books are: “Boston Strong: A City's Triumph Over Tragedy,” which was adapted for the 2017 movie “Patriots Day”; “Ice Bucket Challenge: Pete Frates and the Fight Against ALS”; the NYT bestseller, “12: The Inside Story of Tom Brady's Fight for Redemption,” written with Casey Sherman; “Hunting Whitey: The Inside Story of the Capture and Killing of America’s Most Wanted Crime Boss”; and “The Last Days of John Lennon,” an NYT bestseller written with James Patterson and Sherman.
Dave’s 2022 bestseller, “Riding With Evil: Taking Down the Notorious Pagans Motorcycle Gang,” is in development as a feature film. His next book, “Blood & Hate: The Untold Story of Marvelous Marvin Hagler's Battle for Glory,” due in June, is in development as a feature film with Academy Award-winning actor/producer Sam Rockwell. He is currently working on “Cop Town,” a true crime thriller about the sensational Karen Read murder case in Canton, Massachusetts.
Dave is also a writer for Boston magazine, has written for VICE, Esquire, and Newsweek and was an award-winning investigative journalist for the Boston Herald for 14 years. He has appeared on NBC News, CNN, MSNBC, E!, France 24, Fox News Channel, Good Morning America and many other local and national networks.
Dave is represented by Waxman Literary Agency and the Gotham Group in Beverly Hills. Find him on Instagram @davidmwedge.
About the Moderator.
An Oscar-, Golden Globe-and Emmy-nominated actress and choreographer, Rosie Perez has been a cultural mainstay since her breakout performances in such classic films as Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” Ron Shelton’s “White Men Can’t Jump” and Peter Weir’s “Fearless.”
Perez recently starred opposite Billy Crystal in the Apple TV+ limited series “Before.” Previously, she starred opposite Bryan Cranston in the second season of “Your Honor” on Showtime as ‘Olivia Delmont,’ a charismatic assistant U.S Attorney. Prior to that, she starred as ‘Megan Briscoe’ in two seasons of HBO Max’s critically acclaimed series, “The Flight Attendant,” opposite Kaley Cuoco. The role garnered her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. The Flight Attendant has received multiple nominations, including a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy Series and a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. Other recent credits include Apple TV+ bilingual thriller “Now and Then,” the drama series was shot in Spanish and English, the Netflix animated series “Human Resources,” the innovative feature “With/In,” a made-at-home anthology film revolving around themes of confinement and isolation and the short film Coco and Gigi which she wrote and directed.
In 2020, Perez starred in “The Last Thing He Wanted,” opposite Anne Hathaway and Ben Affleck for Netflix and as ‘Detective Renee Montaya’ in Warner Bros. “Birds of Prey,” opposite Margot Robbie. Her other film credits include: Bergman’s “It Could Happen to You,” “Untamed Heart” and “The Take,” in which she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.
Perez has also made her mark on the stage. She received strong reviews for her performance in “The Ritz” and made her Broadway debut in the hit revival of Terence McNally’s “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.” Perez returned to Broadway in2015 for the highly successful “Fish in the Dark” with Larry David.
Perez is a proud Puerto Rican, born and raised in Brooklyn New York. Throughout her career, Perez has been a vocal activist for a number of causes including HEART 9/11 and serves as the Artistic Board Chair for Urban Arts Partnership. In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed her to The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). Rosie is the author of Handbook for an Unpredictable Life: How I Survived Sister Renata and My Crazy Mother, and Still Came Out Smiling (with Great Hair). She is also a long-time boxing fan who can often be found ringside — it's how she earned the nickname "The First Lady of Boxing."