The death of boxing champ Marvin Hagler, 66, has stirred up a firestorm of controversy over his cause of death.
March 13, 2021, Hagler’s friend and rival, boxer Thomas “Hitman” Hearns, posted on his Instagram and Twitter accounts that Hagler was in the hospital ICU “fighting the after effects of the vaccine” and that he wanted fans to pray for Hagler.
Later in the day, Hagler’s wife, Kay, posted on Hagler’s Facebook fan page that he’d passed away “unexpectedly.” She didn’t mention his cause of death.
However, Hearns’ statement about Hagler having serious side effects from the COVID vaccine spread quickly over the internet, while major media worked to quell or completely ignore the idea that he might have died from the vaccine.
The New York Times, for example, simply didn’t mention it. Fox News did talk about it, and repeated Hearns’ comments about the hospital stay, adding that “Hearns’ post had “sparked anti-vaccine messages on social media.” The Sun took it a step further, saying anti-vaxxers were using Hagler’s death to push their agenda.
Hearns also followed up with a clarification that he “wasn’t trying to make an anti-vaccine message” — but didn’t retract his earlier statement about Hagler’s ICU stay or the vaccine reaction.
SOURCES:
Thomas Hitman Hearns Instagram March 13, 2021
Twitter Tariq Nasheed March 13, 2021
Marvelous Marvin Hagler Fan Club Facebook March 13, 2021
Fox News March 14, 2021