After bringing the championship back home to Massachusetts, Marvin prepared for his first title defense in the new year of 1981. It came against Fulgencio Obelmejias on January 17th in Boston and ended in an 8th round TKO. That set up his much wanted rematch against Vito Antuofermo in his next fight in June at the same Boston Garden.
Marvin ran right through him this time and knocked him down in the 3rd round, forcing his corner to stop the contest at the end of that round. The champ had his much deserved revenge, and made it clear who the real middleweight champion of the world was.
Hagler finished the year on October 3rd in Chicago with another outstanding performance, stopping the solid Hamsho in the 11th round, When the best fighters in the world were mentioned now, Marvin Hagler was deservedly at the top of that list.