How past it was Mugabi when he faced Norris

A lot of people make it seem as if he was completely shot at this point. Yes he was in a dog fight with hagler and was knocked out. Also suffered another knock out loss not too long after, but he came into the fight with a double digit winning streak with all of them coming by knockout. He was 30 years old and was said to have trained very hard coming into the fight. I personally think Norris is just a very bad matchup up for him, but is John just another past it big name on Norris’ resume? How good was he at this point?

 

I don't know how prime he ever was. He stepped up once and fought Hagler and gave him a tough fight on one of Hagler's rusty and inactive nights and he then sort of crashed in fights after. It is hard to say if he was past it.

 

I'd take Norris to beat any so called version personally.

 

Mugabi wasn't even close to being the same, as he was before Hagler.

 

I clearly remember him being considered past it by then

 

It retrospect quite a bit.

Since the Thomas debacle he had regrouped against soft opposition and then won the title against Jacquot on a flukish broken ankle tko. Norris exposed him.

 

Probably so based on Norris's speed. But the 83-to Hagler prime version of Mugabi would at least have a punchers chance based on what Jackson and Brown did to Norris. The version of Mugabi that faced Norris was clearly not the same fighter as the one who brutalized Curtis Parker and warred with Hagler.

 

He could’ve been, we really don’t know since Norris caught him very early

 

This is what I believe too. He didnt look like the same fighter after Hagler. And he put a lot of miles onto Marvin's clock too.

 

Sometimes fighters after a brutal struggle are just not the same. Especially power punchers.
The Mugabi that faced Norris was clearly not the same fighter that faced and went to war with Hagler. That fight ruined him. It happens.
Whether it was the physical beating he took, or self doubt that may have affected him after landing dynamic shot, after dynamic shot on Hagler and he did nothing but sneered and fought harder.
He lost something from the Hagler fight.
In my opinion though, Mugabi prior to Hagler would stop Norris, and stop him early. Norris of course would've landed some shots. That wouldn't be the issue, the issue would be when Mugabi landed his. When he did, fight would be over with Norris K'oed.

 

That’s a very strong possibility John. But do you think the first round knockout loss was something that would happen every time or maybe Mugabi was caught off guard by a man who was otherwise viewed as a nobody at the time ?

 

Mugabi would have a punchers chance but as I've said a lot of times i am dubious on him. The Hagler fight was a fine effort but an outlier type performance for me. He definitely had his weaknesses at any point and they were masked by choice of opponent pre-Hagler. I'm not sure i truly accept the finished after Hagler line. Maybe i'm wrong who knows. He never beat a Bonafide top 10 fighter for mine. He gets almost completely rated on a losing effort as valiant as it was.

He could whack tho, absolutely. Norris was very very sharp tho and i'm not sure Mugabi ever gets in first.

 

He was done. But I always give Norris a great chance of shooting fast and getting him early.

 

Mugabi is the definition of a 'One Night Fighter'. He is hard to rate fairly due to this, and his lack of strong wins and fluffy resume make it worse.

 

Brilliant description. You can make a good two way argument but both ends are quite blurred.