Hearns vs Mugabi

Why was this fight never made?

 

Because Mugabi was pretty much a bum.

 

Because Duff talked his boy 'Mugabi' into going after the shorter but 160 lb. Hagler for bigger money in 1985.

Mugabi was suppose to challenge Hagler in Nov. 1985, but the event was delayed until March 1986 for sketchy reasons.

Mugabi was only paid $800,000 G's compared to Hagler's $3 million dollar gross...

ALSO!

Manny Steward didn't want Hearns facing a huge puncher by late 1985, so they were happy to face James "Glass-Jaw" Shuler instead...

I have no idea what either Hearns or Shuler grossed for that 73 second smokescreen....

MR.BILL:deal

 

Mugabi just didn't look like a true middleweight....his legs were too thin.

 

But he was by 1986. 154 pounds was killing him after 1984. Mugabi left a lot of strength and power in the gym at 154 by post 1986... In fact, Mugabi fought several fights in the late 1980s at 160+ pounds....

MR.BILL:bbb

 

And it isn't is if Hearns had strong legs himself at 160. So no advantage for either. At what weight did Hearns have strong legs anyway? His skills were from the waist up, not below.

 

Hearns did own shaky legs overall, but Hearns did benefit with his long legs and stance. He got leverage on his punches from them legs. Hearns at 6' 1" tall and with a 78" reach created great power between 147 to 154 pounds.. Hearns also had good power at 160 to 175 pounds, but he fought with a tender / fractured right hand bone for several years after his '85 war with Hagler... Manny Steward had Hearns see a specialist in the early 1990s who found a small bone in his right paw that was not properly placed / healed... Hearns got it corrected and parked Andy Maynard with his new bionic right....
bbb

MR.BILL:hat

 

Hearns would have stopped Mugabi in 2 rounds.

 

I'm curious of what the '83 version of Duran who fought "Cuevas, Moore & Hagler" would've done with the '84 and '85 Mugabi who fought "Hargrove, Green & Fletcher."
:huh

MR.BILL:hat

 

Mugabi would pose some problems, but Hearns eventually takes him out, most likely by mid-to-late rounds KO.

 

I think the 1983 Duran takes Mugabi into the later rounds and stops him.

 

Because of Tommy's teammate Duane Thomas, and Mugabi showing a bit of the dog.

 

Funny thing is, Steward tried to protect Hearns, while he was also willing to send D. Thomas into the Lion's den... Steward initially thought Thomas would be Mugabi's bacon to chew on in Dec. 1986, but Thomas got lucky with a long hook that the edge of his glove got Mugabi in the eyeball... That wasn't suppose to happen...
:-good:scaredas:

MR.BILL:hat

 

It still annoys me, The Beast took that licking against Hagler with the class you except of a warrior, and then dogged the Thomas fight.

I know, the punch may of really hurt, but there is plenty of evidence of fighters carrying on with such injuries. Of the top of my head Meldrick Taylor broke his eye orbital in the St Patrick's day war with Chavez, and although he lost, I do not here people saying he quit...

 

I think you may be being too harsh.
Mugabi may have been thumbed, and temporarily blinded.
Even George Chuvalo turned away when his eye was busted in against Frazier.
The pain is intense and the instinct to protect one's sight is strong.
Walk in those shoes before throwing around the "dogged it" accusations.