the what fights did you watch today\scorecard thread.

This content is protected

Good fight! Louis had a lot of trouble with Farr. Whose lack of knockout punch did not allow him to go much more "farr".

I had Louis by 144-141. Keep in mind, however, that this is a condensed version of the fight,. It could have been "farr" more wide but I believe this is the version seen in the United Kingdom.

Very good fight, still!

 

This content is protected

Domination!

 

Gabriel Ruelas v John Brown

Checked this fight out today as I remembered it live when it took place. It was as I recalled, one of the finest performances of counter-punching and attacking all by Brown. Ruelas showed up without any reflexes at all, just loading up on one shot. The much shorter Brown evaded and countered everything early until he went on the attack. Man, what a job he did on Gabe. I gave him every round plus a 2-pointer in the 6th when he decked Gabe. The ref interceded quite rightly in the 8th and I had it 70-62 through 7 completed rounds (scores not known). I predicted big things for Brown after this performance, but he fell short of prominence.

 

This content is protected

Great fight!I had it 115-113 Byrd

Interesting fact: Chris Byrd has a wife and a sister named Tracy!

Also, I just realized, I confused this fight with Byrd-Ibeabuchi..lol..and glad I did!

 

Vitali Klitschko vs Derek Chisora

Round 1: 10:9 Vitali
Round 2: 10:9 Chisora
Round 3: 10:9 Vitali
Round 4: 10:9 Chisora
Round 5: 10:9 Vitali
Round 6: 10:9 Chisora
Round 7: 10:9 Vitali
Round 8: 10:9 Chisora
Round 9: 10:9 Vitali
Round 10: 10:9 Vitali
Round 11: 10:9 Vitali
Round 12: 10:9 Vitali

Total: 116-112 Vitali Klitschko

Up until the 8th it was a fun scrap when Chisora had more moments against Vitali than he probably should have, but we need to remember Vitali was fighting with the injured left shoulder from the 4th round on. Good thing he didn't quit this time as on my scorecard he swept all rounds after the 8th (with the last one being close). Great effort from the 40 year old and great try from Del Boy. One of the most enterteining fights in Vitali's, usually boring, catalogue.

 

This content is protected

Great fight and a sensational knockout!

I cannot believe I am saying great fight about a Chris Byrd fight, twice in a row!

 

Talking about forgotten classics:

This content is protected

 

This content is protected

Dramatic knockout!

It was a left hook inside followed by a seemingly innocent right to the temple.

 

This content is protected

Great amateur fight!

 

This content is protected

What a knockout!!!

 

This content is protected

This was supposed to be a fix and Siki was to let Carpentier win. But it was very entertaining.

Interesting fact: Siki beat a guy that Owney Madden told him to lose to. Months later, he had two shots to his back......hmnnn..

 

Ken Norton vs. George Foreman

Even from the walk-outs this fight was electric. Norton enters first in bright blue, stamping his feet onto the canvas in big jumps like he's trying to drive some more energy into his body -- and Lord knows he'll need it. At the moment when Big George enters the ring, striding up the stairs as if already angry, flanked by long ranks of state police with shining white helmets, Norton is sitting in his corner, head bowed, arms slung over the ropes like he's in repose. He looked almost afraid to me: and who would blame him. As Big George ducks through the ropes, Norton leaps to his feet, turns his back on his opponent, and begins to move. It looks prayerful to me, like he's begging his body for strength. Big George jogs a wide circle in the ring, head thrown back, chest open, big hands swaying by his hips like holstered pistols. I'm scared for Norton.

The two fighters circled back to their corners: Norton shadowboxes there, whipping out his right hand, probing the air with his left. Foreman just bounces, steady and upright, held still thrown back, hands held easy at his side. No air-punches from him. It's like he's saving up for the real thing.

Wait... is that Joe Louis in the ring? Wow, the champ is old. He's shaking hands with both fighters and greeting the crowd, momentarily looking like his old self, alight under the praise of the masses. Bonavena is in the ring too, and now he's leaning over the ropes to trade words with Muhammad Ali. I have the sound off.

As the ref gets his final words off before the action, I can't help but notice that Norton has had his head bowed since he entered the screen. His trainer has his arm slung over his shoulder like he's comforting the bereaved.

Round 1: And it's started! Norton immediately begins to circle, keeping his weight loaded on a tense right leg, left arm tight and slung across his torso like a shotgun, dipping down like his glove is heavy. He's actually probing, feinting, and throwing more with his right. Foreman isn't responding, keeping a slightly extended guard, turning his hands outward to deflect glancing pops from Norton, walking him down. As Norton nears the corner, Foreman reaches out to graze his shoulder with swipes from his right. It's like he's more interested in pushing Norton's shoulder than striking his chin. Now Foreman grows more confident: slipping under a left and answering with a tight (for Big George) right hook; releasing a slashing jab to Norton's eye; feinting his way in and swatting at Norton, seemingly to break his posture. George hooks his right around Norton's shoulder; it almost seems like he's getting a sense of Ken's strength, testing his balance, leaning and pulling. Norton skillfully wrestles to his right, but George doesn't seem impressed. His right hand is more alive now, probing out in small slaps to Norton's chest and bicep while George releases stabbing lefts and gracefully turns and slips to avoid wicked left counters and check hooks from Norton. Now George's left comes alive, slamming shots that cause Norton's stable footwork to crumble. His right punctures just under Norton's elbow to his gut. He pushes and frames with his forearms: then it's thunderous uppercuts that seemed aimed at the heavens six feet above Norton's skull, and wide lefts that sometimes seem more aimed at collapsing Norton's skeleton than turning his chin. There doesn't seem to be much Norton can do to keep George back: his lefts just don't land, and his rights look like mosquito bites on the champ's cheek. The challenger appears increasingly desperate, with wasted movement and an athletic twitchiness that slowly looks more like shakiness. Foreman gets him on the ropes with rights to Norton's guard that look like strikes from a wooden plank. Now he's battering him again, the uppercuts coming in. Norton escapes: his eyes look dull, his eyelids hooded. He stops and sways as if trying to convince himself he's relaxed, and eats a combo from the champion, who is now fully on the hunt. Foreman 10-9.

Round 2: Starts the same, but at a faster pace. Norton is throwing a lot more jabs to start this round. As he slips in to grapple with Big George, you can see a deep sheen of sweat all the way across his back and shoulders. They break and Foreman goes back to walking him down with the long guard. Norton doesn't want the ropes; he makes his stand near the middle of the ring, firing with right-uppercuts to the body and head. Foreman eats those and keeps ambling in, still seeming to be throwing to Norton's arms as much as to his chin. Norton uses some head movement to evade jabs. We didn't see any of that in the first round. Now it's George tying up on the inside as Norton makes his stand once again just outside the corner, pressing his head in and locking his hands around Norton's waist. Shortly after they break, though, George has him square on the ropes again, and unleashes with vicious arcing shots. Norton scrambles to the side, his hands shaking in mid-air, his stance broken. Foreman is after him, throwing casually devastating right hands. He catches Ken with like four in a row, and the champion flops against the ropes with his arms wide, a parody of his restful pose before the fight had begun. He takes the count, but his head is still bowed as ever, his eyes hooded and down, his shoulders starting to slump. Foreman is on him quickly with a right to the body, some straining to his guard, and then a quick left-right combo that sends Norton surging backwards like he's been hit by a cannon. He's practically vertical by the time he hits the ropes, but his body lands so hard that he's launched upright again in time to eat a glancing left from the champ. The ref pushes George back scoldingly, yells something at Norton, then urges the visibly defeated challenger back into the fire with a tug on his elbow. Norton immediately shells up, but it does little. It's like George's shots to his guard in the first five minutes of this bout convinced him that his chin was safe. Well, now it's touchable, and it's nasty to watch it twist, yanked by the evil force of Foreman's wicked blows. Norton tries to back up but that just gives Foreman room to swing his signature roundhouse shots: Norton falls like a statue, arms extended feebly straight up into the air as his body rocks slowly against the canvas. Foreman stands over him with something like fury in his eyes. His heavy hands rest now again by his hips, like smoking pistols waiting to go home to their holsters. The ref insists on counting. Foreman ambles over to Norton's corner as the challenger is counted out. Big George looks apologetic now, his head lowered for the first time since entering the ring. He barely acknowledges as his hand is raised, but then it seems to sink in, and he turns his back on his opponent for the first time as his corner rushes in to celebrate.

 

Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi: Part 1

Finally, I get around to watching a bout that I have heard so much about.


Round 1: Immediately, I have to admit that I am struck by the Marvelous One’s impeccable timing. He starts off in Orthodox but doesn’t begin by establishing his jab from here – instead he opens with probing straight rights (who even knew this was a thing?) and looping left hooks. Exchanges through the first round are what I can only describe as jagged, fierce, and measured. Mugabi seems laser-focused and totally unintimidated. He’s good at slipping into the pocket, and he keeps his eyes glued to Hagler’s rear hip: it seems like he might be looking to land there. We’ll see. Mugabi is slick, that’s for sure. He actually seems to have Marvin guessing for a moment, keeping out of range and gliding away from Hagler’s vicious long shots and popping back with a smooth, relaxed left hand. Yep, Mugabi just threw right for that spot above Hagler’s hip. Hagler tried to answer with a short right uppercut but it missed by a mile, so instead he decides to rush and try to bully on the inside. Now they’re circling and firing in small bursts. Mugabi’s having the most success, but really only with grazing jabs. The last 40 seconds of the round past with mostly unsuccessful exchanges, although Mugabi does land a couple semi-decent counters. Hagler seems like he’s having a bit of trouble finding rhythm and balance, and his circle & charge routine is troubled by the occasional backpedal. He clearly wants to draw Mugabi to the inside, where he is landing some body shots that might add up. He switches to Southpaw in the last ten seconds or so and finally lands a few solid jabs and a decent right to the body. I don’t think it was enough for the round, however – in my opinion, Mugabi set the tone and looked more comfortable. 10-9 Mugabi.


Round 2: Hagler comes out in Southpaw, and he looks angry! We have our classic war of the lead hands now that defines so many Southpaw-Orthodox encounters. Mugabi has a well-timed jab; he’s got that Dwight Qawi rhythm where he can answer as the 2 to someone’s 1, if that makes sense. Like his hand comes out alongside Hagler’s hand as it comes back. He also times it so he can push down on Hagler’s lead as it’s in that middle space between them; clearly this affects Hagler’s rhythm and balance. He’s also got a good read on when Hagler is about to unload with a ripping left, at least so far. He doesn’t look untouchable, but he certainly looks crafty. He has a tendency to rest on the back foot, wait for a shot, unload and then reset, however – and Hagler is taking those moments to land jabs and lefts to the body. This is a gorgeous tactical bout so far, on the level of Golovkin-Canelo. Again: Mugabi has a smooth pull to the rear foot, but I think Hagler will be able to catch/harass/swarm him there. Mugabi is just pulling straight back, and if you’re playing the Matador (which he is) against the Marvelous, you need more than that. Well, Hagler is trying to swarm, but Mugabi times him twice in a row with the left. They battle back and forth, with Hagler swiftly shifting stances, and Mugabi appears to land more, although the shots seem ineffectual. Marvin might as well be wearing a suit of armor for all he seems to feel these blows. Mugabi seems to need a moment to catch his breath and immediately receives a few hard right hands to the cheek and cranium for it. Hagler is the definition of relentless. They’re back to exchanging, but Hagler is more successful this time. Hagler’s circling is also becoming more effective, and he’s beginning to push Mugabi back inch by embattled inch. Not a single step here is taken without a little fire and sweat. But Mugabi swarms in! He won’t be bullied, and he now locks horns with the bull he had been drawing in. He seems to have some breath back in him – he is harder to hit again in these last twenty seconds, and he throws himself at Hagler. This was a hard round to score – both men had their moments. Hagler did look better to my eye this round, but ultimately I give it to the challenger. 10-9 Mugabi.


Round 3: Mugabi looks confident to start, but Hagler is being more defensively responsible and harder to hit. He lands a few solid jabs. Oh! But he takes one back! A vicious left from Mugabi that sends a ripple down Hagler’s traps and sends a spray of sweat back to the cameras. Hagler doesn’t seem to feel it though, and keeps walking his man down. He seems to want to own the center of the ring this round. They flurry with some bigger shots but nothing seems to be landing except for Hagler’s jab. And land it does! Now sweat is flung from Mugabi’s head as he eats a lead right. Mugabi appears to be looking for a big right hand, but he seems less certain, easier to read, and Hagler is timing him better and either evading or smothering counters. Mugabi eats a few solid jabs trying to slip to the inside, so now he’s slipping to the outside. I think Hagler might have wanted this: he pushes Mugabi to his rear foot, where he’s less balanced and poised for a counter, and Hagler gets in what I can only describe as bludgeoning lefts. I feel that a single one of these blows would change the trajectory of my life. Another sweat-dispensing right from the Marvelous One! And another! He looks mean, calm, and confident this round. In the final 20 seconds or so, Mugabi utterly fails to counter and eats another series of jabs, as well as two more truly ugly-looking lefts from Hagler at the very end. Marvin might be finding himself in there. He gives Mugabi a snarling glare as he prowls back to his corner. 10-9 Hagler.


Round 4: Battle of the lead hands! I find it beautiful. These two are pretty even for the first 60 seconds here – they both seem to have a good read on the other. Hagler’s shots, though not necessarily more numerous, do seem to be more effective. He also lands a hard left to the inner thigh, which gets the referee’s attention. Hagler is now winning the jab-war. He seems to have a sense for when Mugabi will be throwing, and I might be imagining it, but the challenger seems a tad less certain and snappy than he did a couple rounds ago. He’s still landing some glancing lefts off the back foot, however. Oh, and at the halfway point, Mugabi visibly plants his feet, sinks his weight deeply into the earth, and spits in the face of the raging bull that is Hagler, landing a few mighty straight rights and lefts. I imagine this might feel like putting one’s back to the gates of Hades and staring down the hellhound Cerberus; a truly heroic posture. Hagler doesn’t seem to care, though, and evades these shots with some slick bobs and weaves. He catches Mugabi with a relaxed right that turns the challenger’s chin. Mugabi staggers back, but continues to fire into the face of this iron demon: Hagler goes under these blows, shifts out of range, and hits back with a couple solid shots. Interesting: in the first two rounds, Hagler seemed determined to bully on the inside; now Mugabi is practically inviting him to, and the Marvelous One is patiently taking him apart on the outside. Hagler feigns retreat, pulling Mugabi in, and lands three or four more jabs. Hagler circles, then charges; they both hurl bombs with Mugabi against the ropes, but nothing really lands except for a left to the body from Hagler. Mugabi misses with an uppercut that might as well have whistled with the whine of a rocket-engine, then lands a heavy left hook and a hard straight right. Hagler fires a jab that somehow appears to land with more effect than either of those shots from Mugabi. Thirty seconds left, and they’re locked in shoulder to shoulder, Mugabi against the ropes. They circle to the center and Mugabi lands another left hook. And a terrifying uppercut that did seem to convince Hagler to pay attention, and force him to pay attention. For the last twenty seconds Mugabi looks smoother, more tuned-in, more at ease, not letting anything touching him and answering Hagler’s aggression with a few successful counters. This one was tough, because Mugabi definitely won the last 40-60 seconds, but I’d say Hagler won the rest of the round. 10-9 Hagler.


Round 5: Ferocity from the bell! Both men seem intent on sending a message in the first ten seconds. I don’t know if either was message received, though. Hagler is crouching, searching for a vicious left – which he misses with. He lands a jab, but Mugabi makes him feel a couple counters for it. There are momentary shades of Marciano-Walcott: Mugabi keeps his left slung low, whipping it out for mean counters as Hagler hurls himself in for heavy charges. This doesn’t last, however, as Hagler resets and tries to re-establish the jab. It’s like there’s an invisible tether of energy between these men: they step back, and the gravity of combat and the claims to selfhood it makes accessible draw them back in. Neither can assert himself fully over this scene, and the mutual frustration is palpable. Hagler looks hungry; Mugabi looks steady. We’ll see which force is more powerful. Excuse this passing thought from a spectator, but I do believe Hagler could bully this man if he put his back into it. I’m sure he knows the path to victory better than I, though. And no one can accuse Marvelous Marvin of avoiding action. As the round passes its halfway point, Hagler’s hunger seems to be winning out over the challenger’s steadfast responsibility: he lands some blows that make me flinch. The eddies of aggression, evasion, and retaliation carry us through to the end of the round, with these two warriors locked in a death-spiral of skill and precision. A round of close and superb combat. 10-9 Hagler.

 

Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi: Part 2


Round 6: Mugabi’s jab lands for what feels like the first time in a round or two. Hagler seems to want to replace his jab (which has been effective) with sheer physicality. Mugabi wont be bullied, and tries to assert himself: he is rewarded with a sharp counter uppercut. He gives one back. How generous of these two men; they don’t want the other to feel left out of the fun, and seem determined to reward each other blow for blow. Mugabi walks in with his hands down – and Hagler is ready! He delivers a sickening left hand from Hades – it genuinely makes my stomach turn to see that shot – and moves in like a hungry hellhound, teeth sunk into the belly of its prey, using his shoulder to steer and encourage his would-be victim to the ropes. Mugabi, to his credit, keeps his wits about him, plants his feet like a Spartan in the Thermopylaean pass, and gives as good as he gets in the exchange that follows. The torrent of wicked frustration continues, and the combatants deny the opportunity to reset to the outside made possible by a rhythmic lull; they are back on each other in a whirlwind of hooks. Now Hagler clearly appears to be getting the better of the moment, and there is an uncertainty and unsteadiness in Mugabi’s posture as he continues to lock horns with the Marvelous One, eating a buffet of hard bludgeoning strikes. The ref has to pry himself between them, yanking on Hagler’s arm to pull him back as Mugabi wobbles back to the ropes (which he had refused to find a moment ago). The ref simply admonishes Hagler and then sets them against each other – and what for? I think that should have been a standing count. But Mugabi seems alive again as they rejoin, and he lands hard left hands while Marvin moves in to maul him. Now they go to the body – then the head – and the exchange seems more even, until Hagler lands a right uppercut and then a straight right that send Mugabi reeling back against the ropes, his hips and shoulders unaligned. The ref looks ready to leap in. Mugabi eats two more rights as he tries to fight off the ropes, then locks in for a clinch. Hagler fights out of it, and John is back against the ropes. He looks unstable and he’s taking hard shots. Now he’s answering – he created an opening with a left hook that unbalanced Hagler, and Mugabi shifts smoothly to the right, landing on Hagler, then gets him against the ropes. Hagler simply bulls forward, grappling Mugabi briefly across the ring to put the challenger back against the ropes himself, but Mugabi won’t go, and he makes another Spartan stand just outside a neutral corner, hurling meteoric refusals through his fists. I will not be easy prey, his body seems to say. I will not be walked over. They grapple and batter each other, each trying to be on the outside. Mugabi seems to briefly shake Hagler, and Hagler finds the jab again, but Mugabi is present with precise counters. They go to war for the last ten seconds. What a round! The crowd surges up and forwards in a spirit of cheer as the two men find their corners. 10-9 Hagler.


Round 7: This round starts with Hagler applying mostly effective pressure with the jab. Mugabi starts to frustrate him with counters, so Hagler bulls into him with a committed offense. Mugabi weathers the storm and responds. Both men miss big as they continue to circle and exchange. There is a brief moment, after Mugabi misses wide on a dashing gazelle hook, where Hagler stops, looks him straight in the eyes, and nods sagely. I wonder what he was acknowledging. The moment passes, and Hagler continues to pressure, landing two good left hooks. They jab, and clinch, and Mugabi hits the ropes, and they slowly edge across the ring, potshotting. The ref jumps in to warn Hagler for a low-blow that I missed. Both men are visibly tired. Mugabi is back to timing and countering, and even lands a couple jabs to the body – why hasn’t he done this more? Hagler’s guard comes up, and he lands another heavy jab as he hunts. Then another jab, then two lefts. He turns Mugabi’s head with a hard right hook on the inside, and this seems to awaken something in the challenger, who unleashes leaping blows that mostly miss but do momentarily force Hagler against the ropes. Now they’re back to the middle. Mugabi leaps in with a lead hook to the body, and Hagler shoves him back. Mugabi keeps eating hard jabs and one good left hook, but he lands one or two rear hooks to the body and an odd looping left. They circle back to the center, and Mugabi swipes his nose, then eats more hard jabs, then a painful straight right. Hagler definitely has the more effective guard, as he seems to be catching most of Mugabi’s shots. He slowly pressures Mugabi back with intelligent punch selection, going high and low, slowly eating the available space to either side. Mugabi is stubborn though, and fights off the ropes. Hagler lets him, and lands four or five more jabs. Make that six or seven. They trade combos to end the seventh, and I think Hagler was more effective. 10-9 Hagler.


Round 8: Hagler keeps stalking with a jab that lands. Another particularly nasty jab sends Mugabi’s head wrenching backwards, more sweat flying through the air. I wonder if the ringside photographers felt that. Hagler sets up a good overhand, then clinches before Mugabi can retaliate. They grapple back to the center and Mugabi comes in hot, but he can’t land anything. Hagler lands another 1-2, then a left hook to the body, then another fierce jab, and Mugabi can’t seem to make his mark. Hagler does get caught by a couple hooks, resets, and fires a strong jab that connects. The Marvelous One looks in control. Mugabi establishes more presence as the round passes the halfway point. He walks Marvin down, misses with a vicious left, misses with a tight uppercut, misses with a straight right that drives him back, eats a couple quick shots, then holds his own with body shots as Hagler keeps up the pressure. They reset and Mugabi lands a couple good right hands. For the last twenty seconds, these two look like circling tigers, swiping and hissing and looking where to pounce. Mugabi lands one or two rights, but I think Hagler did more, especially with that hard jab. 10-9 Hagler.


Round 9: This round starts much the same as the last: they prowl and test, striking like dancing scorpions. Mugabi’s straight right is more in play, however, and he is keeping Hagler in his sights. Hagler answers with a left hook that bends Mugabi’s spine back, but the challenger answers this with an offensive rush. They circle and probe until the ref sends Mugabi to his corner to have his right glove laced up. They rejoin the fight, and Mugabi is timing Hagler on the way in, landing tight hooks that bounce of the champ’s shiny skull. Hagler stays at long range, circling and stepping on Mugabi’s foot to land a jab. His jab is much less effective this round, however. Or maybe he’s just throwing it less. Hard to tell. They keep circling and boxing. I think Mugabi is getting the better at long range this round – his left hook is landing more than it has in any of the previous rounds, it seems. He’s not loading it up like he was before, not charging up for leaping gazelle shots, just whipping it out there with good timing. Hagler misses to the body and Mugabi rewards him with a wicked right cross. Now Mugabi wants to do more of this; and he does, and it forces Hagler towards the ropes again. Hagler crouches and drives in, mostly shoving Mugabi back to the center of the ring. Now they tussle here, and Hagler is having his moment: tight body work, a good right hook. Mugabi fights him off and fires that wicked straight right to keep him back. They stand and fire back and forth at mid-range. They’re both slick, fast, smart, and mean. Entrancing boxing. They battle it out to the bell. 10-9 Mugabi.

 

Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi: Part 3

Round 10: The start of this round looks like the end of the last: vicious shots from both sides whistling past as they circle and strike at mid-range, like two massive ships of war exchanging broadside fire. Hagler is landing a good overhand left, but Mugabi’s right is in play too, with swift low hooks. They both land jabs, and then they tangle and grapple with Hagler’s right landing again and again. The ref pulls them apart and gives the champion another warning for low blows. Hagler cracks Mugabi with the jab a few more times as the challenger looks for his own overhand. It doesn’t land, but he gets in a few hooks while Hagler is resetting from his own offensive. Hagler is walking him down, truly pouring fuel into the fire now, striking like an angry wolf, but Mugabi is making him pay for it and is more accurate than ever. They battle to the center, going blow for blow, but Hagler gets the advantage at the end as his swift uppercut comes into play. This firefight continues; to the ropes and then to the center, first one man in control and then the other. Hagler’s right, in hook or in uppercut, seems to be doing the most damage though. And now his left is rapidly striking, and Mugabi seems overwhelmed. The challenger tries to back out with his jab but can’t find space so he looks to take the body and slow the assault, but Hagler is a relentless force of nature, a tsunami wave of calculated pressure. The fight is far from over, though, and they battle back and forth, each man with his most wicked shots, grappling and angling and sniping and flurrying. This might be the most complete bout of boxing I’ve ever witnessed. As the round nears its end, Hagler’s left sends Mugabi stumbling back, and John looks unstable, his shots weaker and less committed, and the relentless Hagler continues to press in. But the challenger finds his bearings again before the end, and they fight to the bell on even terrain. Hagler looks enraged as the round ends, lifting a gloved hand and letting loose what I can only imagine were threatening words. An unrepentant warrior. 10-10 Even.


Round 11: Hagler comes out the gate like a snarling bulldog, and Mugabi is immediately on the backfoot, swatting half-committal hooks at the terrifying foe before him. Hagler seems to smell blood, and his pace is up, and he is hammering an unsteady Mugabi with his jab, and seems to be looking to tear him apart at the first chance. Mugabi can’t make anything happen and is in full retreat, and Hagler chases him down with whipping lefts now too. Mugabi isn’t doing much but surviving right now. Something seems to have come awake in Hagler – something scary. Mugabi grapples and fires away with the lead uppercut and sharp hooks from both sides. Hagler surges through the storm, though, and Mugabi is struggling off the ropes as the pitbull that is Marvelous Marvin keeps the pressure up. As Mugabi stabilizes and fights back, Hagler keeps digging to the body. Mugabi’s guard drops – and Hagler switches to Orthodox and fires a series of right hooks. Mugabi’s knees buckles and you can see his mind going. The stadium goes to its feet – Mugabi is on the ropes – Hagler batters him with a straight right that sends Mugabi bouncing off the ropes and collapsing to the canvas. The ref pulls him off, sends him to his corner – Mugabi is on his back, confused, his hands over his head. As he struggles slowly to get to his feet, the camera pans to show Marvelous Marvin standing in his corner, arms slung back against the ropes, looking as relaxed as possible. Mugabi can’t stand, can barely reach the ropes, and is counted off. Marvin walks slowly to the center of the ring, arms raised in triumph, his face swollen and battered.