D. Tiger vs John The Beast Mugabi, Both Prime, 15 Rounds. 160 lbs.

that was due to a brutal thumb though

 

I wasn't saying that Fullmer was winning, just that the punches he was hitting them with didn't look light. I have watched all Fullmer fights I can find, except the one with Joe Miceli.

 

Tiger also handed future Champion Terry Downes his first professional defeat.

 

As I've posted before, peak Mugabi was a Light Middleweight. He did carry terrific one shot power but no way did he have the physical strength to handle a guy that would go on to be Champion at Light Heavy.
John would have his moments in a wildly exciting fight but Tiger wins anytime after the 9th. Possibly smokes Mugabi's boots.

 

Dick Tiger is an all timer at 160. Mugabi just is not. Very good styles matchup but Tiger is stronger, tougher and more skilled

 

What I don't understand is that I was defending Mugabi potentially doing well against doubters. I called Fullmer a good puncher in defense of Tiger, and now I'm getting criticized for that. Doesn't make any sense does it?

 

Uhhh, Carter, Depaula, Hank, Torres, Fernandez, and Rivero were all punchers at least on par with Mugabi. Mugabi stopped exactly one guy who was anywhere near a world class 160 pound fighter and that was Frank Fletcher who had won two of his last four fights including being knocked out in one of those. I dont see Mugabi doing anything that Tiger hadnt seen or couldnt handle.

 

But Fullmer wasnt a good puncher. Thats the point. He almost never produced a stoppage against a world class fighter at any weight. Tiger fought and defeated much harder punchers than Fullmer and fighters who fought mucher closer in style to Mugabi than Fullmer did. Fullmer fought nothing like Mugabi and certainly not when he fought Tiger, especially after sampling Tiger's strength and power after which Fullmer elected to run and fight off a pawing awkward jab to hear the final bell. Mugabi went right after guys and Tiger chewed guys like that up.

 

I agree with the sentiment about Mugabi already. But with DePaula and Torres both having 15 pounds on Mugabi and being light heavies, I would hope sure as hell their punching power would be on par with Mugabi's if not better. Once again, punching power doesn't care who you're fighting. Mugabi knocked out almost everyone he met. Punching power has nothing to do with your opponents. I know of light hitters who knocked out most of their opponents, and I know of guys with crap chins who were great fighters. How high the level of competition you are facing can sometimes not matter at all.

 

Can't do right for doing wrong eh Billy ?

 

I only threw Fullmer to help build up Tiger's case. Just forget I said his name.

 

Exactly so who are these guys that Mugabi knocked out that say he'd have the advantage over Tiger in a slugfest? Your words. Mugabi's record is littered with nobodies. Its one thing to say he knocked out almost everybody he faced but that statistic is meaningless when you consider he also lost almost every time he stepped up in class and certainly EVERY time he went anywhere near anyone close to Tiger's class.

 

I suppose not

 

Sure.

 

I know this thread is not about Basilio, but your listing of him first in this context is too much of a temptation for me not to respond. I'm not even going to look at boxrec before I pose this question. Name for me a rated middleweight of his era (not even an all-time top middleweight) who Basilio defeated other than an old and used-up Sugar Ray Robinson. Basilio is nowhere near the hunt when talking about great middleweights. His championship tenure was an accident of circumstance. There were probably 10 middleweights at the time who could have defeated him. Now, at welterweight he was a beast. He could have given anyone who ever lived a battle.