Mugabi - Really Ruined?

I remember reading an interview with George Francis, his trainer, that he had real problems getting properly motivated to fight and even locked himself in his hotel room before one fight and they had to spend several hours persuading him to come out ! He also wanted to quit against Hardrock Green after getting thumbed. The beating he took against Hagler probably would have finished most fighters' careers but I think the way he lost against Duane Thomas (accidental thumb) probably was the turning point. Think he lost most of his motivation after that one. Real shame. He could have had plenty more great fights if he'd been able to maintain his desire - Hearns, McCallum, Curry, Nunn etc

 

To be honest i don't think he was ever that good. Incredible power and decent handspeed but even without the Hagler beating i think he would have been found short of the pinnacle. His power however is incredible. I like Julian Jackson a lot more tho, a little more skill, heart and dedication/consistency.

 

I think that the Mugabi that fought Hagler would have smashed Jackson up. Mugabe had absolutely no foot movement at all and they simply would have just gone at it. The Beast had the edge in speed and would have landed first I think. Would have been a ******* while it lasted.

 

Mugabi showed some nice boxing skills in several fights I've seen. Better than Jackson, and on par with McClellan, in my opinion.

 

Would have been a great fight, and when power like that collides it's anyones. Mugabi had his problems pre Hagler tho, i think it was Red's Hard Rock that had him in trouble. Jackson was pretty fast.

 

What's further is that Hagler brought out the very best Beast that was ever seen before or since. Similarly, Barkley was never better before or since Duran. In my mind, both wins are magnified thus and there.

 

I agree with Mugabi, but Barkley looked more or less the same against Kalambay, Nunn, Olajide and a few others as he did against Duran imo.

Not that i think that detracts from the win.

 

Mugabi Hagler is my favorite fight ever..those 2 went to war..Nah mugabi wasnt the same after that..what middleweight would be able to take those shots from hagler?

 

I think Hagler did ruin him and likewise, Mugabi softened up what was left of Marvin for anyone lucky enough to pick a fight with him (Sugar Ray Leonard)

Mugabi, who I feel would have knocked out Bernard Hopkins, was described as a mini Goerge Foreman in his early days as jr middleweight. He was mostly untested until faced with fireplug James Hardrock Green who still had a fraction of his true self left from the Fletcher fight.

Mugabi overcame a barrage of blows to eventually turn Green's face into a crimson mask. But in the Hagler fight, John took many more blows and in an interview with Dr. Flip Homanski, said that both were pissing blood and that neither man was ever the same. I would think that expert opinion helps prove my case and judging from what happened from that point on, both were mere shadows of their former selves.

 

Good Poiints. I watched that fight live on a big screen with a bunch of buddies @ a pub and it was incredible. Haglar's head was actually steaming off the dome!!!! That was the perfect metaphor for the fight. The Beast landing many moose droppers but Haglar just took them and wore the beast down. I think that fight took a big chunk of the future out of both of those guys and I thought Haglar even looked slightly past it during this fight.

 

yes, Hagler showed real signs of rigormortis-shades of the Ali-Young fight. Marvin wasn't as bad off as Ali showeed in the Young fight but he had that look if you know what I mean.

 

I went to a Bruno fight in the early 90s ranting and raving that my friends were getting to see The Beast in action action! And we did indeed see the fight last less than a round.... But it was Mugabi getting flattened by an unknown, going by the name of McClellan.

Sure it is hindsight to a point, but Hagler did not ruin Mugabi. Mugabi's lack of a ticker cost him, and from Thomas onwards he had a bit of the dog about him. Maybe Hagler did take something away from him, but that fight was not the whole problem IMO.

 

So you're saying that Mugabi was somewhat of a quitter?

 

As a pro boxer, yes.