John Mugabi had just fought and lost to Marvin Hagler in an epic Middleweight title fight of 1986, prior to facing Duane Thomes at the end of the year for the WBC Jr. Middleweight title vacated by Tommy Hearns... John Mugabi was favored to KO Duane Thomes before 12 rds were up in order to claim the title. However, in round 3, John Mugabi walked into a long hook shot thrown by Thomas and it froze Mugabi like an ice cube.... Shortly after that blow, Mugabi turned his back to Thomas and abruptly QUIT! Q: Did Mugabi get tagged cleanly or was he caught by a piece of the glove from Duane Thomas in the eye??? I thought John Mugabi was in control until he got caught in round 3.... I also believe it was a thumb or tip of the glove that caught Mugabi in the eye, thus, blinding him for a brief moment... Yes or No..... MR.BILL
As I remember it at the time. It was a thumb, his eye swelled up straight away. Haven't watched it since, think I'll have a look for it.
horrific swelling fractured his cheek. its a dead end fight as mugabi went back to win the 154 wbc championship and thomas fulfilled a dream and got some solid paychecks. no screw over
I just did a quick 1991 review of Mugabi against McClellan......... A BLOW-OUT!! Mugabi never really in the fight....... The Beast hits the floor 3 X inside of ONE rd....... The last time Mugabi goes down is on his face.... WICKED!! MR.BILL
Mugabi turned out to fight well with Hagler and then his chin turned very bad after that fight. I think Hagler was so inactive with Mugabi that John Mugabi did not fight a very sharp Marvin. Had he fought the Marvin who fought Hearns he would have probably been stopped early. That is why people were picking Marvin to stop him early. But Marvin had been off a year. When John Mugabi fought decent guys later he usually was stopped early.
After all the credit Mugabi got for giving for the Marvelous one hell, Mugabi goes and dogs it, in a fight he could of won.
Reminds me of the Pineda/Breland fight where he turned his back after being thumbed and lost via TKO.
if somebody quits a broken orbital bone and a flattened eye is a good reason in my books. we talk about how painful body shots and no amount of heart can get you up. but with your face broken and your eye rammed in one shot it isnt far off. it's just becuase it's rarer to be stopped by a punch to the head like that, that we say quiter.
I do remember it being live on TV and Mugabi all at once turned away sheilding his face.. and the referee called a halt...... I was very dissapointed , i heard later that he had been thumbed badly but at the time it looked like a quit job......
Mickey Duff screamed bloody murder about a blatant thumb to Mugabi's eyeball during the POST fight interview............. After several replays' of the round / action, it appeared Mugabi did catch a portion of the glove in the corner of his eye...... Still, I suppose Mugabi lost in the end.?.?.? MR.BILL
