Of all the great attributes the legendary Marvelous Marvin Hagler possessed as a fighter, his granite, titanium, concrete – choose whatever material you like – chin was one of his most important gifts. Hagler had skills, he had tremendous fitness, the shaven-headed southpaw had raw punching power, and Hagler had a high ring IQ. But sometimes, when all else failed, Hagler knew he could rely on that uncrackable chin to see him to victory.
And Hagler faced some fearsome punchers during his long, 1973 to 1987 pro career: Thomas Hearns, Tony Sibson (a man Hagler once said hit him “as hard as anybody”), Cyclone Hart (a fighter who, according to one Hagler interview from way back when, sent Marvelous “into la-la land,” if for just a brief moment), Juan Domingo Roldan…….and the man Hagler fought on this day back in 1986.
Hagler, still in his prime or close to it, and coming off that thrilling, intoxicating win over Hearns, met an unbeaten KO machine named John Mugabi, AKA “The Beast.” Maybe you can recall the front cover of KO magazine that asked in its headline in an issue from that year, ‘John “The Beast” Mugabi: Does he have any weaknesses?’
With an eye-catching pro record of 25-0(25), with there being only three men who had lasted past the fifth round against the monster from Uganda, Mugabi was considered a real threat to Hagler’s middleweight dominance; this despite the fact that Mugabi had campaigned as a 154 pounder. And Hagler had had a long career and he was getting tired. At age 31, to Mugabi’s 25, Hagler might be ready to be taken.
And the fight that took place in Las Vegas – with Hearns appearing on the card, “The Hitman” scoring a sizzling right hand KO over accomplished amateur, now unbeaten middleweight contender James Shuler – did prove to be a real war. Indeed, only Hagler’s ferocious ability to dig in and go to war, his chin serving him well once again, allowed the middleweight champ to retain his crown.
The fight was savage, with some vicious trading, round six being for many people The Round of the Year. Both men traded to head and body, and both fighters were left urinating blood at the end. Mugabi was fearless, while Hagler would do anything to ensure no man took his title. The fight/war that came a full year after Hagler’s epic with Hearns, drained both men. Round four saw Mugabi stop the unstoppable Hagler dead in his tracks, this with a right hand to the head. Just prior to that shot, Mugabi had cracked the champ with another hefty right.
The slugfest was on. Again, round six was super-special, the two warriors unloading brutal shots, with plenty of them getting home. The round’s final 30-seconds were dizzying in terms of real excitement, with Hagler and Mugabi going toe-to-toe.
But the round took a heck of a lot out of Mugabi, and from here on in his challenge was less ferocious, his punches carrying less snap. Once again, Hagler had taken another man’s best, with him taking his rival’s heart. Mugabi was still game, but Hagler, his right eye swelling, knew he had tamed “The Beast.” Hagler finally dropped his nuisance of a challenger in round 11, Marvin’s right hands doing the job. Mugabi, conscious but having absolutely nothing left, sat out the count. Hagler had won again.
And, as it turned out, Hagler had won for the very last time. Having now logged up 12 world title defences, Hagler would see another year pass by before he fought again. When Marvelous did return, he met Ray Charles Leonard, and the rest is history – painful history for Hagler fans.
How much the Mugabi war took out of Hagler is hard to say, but we do know that Leonard, who was ringside that night, left the arena convinced he could now take Hagler. Mugabi had elevated himself in defeat, but he was never the same force again. Hagler had been pushed hard by Mugabi, but ultimately it was Mugabi who paid more of a price in terms of his physical being.
On this day 39 years ago, the world saw, for the last time, Hagler being Marvelous.
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