John “The Beast” Mugabi is among the hardest-hitting 154-pounders in latest ring historical past. This observer is of the opinion that his punch would have earned him the best stage of respect amongst the fighters of earlier eras. John was a standout novice boxer who received the bronze medal within the All-Africa video games in 1978 and took Silver within the 1980 Moscow Olympics, defeating 4 of his 5 opponents and dropping the
gold medal match by a majority determination.
John would go on to be fastidiously managed by promoter Micky Diff as a professional, who lined up 25 opponents who John knocked down in a powerful 25-fight KO streak. Nonetheless, solely Eddie Gazo was a world class fighter and he was felled on the finish of his profession as he light. John’s March 1986 title struggle with Marvin Hagler, the only most dominant Middleweight champion in ring historical past, put to relaxation any doubts about John’s high quality, as he gave Haggler one of many hardest fights of his life.
The high-point of John’s skilled profession would include a troublesome beating by the hands of Duane Thomas for the vacant 154 pound title in December of 1986, adopted by a layoff, that may re-charge “The Beast” for one more title run, profitable 8 straight fights by KO in 1988 and 89, together with stopping Knox Brown, one of many period’s hardest leather-eaters. In 1989 he KO’d Rene Jacquot for the WBC 154-pound crown. John’s temporary reign was busy, with 2 KO wins ended by a crushing first-round defeat by the hands of Horrible Terry Norris. There can be three extra comebacks, ending in title matches towards a lot youthful males, the primary towards Gerald McClellan in 1991 in a middleweight match after which forays
into the deep finish of the supermiddleweight and lightweight heavyweight courses, profitable the Australian Tremendous Middleweight title in 1997 and dropping by way of KO in regional mild heavyweight title fights to Anthony Bigeni in 1998 and Glen Kelly in 1999. John at the moment works as a coach in Australia, is energetic in advocating for schooling for boxers towards the monetary hazards of retirement and is engaged on writing his biography.
Stylistically, John Mugabi was classed as a puncher. In John’s 1984 struggle with Fletcher, an energetic southpaw, he gave up the wheel home to the quicker-footed man however confirmed glorious stability and knee management, by breaking his step-and-drag when he discovered his man on the skin of his lead foot. As a heavy puncher, John exhibits the endurance of the hunter, capable of sense a lapse in leverage and sustaining his stability regardless of a heavy entrance leg. Right here, John’s mixture of rear hand leads with straight, overhand and uppercut angles as he takes the skin foot and locations Fletcher in his closely leveraged wheelhouse, is spectacular.
In his stiffest take a look at, Mugabi fought intelligently and heroically towards Haggler who [being a switch-hitter] confirmed nice respect to John by enjoying southpaw many of the struggle. John led with straight rights adopted by hooks and within the 4th spherical scored a vicious proper hand lead higher lower, a uncommon punch to be delivered at that stage of competitors.
Excessive ranges of exercise, southpaw techniques, energy and finesse protection have been no obstacles to Mugabi. As demonstrated by his fights with Norris and Gerald McClellan, his heavy lead foot type of preventing, which made him such a formidable finisher, positioned him in peril of knockout by the hands of unusually fast
punchers. It also needs to be famous, that at solely 5’ 8” inches, John was too quick to stalk the highest middleweights who have been 10 years youthful and get away with it, as they mixed pace and peak and his type positioned an excessive amount of weight ahead to present away pace to a tough hitter. I’ve seen no stalking puncher who tailored higher to looking southpaws than John Mugabi.