- 2 months ago
Duane Thomas face John "The Beast" Mugabi for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight Title on Showtime Boxing. Plus an interview with Thomas Hearns
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00:00Three's discretion will determine whether or not he can go past three knockdowns in a round and Mugabe coming in at 153 and a half Thomas at 152 and a quarter somewhat of a surprise for both of them to make the weight as easily as they did.
00:14And Mugabe coming all the way down from 186 pounds. He ballooned up that high following his loss to Marvin Hagler.
00:24And now let's take you to our ring announcer Chuck Hull.
00:28Ladies and gentlemen, the officials assigned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the next bout of the evening, the judges are Spider Bynum of Texas, Miguel Donati of Puerto Rico, and Jerry Roth of Nevada.
00:40Your referee is Carlos Padilla. Representing the WBC at ringside is Mr. Bobby Lee of the state of Hawaii.
00:50This is the main event of the evening. 12 rounds of boxing for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight Championship of the World.
01:01Introducing, in the red corner, fighting out of Detroit, Michigan, weighing 152 and one quarter pounds, with a professional record of 28 wins, one defeat with 20 KOs, he is ranked number two in the world by the WBC.
01:18WBC, ladies and gentlemen, here is Dwayne Thomas, and in the blue corner, fighting out of Kampala, Uganda, and Tampa, Florida, weighing 153 and one half pounds.
01:35His professional record consists of 26 wins, one defeat with 26 KOs.
01:43He is ranked number one in the world by the WBC.
01:48Here is John, the Beast, Mugabe.
01:51Well, I guess if you have your applause meters out, that the better hand after the introductions came for John Mugabe.
02:03As we said, he made many friends despite his defeat at the hands of Marvin Hagler.
02:07There were many doubters about his inexperience having any shot at all against Hagler, and while he did ultimately get stopped by that great champion, he did indeed give Hagler quite a battle.
02:19Now, let's talk about the weight situation here, McGill.
02:22I feel Mugabe's probably best at 154 pounds.
02:26He has come back down to it after his try at the middleweight title, but what an effort to get there, and from a long way up, 186.
02:33Well, Tim, if he wanted to fight at 154, there's no way he should have gone up to 186 pounds.
02:40Unless, again, unless he's superhuman, that has to take something out of him.
02:43It wasn't that long ago that he was 186.
02:45Well, and yet, Mickey Duff, his manager, insists he's in the best condition ever, and indeed says that he was not in the best of condition for the Hagler fight.
02:55We'll find out.
02:56Wayne Thomas, 25 years of age, from Detroit.
03:00Tim, I think we're going to find out very, very early in this fight.
03:04I think one of the keys is going to be Thomas' ability to take the first couple of punches that John Mugabe hits him with.
03:10John Mugabe, 26 years of age, silver medalist in the 1980 Olympics.
03:15A lot of people didn't know that or don't remember that fact.
03:19A fine amateur on the same team as Cornelius Moza Edwards from Uganda.
03:24Lost to that tough Cuban Aldama, and a lot of people thought he won the fight.
03:30He can rip him.
03:31Again, when he misses, it's going to be up to Dwayne Thomas and nail him with a counterpunch to gain the Mugabe's respect.
03:45Otherwise, Mugabe will wing all night.
03:48You have to watch Dwayne Thomas.
03:49When he blocks or when he slips, let's see if he counters.
03:52Well, he tried to copy.
04:10Copy, missed with a wide right hand, and Thomas tried to punch right back.
04:16After he is Carlos Padilla, he will not score.
04:18Three judges at ringside will do it.
04:20Spider Bynum from Dallas, Miguel Donate from Puerto Rico, and Jerry Roth from Las Vegas.
04:25Tim, John Mugabe is a trainer's nightmare.
04:28He has so much punching ability, so much natural ability, but he makes so many basic errors.
04:33When he jabs, he drops his right hand down his rear end.
04:36When he hooks, he does it.
04:37When he throws the right hand, he drops his left hand.
04:39He is wide open to counterpunches, and I'm sure that any good trainer is certainly aware of that.
04:44Well, speaking of trainers, he has a new one now, Jimmy Williams, replacing George Francis, who returned to England.
04:55And Jimmy Williams goes back a little ways in the boxing wars.
05:00Well, Tim, again, he had 26 fake knockouts.
05:04He lost one fight, and he changed trainers.
05:07I don't think that's such a good idea.
05:14I think you will find, however, that, as usual, it will be Mickey Duff who does most of the vocalizing between rounds.
05:2330 seconds remain in round number one.
05:25Remember, this is a 12 round.
05:27Good right hand fight.
05:28Wayne Thomas, beautiful right hand.
05:30John Mugabe looks twice the size of Wayne Thomas physically from the waist up.
05:42Look at that back on Mugabe.
05:46Into the end of round number one.
05:48Mugabe and White, Thomas and Gold.
05:50Fairly uneventful first round, and we'll take this opportunity to go to our Michael Buffer visiting with Thomas Hearns.
06:02All right, I'm here at ringside with a very interested spectator.
06:06As a matter of fact, Thomas and Mugabe are fighting for his vacated title at 154 pounds.
06:11What's in the future for Thomas Hearns?
06:12Well, as of right now, we're going to go to the light heavyweight division, which we have a fight coming up February 7th against Dennis Andrews, light heavyweight champion.
06:21Well, you heard it right here.
06:22Up to the light heavyweight division, past the middleweights for Thomas the Hitman Hearns from Detroit.
06:28All right, Michael, and it'll be interesting.
06:31Everything Tommy does in boxing has been interesting.
06:34He's had a tremendously colorful career.
06:36He'll always be remembered, unfortunately, for his two losses because they were dramatic fights.
06:42They were dramatic events against Sugar Ray Leonard and against Marvin Hagler.
06:46His dream, four world titles.
06:49He's had two.
06:50He's going up to light heavyweight.
06:52And then we'll hope to get back against Hagler at middleweight.
06:56This is round two scheduled for 12.
06:58154 pounds the limit here.
07:00John Mugabe in white.
07:03He's rated number one in the world and number two ranked Dwayne Thomas from Detroit.
07:07John Mugabe throws bunches at him at all angles.
07:14I mean, he has very, very fast hands and a lot of snap on his punches.
07:18But he looks like he's off balance at times.
07:20You don't think he can hurt you with a punch, but he can knock you cold with.
07:23Again, Mugabe threw a wide right hand, left himself wide open, but Dwayne Thomas did not
07:37count the punch or try to take advantage of it.
07:39Fighting a very patient fight.
07:41Big right hand by Mugabe.
07:56Here we go.
07:57After Thomas.
07:58Here we go.
07:59Thomas definitely wobbled.
08:01He threw that one, Tim, from left field.
08:04How did he ever hit Dwayne Thomas with that punch?
08:06I'll never tell you.
08:07A short chopper.
08:08And Thomas is punching back.
08:18Thomas is still a little wobbling.
08:20Yes, he is.
08:21He did a very good job of escaping any further.
08:24He takes a left hand there.
08:26That's those quick punches of Mugabe.
08:29Here's Thomas trying to take advantage.
08:35Mugabe's trying to push him into punching range.
08:38There's that looping right hand.
08:43Dwayne Thomas said he was going to fight with his chest, his forehead on Mugabe's chest.
08:48Up to this point, he's giving, he's fighting right within Mugabe's punching range.
08:52Low blow warning given to Mugabe from Carlos Medea.
08:55And a minute to go, round two.
08:59Thomas with 20 knockouts in his 28 victories.
09:02Mugabe, 26 and 26.
09:20Those were blocked.
09:21There's no awkward angle punches of Mugabe.
09:28But again, Wayne Thomas fails to take advantage of the fact that Mugabe was wide open.
09:34He intimidates people.
09:39Right hand by Thomas.
09:43That's not going to do it, Tim.
09:44He's going to have to beat Mugabe to the punch.
09:46He's going to nail Mugabe when Mugabe's punching.
09:48He's going to have to beat him.
09:49Hold on.
09:54Well, let's see in round number two.
09:57It's an extracurricular activity.
10:01And Carlos Medea talking to both fighters.
10:04Okay.
10:04Having them touch gloves and calm down.
10:12Well, the last punch of the fight landed by John Mugabe in round two.
10:15let's take a look at it you'll watch thomas escape after he took the shot let's see how
10:20he manages look at that wide right hand tim he threw it from down around his rear end and it
10:25landed that's unbelievable there's wayne thomas and he has felt the sting of the beast that may
10:33be good sometimes you know if you feel the other guy's punching power and you're still there a lot
10:38of times it can give you a lot of confidence and take some of the confidence away from the other
10:42guy i'm sure mcgave has hit guys with that punch and they've gone and taken ten and there's thomas
10:47still there still punching back looking good wayne thomas is not fighting the kind of fight up to
11:00this time that he trained for in the gym in the gym he was going to stay inside go short punches
11:06beat mcgave to the punch
11:07oh right on the point of the chin good left hook by mcgave
11:16thomas is staying right out where mcgave wants that cut the lip of thomas you can see his tongue
11:24working that over and like jimmy paul his partner from the front is trying to think it could be a
11:29distraction here's an example of intimidation mcgave just stumbled in was wide open and thomas still did
11:35not go apart he's being intimidated by mcgave
11:41there's a solid lift
11:43and there goes mcgave
11:44the left right to the throat
11:48and this might be over
11:50it was a left to the throat
11:54well tim we mentioned sometimes when a fighter takes a beating he's never the same here we have another
11:59upset on show time wayne thomas
12:07spectacular shot i believe it caught him in the throat
12:11hopefully we'll get another look at that
12:13well
12:15all right mickey dump is complaining about a thumb he says it's a thumb
12:19well i don't think that there was a thumb it may be that uh that he got poked in the eye with the following
12:26well he is holding his eye
12:28there's wayne thomas's fiance
12:32got to be thrilled about this world championship as he reclaimed the world title for the truck
12:38and jimmy paul lost his title earlier tonight and dr romeo ain't examining john mcgave now we will try and determine whether he got poked in the eye
12:49hopefully the replays will show those initial punches
12:53i believe the first big left hit him in the throat
13:01mickey dump was complaining that john mcgave got something in the eye they had a big problem
13:07at the rules meeting they were going to use they were going to use
13:14there's the main thomas jesus couldn't be happier now now let's see what happened let's try to see
13:20the punch there it was it looked like it hit him right in the left eye
13:26look it looked like it was a left hook in the left eye and then once he's hurt
13:30he just covers up turns his back once you turn your back the fight should be over
13:36and yes he's grabbing that eye it looks like his eye is bothering him now mickey self was complaining
13:41let's take another look at it let's see where the punch landed again it looks like he hit him in the left eye
13:51now they were at the rules meeting they had a big problem about the gloves they wanted to use gloves
13:56that had a tab to hold the thumb in so that the fighter couldn't get thumbs and guess who objected mickey
14:02does the manager of mcgave said his fighter did not train with clubs that had a tab he did not want
14:09he did not want to there's wayne thomas with his young son can you imagine champion of the world
14:13with his son on his shoulders and now let's go to chuck call for the ring announcer
14:18ladies and gentlemen referee carlos padilla stops the bout at 56 seconds of the third round
14:26the winner and new wbc super welterweight champion of the world
14:48the little thomas here's the big guy right here he's now champion of the world
14:52wayne uh first of all did did you uh know where that punch landed yes i did i'm a sharp
14:57puncher as you've seen in the past you know i played for my shots but my god i know that he's a real
15:03high energy type guy and he did what i thought that he would come out and start bombing at me right away
15:09cut my lip pretty good he hit me with a good shot where did your punch land at the end of the fight
15:13in your view well it was a left hook right on the chain my favorite shot if i kept any fighter with that
15:20flush on the chin they got to go well i thought it actually landed in about the neck however it
15:25appears on the replay that landed in the eye and that's what he's saying that that he was pulped or
15:29at least hit in the eye clearly wasn't deliberate uh emmanuel steward there's kind of kind of an irony
15:35here i understand there was a discussion about whether or not there would be tabbed gloves used
15:39and as it's turned out here it's the uh loser here mugabe who may have been affected by that fact
15:45the fact that they weren't tabbed well that's a professional business and we had no complaints whichever
15:49you know where it happened and then just as well it happened the other way could have been split but
15:53i think that duane won the five times square the punch that he worked on so much was to catch mcgarvey
15:58with the left hook when he started his wide punches and that was his whole strategy and it worked he got
16:03your attention with one shot wayne but you expected that did you feel after you that you took the punch
16:08that hey i can handle it i knew coming in that i could take his punch because there there's no one
16:14that punches to me as accurate as thomas hearns and me and thomas hearn has had plenty wars you know in
16:22the gym quite often and uh thomas a great fighter that's quite a test all right let's see if we can
16:26get john over here excuse me duane john stay here duane yeah john john mcgarvey uh mickey mickey mickey mickey
16:36well john mcgarvey is still being attended to mickey uh can we ask you uh he's holding his left eye
16:46obviously he did get hit out of his left eye at all even now all right going straight to hospital that
16:52was a blatant thumb and if you could get a close-up you would see that the eye there's a swelling all the
16:58way around it is typical of when somebody has been thumbed there's no two ways about it well we're looking
17:03at it right now there it is look all right now now wait a minute mickey you were saying it's a blatant
17:08thumb in other words that that thomas actually aimed that point out hoping to catch him with a thumb
17:13i am not do you mean i am not saying it was intentional but the end product was it was a
17:19blatant thumb it was an okay not intentional all right i'm not saying it was okay all right let's see it
17:24again on the other side of the ring we're going to show it to you now the point is that your fighter
17:30couldn't continue already he's already been by that time he's already been thumbed forget that
17:35he's already been found by then now we're going to bring it back show the other one that second
17:40punch is the one that hit him in the neck which is the one that i thought did the damage no
17:45there's a thumb that was the thumb and look he's pulled away it's already happened right yeah no question
17:51about that it's already happened it was an accident now there was no way he could continue i gather i mean
17:56he turned away because he couldn't see could have turned around well could he could he have
17:59continued fight hasn't finished three rounds he could have called it no contest all right mickey
18:04duff uh with his explanation of what should have happened john mugabe obviously tremendously disappointed
18:10and uh mickey suggesting that under the rules it could have been called a no contest now let's uh let's
18:16let's bring dwayne ford in here and uh dwayne uh perhaps you can uh comment on uh as a member of the
18:24nevada commission here uh comment on the uh rule that uh mickey studied here does he have a case at
18:30all in this respect i didn't hear what mickey said mickey said that it could have been called no contest
18:35because it was a thumb in the eye and the fighter couldn't continue so the only thing we know as i
18:40talked to carlos carlos said he turned his back and quit now if he got hit in the eye all he had to do
18:45is go down under one knee take the count point to the eye but he turned his back and quit yeah we don't
18:50have a standing eight count so the wc doesn't have a standing eight count nor is there he did not he
18:56got hit again when he turned okay mickey he'd already all right well you saw that yes yes i did
19:01but already been found yes he did however i'm not sure there let's let's let's see it one more time
19:07and let's get carlos padilla over here carlos still here uh jimmy yeah go ahead dwayne well what we're
19:12doing is uh carlos is busy with the commission right now okay we're gonna make him available to the press
19:17okay fine all right here it is one more time we'll watch it here together with dwayne ford and
19:21and mickey duff again one time there's the first punch and he's already now been hurt and he's
19:27turning away and dwayne thomas lands another one the interesting thing jimmy at this point is where
19:32this is where he turned away as thomas went after him and carlos padilla obviously suggesting uh feeling
19:39that that he was surrendering we don't have a standing age we don't have a standing age and he's not
19:43defending himself the interesting thing is this is that mr duff had the choice of using webbed gloves
19:48for open and he chose to throw the web away yes we did it would have been webbed perhaps he wouldn't
19:52hit the eye wait well wait no we we did so we did make we didn't make this no no wait wait no we made
19:57that point we did make that point earlier about the fact that there was a discussion about the gloves
20:02that's just an irony however that's only an unfortunate irony john mcgabe john i know you must be very
20:09disappointed could you not see from the eye at all after you were hit i can't see i'm telling you
20:14even now even now right now uh is there is there hope on your part that you get to have this fight
20:20again well this guy is calm to me i couldn't see that's why i turned like this because i couldn't i
20:30couldn't see couldn't see all right john all right well john mcgabe an unfortunate finish here
20:36a second round victory for dwayne thomas we have a new wbc super welterweight champion the vacant
20:42title uh goes to dwayne thomas under unfortunately uh controversial circumstances due to the fact that
20:50it's quite apparent john mcgabe was hit in the eye that is why he did not continue dwayne ford from
20:55the nevada commission and the wbc explaining that carlos padilla as far as he was concerned
21:01mcgabe refused to continue the fight therefore dwayne thomas uh is the victor the fight was
21:06stopped on those grounds mickey dubs contention the manager feeling that uh the fight should have
21:12been called an old contest perhaps there will be a rematch well that concludes the exciting boxing
21:17action here tonight on showtime
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