March 23 1986...Welcome ."The irritants" Shuler and Mugabi...

Mar 1986...Everybody wanted Hagler v Hearns 2....But two classy unbeaten prospects stood in the way...Both very live underdogs.

They were christened "The irritants"..

Shuler taking on Hearns..A nailed on Gold medallist in 80 before the boycott made the mistake of signing for a Spinks orientated Butch Lewis and was the invisible Man before Futch rescued him and took him to WBC and WBA number 1....A handsome..smiling all American boy who Arum later said was the nicest fighter he ever promoted....His fight with Hearns was close to pickem...

Mugabi a non English speaking KO artist 27-0 27 was considered "Too primitive to be intimidated" by his own team though the odds on him to win were longer...

What Mugabi lacked in conversation was made up for in stories from his home in Zimbabwe...One involved a mean Gorilla that broke loose and saw everybody fleeing for their lives only to look back and see the Gorilla and Mugabi standing side by side waving at them... Mugabi was a 154 pounder but could his power hold up at 160 ???..He didn't lack confidence..

So the day came and with the sunsetting over the packed Vegas car park..Surprisingly Shuler turned into the easier fight being nailed by a great right hand before he really got started....Hagler v Mugabi was a great war...With the Beast winning new friends..

Shuler was to be killed in a bike crash six days later...He took the Hearns fight so he could buy one....and Mugabi though he won a slice of pie a few years later underachieved..

But the two vastly different personalities will share a title and a connection for as long as Boxing remains..

They will always be..."The Irritants" !!!.