Pugilist John Munduga, Lugbara from northwestern Uganda, was one of the country's best boxers during his amateur career in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was noticeable for its lean construction and height. Although he was in lower weight categories, he was just over 6 feet tall. He is considered one of the most skillful boxers from Uganda. He will play as captain of Uganda's boxing team, representing Uganda in several regional tournaments. Munduga competed at the Summer Olympics, which were held in Moscow in 1980, and he was a national captain there. As a professional, he bought in Europe and the United States, where he fought several famous and top boxers. Mundugi had a very high knockout ratio, and he remained undefeated for a long time. He now lives in his native Uganda (in Naguru, where he was born), where he is a high school coach and coach, especially at Kololo High School near Kampala. In 2000, he was the national coach of the boxing team in Rwanda.
Manduga was born on January 15, 1961 in Naguru, near Kampala in Uganda, where he studied in St. Louis. Jude Elementary School where he played soccer. But at the beginning of his life, he became interested in boxing when he talked in the community center of Naguru near Kampala. For several years he became a boxing champion at school and then a national champion at the age of 11.
In 1977, Munduga represented Uganda at the annual tournament of Kenya against Uganda Urafiki. He won in a fight. He was called by the national trainer Grace Sservagi to get into residential training with newcomers. Munduga succeeded by beating his opponents, then he was chosen as the youngest in the Ugandan boxing team in Thailand to fight in the King’s International Cup. Munduga impressively won a bronze medal.
In January 1978, in a Uganda vs Poland match in Kampala, Munduga defeated Roman Gottfried after the fight was stopped.
At the 1978 All-African Games held in Algeria, Munduga lost in the second round to Klyan Steve Muchoki, who was renamed in the past in the battle of James Odvori and became a lover of the world champion. He could not move to a medal.
Munduga represented Uganda at the memorial invitation of Felix Shtam, which was held in Warsaw from November 9 to 11, 1978. In the quarterfinals, Ugandan defeated Jose Luis Rios in Cuba 4: 1. In the semi-finals, Munduga beat Yury Prokhorov of the Soviet Union by 3: 2. In the final, Munduga won by defeating Leszek Kodedowski (Poland) 4: 1. And again he won gold. Of the five Ugandan boxers, only Munduga won at this spot.
In Poland against the Uganda Double in February 1979, held in Warsaw, Munduga defeated Pole Kazimierz Adakh. Boxers such as Mugabi, Odvori, Butambeki and Syriacib were lost here.
Back in February 1979, Munduga triumphed in the town of Schwerin in the German Democratic Republic, where a double match was held against Uganda. Here Munduga defeated Lutz Kaesbier. Of the other Ugandan boxers, only Adroni Butambeki won.
Manduge was 19 years old when he was shown against the 25-year-old Nelson Jose Rodriguez from Venezuela in the first preliminary round of the light-middleweight contest at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. Only 5 ”, Rodriguez was half less than Munduga. Uganda defeated this on July 21, 1980, winning points.
The next Olympic battle in Manduga will happen on July 26, and here, in the second preliminary, it will lie down against Faruk Chanhun Javad from Iraq. Although much shorter, the 25-year-old Changhong, who was more experienced, would have knocked out Mundugu in the second minute of the first round. Ugandans claim that he started well, but then was unjustly pierced in the neck and fell unconscious. It is known that Changchun was the champion of Asia three times. Munduga took 9th place in welterweight.
But although Mugabi won Uganda’s only medal at the Olympics in Moscow, Munduga clearly stands out as an amateur fist fight in Uganda, which won the most in Uganda in the late 1970s. He comes to mind as very hardworking, skillful, dedicated and disciplined at a time when the value of Uganda in boxing quickly eluded.
The World Boxing Council (WBC) ratings dated July 24, 1987 ranked two Ugandan Jones, who also represented Uganda at the Olympics, among the top ten contenders for the world super middleweight title. Lupe Aquino from Mexico was the champion, John "The Beast" Mugabi was the main contender, and John Munduga took the sixth place. Aside from theoretical rivalry for the crown, they were probably sparring partners, given that both were ruled by Mickey Duff in Tampa, Florida. Mugabi, as a welterweight, won Uganda only medal at the Olympics in Moscow - a silver welterweight. On the world professional stage Manduga got the nickname “Matador”. Munduga talked to his fellow man Mugabi, who “had a big blow early ... at 9, 10 years old, he used to knock out boys ... was the only one who could have age” (Berger 1986).
Munduga began boxing as a professional in Germany in November 1981, where he bought the first fourteen of his professional fights. Here he bought a cross section of boxers from near and far abroad, and he set an 85% record in these losses from 1981 to the beginning of 1984.
After that, he began to compete in the United States, where his first battle was with Tommy Rogers in Tampa. He knocked out Rogers, and then continued his typical tendency to knock out most of his opponents until the moment when he fought Leland Hart, with his whipping glasses at Atlantic City in May 1986. At this stage, Mundugi had a clean and impressive record of 24 wins, 0 losses, with 18 knockouts.
The next fight will be a planned 10-round match with renamed American Mark Breland, a very 6th welterweight champion who won Olympic gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984. He was two inches taller than Munduga. Summer Brendan played the role of an actor, and he had a very impressive series as an amateur US champion. June 21, 1986 Breland was released against Uganda. It happened at the Sands Casino Hotel in Atlantic City in New Jersey. ninth in the list of contenders for the welterweight crown, the World Boxing Association (WBA) and sixth in the list of contenders for the junior middleweight, WBC.
Munduga believed it was advantageous for him to strike at Brendand, because they were about equal in height. Munduga added that Breland never prepared the opponent as skillful as themselves, and he added that it was a big struggle for which he worked hard for. Breland, saying that during amateur days he had fought with many tall fighters, most of what he stopped, suggested that it was more difficult to fight short boxers. He needed to bend to fight with them, and bend even lower when they duck. Breland also considered Munduga a typical European fighter, who would not be a big problem, whoever stands straight and goes straight at you. According to Breland, Mundougie had a good punch and a loop, but he was not a very good performer. Breland fought his first professional fight, just two months after he won the gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympics. He was advertised as “the next Sugar Ray Leonard,” an image that he could never measure.
The first round showed that both were right-handed, classic boxers. The higher and longer armed Breland used them too much to keep Mandugu in fear with these advantages, although Munduga continues to attack. In the first round, they basically felt each other in pattern, the round was about even, but Breland took advantage of the hand to win.
In the second round, Munduga rocked with a heavy blow in the first few seconds, and he stumbles. Breland understands this very well, and he usually comes up to try to knock out a knockout punch. Munduga slowed down, and he really suffered a little. But Munduga continues to attack, while the enemy’s typical range keeps him from many things. Brenda's height, slimness, stamina and swinging blows are reminiscent of one of the youngest, Thomas "Hitman" Hearns.
In the third round, Bill Cosby, Muhammad Ali, Don King and Jesse Jackson see in the audience 15,000 high-power spectators who came to watch the Olympic box of celebrities. At this time Breland was undefeated in 12 fights, but his knockout ratio was much less impressive than that of Mundoughe. In this third round, Munduga is puzzled by the tactics to use, but he bravely continues to go after Brelandia, although he continues to face Breland’s long punches.
In the fourth round, Manduga becomes much more aggressive, but he gets tired. However, Breland seems to be more fresh and gradual, as if he is waiting for a chance to deliver the onslaught. However, in this fourth round, Munduga delivers his best punches to the round, and they seem to be waving slightly with Brand.
In the fifth round, Munduga shows more courage and confidence. He even cleaves Breland when he is against the ropes, and he continues to accelerate the attack.
In the sixth round, Munduga slugger is again aggressive, and he continues to attack Breland, as he hopes to get through the opponent's armor. The brand shows patience, but an awareness of the confidence of its opponents. He seems to be waiting for Munduga to become reckless and careless and bow his head to the blows. Indeed, the moment comes in the sixth round. As Munduga delivers powerful blows even more, Brand gains the upper hand and delivers a firm killer uppercut and right-right bows to Munduga’s head, which knocks him down. The medical team quickly moves to the ring to keep an eye on Munduga, which leaves the eye, closes quickly. The fight is decisive; referee Paul Venti did not bother to count it. Manduga was defeated for the first time in his boxing career. In the boxing world, Mundugu mostly remembers because of this battle, in which he showed courage and skill against an accused and seasoned boxer.
Confident and victorious, Breland remarked after the battle (AP 1986: 32).
“His plan was to step forward, strike and get hit. I knew that he was a good drummer, but I also hit well.
Five weeks before the fight with Munduga, right after he knocked out Ricky Avendano in the first minute of the first round, Breland was asked how he estimated himself and he answered (AP 1986: 19).
"I really do not know. I do not want to be thrown into the fight for the title.
Between 1987 and 1990, Marc Breland became the WBA Welterweight Champion, then he lost the title to Marlon Starling, then regained it, and then lost to Aaron Davis. Breland entered the ring with an impressive 39 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw.
Mundugi’s head was badly knocked down by Brand, he fell heavily to the floor. This battle, which is most attached to Munduga, has actually deteriorated and destroyed it. It took Munduge almost six months to challenge it again. he admits that after this battle he was damaged, no longer himself, and he somehow lost interest in boxing. For comparison, Uganda Mustafa Vasadja has never been the same after Michael Spinks knocked him out; John "The Beast of Mugabi" was never the same when he was knocked out by Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
Then, in Las Vegas, he won in a mediocre fight against Alvaro Granillo in December 1986. His last major fight was with undefeated Darrin “Schoolboy” Van Hoorn, who was a student at the University of Kentucky, and the future International Boxing Federation (IBF). In Frankfurt, Kentucky, more than a year after Manduga performed in the ring, Van Horn knocked out Mundugu for the seventh time in a 10-round round in February 1988.
Munduga fought in his last three professional fights in Germany and Belgium, and he lost all of them by knockout for unarmed fighters. His last recorded battle was November 1989. He lost his shine. Munduga is registered as the winner in 25 fights, in which 18 were knockout. However, in all five fights that he lost, he was knocked out in each of them. Many expected much more from this previously high-ranking boxer.
Between 1987 and 1990, Mark Breland became the WBA Welterweight Champion, then he lost the title to Marlon Starling, then regained it, and then lost to Aaron Davis. Breland entered the ring with an impressive 39 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw.
Produced work
Ap. "Breland wins the 12th welterweight." Index Journal May 16, 1986.
Ap. "Breland Floors Munduga in the sixth." Index Journal June 22, 1986.
Berger, Phil. "Mugabi: In front of boxing." New York Times. March 2, 1986.
