This brings us to where Mtagwa, 26-13-2 (18) with one no-contest, is, not only for his fight this Saturday night with the aforementioned Gamboa (broadcast live from Madison Square Garden on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark,” 9:45 PM ET/PT), but also pointing to the place where the tough, rugged slugger’s career currently resides. Mtagwa is one of those fighters that are so rough and tough that he is viewed as more of a headache to face for any young up-and-coming fighter than a stepping stone.
So why make Gamboa and Mtagwa, especially after what everyone witnessed him do against Lopez in his last fight? Well, not only was the fight between Lopez and Mtagwa not on any premium network, the majority of the people that witnessed the fight were either die-hard fans, that paid for yet another pay-per-view show, or they were the fans that made it out to the Garden to view the contest live.
Why bother putting Gamboa’s perfect record and championship belt on the line? Well, if this major attraction fight is ever going to come to fruition between Lopez and Gamboa, some answers to major questions need to be answered by Gamboa, 16-0 (14), this time. Insert Rogers Mtagwa and the awesome set of skills that he brings to the ring.
I already know what you are going to say. Yes, Mtagwa may throw punches from various angles in a multitude of ways, as well, but let’s face it: if you are looking forward to seeing how Gamboa does against a Sugar Ray type, I’m sorry to inform you that that isn’t going down at the Garden, this time.
However, what you are more likely to witness, just as so many were able to do in October with Lopez, is Gamboa facing the one major exam that all true champions face at one point or another in their careers. Gamboa is going to be facing a fighter that isn’t backing down and isn’t going anywhere due to the force of one punch; which also makes this interesting, since out of his sixteen past opponents, no one has been able to deal with the natural talent, speed and power of Gamboa.
Mtagwa is the guy that fits the bill as a fighter that can be dangerous and force young talent to search within their hearts and minds and come to a realization that they, may or may not, possess what it takes to be a champion. Understand that, in order to beat Mtagwa, you are going to have to go to that special place that so few are willing to go.
This is another reason why this fight is important for Mtagwa. He is getting this second chance at a spotlight fight because those questions dealing with Gamboa need answering and they need answering soon. However, if, in fact, Mtagwa comes out on the short end of the stick again, he will most likely be forced to return to fighting as a main attraction, not at the Garden, but back at famous boxing clubs throughout the east coast.
Mtagwa is coming up in weight for this fight, which is something that his manager, Joe Perillo, is comfortable with. “He is on weight already. In fact, we have to have him eat full meals, but that’s okay since he is now able to keep his weight and feel strong at the same time.” I, for one, can attest to what it sounded like to hear the thudding sounds of pad work from the front of the Joe Hand Gym in Philadelphia. When I first heard the smack of glove and pad, I naturally turned around with the thought in my mind, “Who is that working out?”
Sure enough, the moment I turned around, a loud war cry filled the gym from the lungs of Mtagwa. This is something else that Perillo mentioned and was something that could be seen in his fighter as he worked out in the gym. “He enjoys the gym and he loves being in the gym, at times he becomes complacent, especially when he is working with some of the younger guys,” admitted Perillo. “At times I have to tell him, ‘Rogers, that young guy isn’t playing around, he really wants to knock your block off, so make him feel you a little.’”
Well, the end to this story is, let’s just say that young guy not only felt Mtagwa’s right hand, but his backside got a taste of the ring, as well. Mtagwa is powerful in his own way. He is so seasoned at this point with the sport, that he knows how to turn it on and off at will. This is a special intangible, like his rock hard chin and pure fighter’s heart that many, more naturally-gifted fighters are not so blessed with.
Please do yourself a favor and watch the show on HBO. Not only because Gamboa may need to answer several tough questions on this night. But, also, for the fact that it will be interesting to see how Lopez will handle his first fight since he was taken to that special dark room by Mtagwa..
Unfortunately, the way this sport is handled by the people who have the say so, if Mtagwa loses, it could be a long time before you get to see him on television. That, in itself, is a shame. If you don’t think that’s how things are done with tough fighters that are all about taking risks with little financial or championship reward, just ask Glen Johnson how many of his fights after his first fight with Chad Dawson where shown on television. Or how many good dates he was given, even though his body of work throughout his career proved he deserved them.
