BEYOND TOUGH
produced two surprises: First, Haugen won not by out-brawling Paul but by out-boxing him; his subtle in-and-out movement and command of distance enabled him to out-jab the taller and rangier titlist. Second, Haugen connected sharply against an above-average defender while also showcasing his own defensive prowess. A CompuBox retro-count revealed Haugen landed 42% of his total punches and 55% of his power shots while tasting just 21% and 34% respectively. Because Haugen fought the fight of his life exactly when he needed to, he was a world titleholder. Most freshly minted beltholders would want their first defense to be in their hometown against a “soft” opponent. Not Haugen. He accepted a proposal to fight a dangerous challenger in Vinny Pazienza in Pazienza’s native Rhode Island. The bombastic Pazienza and the pugnacious Haugen produced pre-fight verbal fireworks that drew a full house inside the Providence Civic Center, then known as “The Devil’s Den” thanks to Pazienza’s “Pazmanian Devil” nickname. A memorable nose-to-nose staredown during the final instructions portended the resulting firefight. Beset by pre-fight dehydration and illness, Pazienza suffered cuts, a broken nose and a nearly swollen-shut eye thanks to Haugen’s pinpoint blows, but a late- round surge by Pazienza resulted in a close unanimous decision for the home state hero. Most felt Haugen deserved to win, but Pazienza’s courage and home ring advantage proved too much to overcome. The bout’s quality demanded a sequel, and once again its location (Atlantic City) didn’t favor Haugen. Although Pazienza made 135, he reportedly had to shed eight pounds in the final four days while Haugen was in pristine condition thanks to bringing back trainer George Chemeres and hiring conditioning coach Keith Kleven, who
had worked with Larry Holmes. Observers expected another tit-for-tat war, but Haugen again defied expectations by delivering a supreme performance. He again turned Pazienza’s face into a crimson mask, and though Pazienza fought with typical bravery, Haugen’s skill decisively won the battle as well as the war, and he regained the title. Haugen finally got his homecoming fight against Miguel Santana in April 1988, but the fight inside the Tacoma Dome turned into a bizarre saga. An accidental butt opened a gash over Haugen’s right eyebrow that caused the fight to be stopped after Round 11, with referee Jim
The gutsy Haugen captured world titles in two weight classes.
A prime Chavez was too much for most fighters, Haugen included.
worked 24 out of 24 times.” The Auburn, Washington, native became a sensation in Alaska, so much so that he eventually commanded $1,000 per fight, and, for one victorious bout against a 225-pounder billed as “The Yukon Crusher,” Haugen – who spent most of his career fighting between 135-147 pounds – pocketed $2,500. When Haugen turned pro in 1982, he was immediately slotted into a 10-rounder against a 13-3-1 pro named Noel Arriesgado, demanding circumstances for any pro debutant. Not only did Haugen win, he scored a seventh-round TKO. Moreover, each of his first five fights – all of which he won – were 10-rounders, after which he retreated to the four-rounders and six- rounders customary for beginning pros. His rise toward contender status began with a 10-round decision victory against the 19-1 Jeff Bumpus (a late replacement for hot prospect John Wesley Meekins) – his first fight on a Top Rank-promoted show – but it was his consecutive upset wins over Freddie Roach, Chris Calvin and Charlie “White Lightning” Brown that cemented Haugen as a fighter to watch. All three bouts were staged inside the Showboat
Cassidy declaring Santana the TKO winner. Thirty minutes later, Haugen “retained” the title because he was ahead on two scorecards at the time of the stoppage. Bizarrely, some 18 years later, an investigation spurred by Santana led to him receiving an IBF belt and recognition as a former titleholder. Haugen recorded one more defense – a 10th round TKO over Gert Bo Jacobsen in Jacobsen’s native Denmark – before losing the belt to Pernell Whitaker via lopsided unanimous decision. Haugen went 4-1 in his next five (the only loss being on points to Pazienza) to set up a showdown with WBO 140-pound titleholder Hector Camacho. A 7-to-1 underdog against the 38-0 “Macho Man,” Haugen overcame a third-round knockdown to win his second divisional title by split decision, a verdict he earned with psychological trickery. Haugen refused to touch gloves at the start of the 12th and, after he said something to Camacho, Camacho threw a flurry in response. That prompted referee Carlos Padilla to penalize Camacho one point – a point that turned Art Lurie’s 114-114 score into a 114-113 tally for Haugen and turned a title-retaining draw for Camacho into a title-winning split
in a can. We had bodyguards trying to protect us from the crowd, but there weren’t anywhere near enough of them to prevent the crowd from getting to us if they really wanted to. I probably had some beer and cups of piss thrown on me; they were holding on to our flags and spitting on them. It was cruel. Can you imagine what it would’ve been like if I would’ve knocked Chavez out? It was a very scary feeling being in a spot like that. It was like a mouse caught by a cat: You either run or you die.” Haugen was floored seconds into the fight and stopped in the fifth, but despite the pain and disappointment he must have felt, he kept his sense of humor. During the post-fight interview, he told Chavez that his opponents “must have been tough taxi drivers.” Haugen ended his 17-year career in December 1999 with a record of 39-10- 1 (19 KOs), and to the end he showed his trademark grit. He battled kidney cancer for three wrenching years before finally succumbing on February 22. He wasn’t the biggest, strongest or fastest, but he was good enough – and tough enough – to overcome every obstacle. Because of that, he produced a career that was well-fought – and a life that was well-lived.
Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and each was featured on ESPN’s “Top Rank Boxing” series. Haugen continued his roll with wins against Juan Carlos Alvarado Vazquez, Ken Willis, Edwin Curet and Ernie Landeros, victories that earned him a crack at Jimmy Paul’s IBF lightweight title in December 1986. By this time, Haugen’s Toughman legend was in full flower, and he fortified it with his straight-talking, no-nonsense demeanor. Although his father nicknamed him “Mutt” for the “Mutt and Jeff” comic strip character, the moniker morphed into one that crystalized his rough-around-the- edges Everyman persona. By fighting Paul, Haugen was confronted by two daunting challenges: the 15-round distance (which the IBF retained until 1988) and the fact that Paul was Haugen’s best opponent to date. Once again, Haugen, a 4-to-1 underdog, was underestimated. And once again, he defied the experts. Haugen’s majority decision victory
decision for Haugen. “I goaded him into losing a point,” Haugen proclaimed. The controversial ending resulted in an immediate rematch less than three months later. Once again, the decision was split, but this time Camacho was the victor. Thanks in part to a TKO win over Ray Mancini in April 1992, Haugen fought for a widely recognized title one last time in February 1993 against WBC 140-pound champion Julio Cesar Chavez in Mexico City before the largest paid crowd in boxing history. Haugen famously panned Chavez’s 84-0 record by declaring he had beaten “Tijuana taxi drivers.” That, along with promoter Don King falsely ascribing anti-Mexican comments to Haugen, whipped the 132,000-plus fans into a frenzy. “The walk to the ring was about 200 yards – 200 of the worst yards I have ever seen,” Haugen told me for a KO magazine article. “You couldn’t get through. People were packed like tuna
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