40 years on from Leroy Murphy and Chisanda Mutti double knockdown

The moment Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed fell to the floor simultaneously in final round of the fictional Rocky II rematch, Balboa rising to beat the count and win the title, fight fans could be forgiven for a wry smile at Stallone’s improbable script writing. But just five years later, on October 19, 1985, Leroy Murphy vs Chisanda Mutti saw both fighters hit the canvas in the 12th round of their 15-round IBF Cruiserweight title fight in Fontvieille, Monaco.

Leroy Murphy vs Chisanda Mutti brings Rocky II into real life

Mutti remained on all fours. Larry Hazzard counted out the exhausted African and Murphy, who had missed the 1980 Moscow Olympics when the US team boycotted the event, kept his title. Those present in the Stade Louis II on that night 40 years ago would forever have a story to tell.

In defeat, Mutti, his face already bruised and swollen, was consoled in the corner. He was 28 years old. Mutti had been discovered by a Nigerian promoter called Gibson Nwosu who had settled in Zambia in the 1970s in the aftermath of the country’s independence from the British Empire in 1964. Back then Mutti was a six-year-old boy in Matero, a sprawling township within the capital city of Lusaka.

The Journey of Mutti took twists

Nwosu had brought Mutti to British trainer, George Francis – who would famously train Frank Bruno and John Conteh amongst others. Mutti was matched hard as a Middleweight and Light-Heavyweight. Boxing the tough Frank Lucas on debut, although Mutti would claim to be a dozen fights into his career at the time, before losing over 15 to Tony Sibson in just his fourth record contest for the Commonwealth title. He was known for being super fit and was a strong and determined fighter.

He adopted the name Kent Green, the inspiration for which remains undocumented, in many of his early contests which took place in Zambia, England and Germany, where he would settle after his retirement in 1989.

A humble pub on the Commonwealth Road in Lusaka is still known as the Kent Green pub. Whether it is so named in Mutti’s honour or was the origin for his new moniker is unclear, but it is likely the “Chibuku tavern with whitewashed walls” referred to in the Zambian press in relation to Mutti’s fighting career.

The gutsy Zambian would box the legendary Evander Holyfield in his very next fight after Murphy, losing again, and would later encounter future IBF belt holder Glen McCory and German tough Ralf Rocchigiani on their way up the boxing ladder.

Sadly, it was reported that Mutti began to show signs of Parkinson’s after his retirement and he passed away aged just 38 in 1995.

A decade on from Leroy Murphy vs Chisanda Mutti.