Derric Rossy, The Just Miss Gatekeeper of The Heavyweight Division
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Photo Credit: Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media
With a professional record of 31 wins and 12 losses, with 15 knockouts, Derric Rossy is ‘The Just Miss Gatekeeper’ of the heavyweight division. Sort of as Caucasian later life version of an aging Ezzard Charles, Rossy will fight anyone anywhere anyplace anytime.
While Rossy will never get a heavyweight title shot, it seems many of the people who beat him do. It is a familiar theme for Rossy’s entire career……..questionable decisions which he might have won but did not get, including many televised bouts.
An All-American high school football player who won the New York Golden Gloves tournament in 2004, Rossy turned pro and has had a mixed 12 year professional career. There have been a few minor upsets, only the sort of wins which insure he will get bigger bouts, but never a deserved win to propel him into a world title shot. At age 36, Rossy probably has a few good scraps left. Rossy, like Seth Mitchell and Gerald Washington (who just fought Deontay Wilder for the WBC world tile), is a converted football player. Mark Gastineau and Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones’ are examples of pro football players who tried to convert to boxers. There are others. Ray Edward of the Minnesota Vikings went 12-0-1 before getting knocked out by Keenan Hickman last December.
One has only to look at the high quality high caliber boxers Rossy has lost to, mostly controversial decisions to feel sorry for him. This reporter considers Rossy a friend, and truly feels sorry for him. Rossy has even complained on television after some of these bad televised decisions. Respect comes in the form of the hard work and effort Derric has given to put on a good show. Unfortunately, great effort does not always translate to a win on a scorecard where the other fighter belongs to the promoter. It is a repeating sad tale of woe, in an era where many deserved fighters suffer from the disgrace of bad decisions.
The best way to define Rossy is the number of questionable decisions he has fought. These include decision losses to Bermane Stiverne, Vlacheslav Glaskov, Joey Dawejko, Erkan Teper, Trevor Bryan, Fres Oquendo and Eddie Chambers. Derric also reached the finals of the London four rounder heavyweight tournament before losing to Audley Harrison in 2013. Derric has lost 10 of his last 16 bouts, with seven of those losses by highly questionable decision. Rossy, it must be told, never got a break.
Rossy has defeated many fighters by decision during his career, including Axor Muralimov, Joe Hanks, Ian Lewison, Travis Walker, Livin Castillo, Zack Page, Carl Davis Drummond, Jermell Barnes, Shannon Miller, Demitrice King, David Polk, Anthony Ottah, David Chappell, and Rubin Bracero. It is not as if Rossy has never gotten the decision, Rossy has just not gotten the decision whenever he is thrust into a major fight. He has held the New York State, World Boxing Council FECARBOX, WBC USNBC, WBO NABO, WBC Asian, and World Boxing Foundation International Heavyweight titles, and has also fought for the USBA Heavyweight title twice, the WBA-NABA and the NABF Junior Heavyweight titles. Rossy has been around the block and then some.
Derric Rossy is a true heavyweight warrior for all seasons. This reporter hopes Rossy ends his career at some point in the future by going out a winner. Rossy is one of the most legitimate football players turned pro boxer in the history of the ring. Sportswriter Robert Brizel’s respect for Rossy is an education in the courage of a boxer who comports himself with dignity and style and true hard work, accomplished but who never won a world title.
English
No Comments Yet