Real Combat Media Historical Boxing: Tale of Boxing Tigers
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
BoxRec currently lists 20 active boxers using the last name of Tiger, and 21 boxers using the nickname of Tiger. All of the current boxing Tigers are not noteworthy. However, in the professional boxing past, there were a number of noteworthy boxing Tigers.
This unique boxing historical retrospective all began when a former boxer contacted me about a friend of his, who was once a friend of Guyanese boxer Tony “The Tiger” Marshall, a noted junior middleweight and middleweight who fought between 1991 and 2005. Marshall, with 37 wins, 13 losses and six draws during his career, fought the likes of Fernando Vargas, Kassim Ouma, Carlos Bojorquez, Alex Bunema, Javier Castillejo, Aaron Davis, Glenwood Brown, Ronald Wright, Julio Flores, Julio Cesar Vasquez, Lonnie Beasley and Emmett Linton. Marshall, a true boxing Tiger, warrior, and veteran, lost to all of these fighters.
Marshall did beat Advantil Khurtsidze (then undefeated, who went on to become a world ranked middleweight) at the end of his career. Marshall also beat Keith Mullings, Edwin Curet, and Anthony Jones (then a 38 win fighter) to win the NABF Super Welterweight title. Jones also drew with Willy Wise, who later decisioned Julio Cesar Chavez Sr.
The only boxing Tiger I have ever seen live in person was 9-19 Puerto Rican journeyman welterweight and junior middleweight Angel “The White Tiger” Rios. Oddly, Rios began his career 9-2 before losing his next 17 consecutive bouts, with 16 losses by decision.
Middleweight Ralph “Tiger” Jones of Yonkers, New York, 52-32-5 with 13 knockouts, is one of the most famous of the boxing Tigers. Jones ruined the comeback attempt of the then 133-3-2 Sugar Ray Robinson in 1955, winning a 10 round decision over the comebacking Robinson. However, there are two Ralph “Tiger” Jones. 30-2 Ralph “Tiger” Jones of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, saw his career end when he was knocked out in the sixth round of a World Boxing Association World Welterweight title bout by Ike Quartey in 1997.
The late world middleweight and world light heavyweight champion Dick Tiger (originally Richard Thetu), 60-19-3, 27 knockouts, Amaigbo, Nigeria, is the only boxing Tiger with the last name of Tiger. Perhaps the most famous of all boxing Tigers, Dick Tiger fought for Biafra when Eastern Nigeria seceded, and lost his money and property when Nigeria won the war. A guard at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dick Tiger was diagnosed with liver cancer in 1971, and was allowed to return home to Nigeria to his wife and five children shortly before he died. A Ring Magazine and Boxing Writers Fighter of the Year several times, Tiger was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1974 posthumously.
His nephew, Nigerian junior southpaw middleweight Young Dick Tiger, had a record of 31-17-1 between 1984 and 1996, and won the California Welterweight title in 1987. Young Dick Tiger held wins over Bobby Joe Young (who beat Aaron Pryor) and Lupe Aquino. Young Dick Tiger’s last six comeback attempts were unfortunately unsuccessful.
Dariusz Michalczewski, The Polish Tiger from Gdansk, Poland, went 48-2 with 38 knockouts between 1991 and 2005. Dariusz reached 48-0 and fought in 27 consecutive WBO, WBA and IBF World Light Heavyweight title bouts. After losing his last two title bouts, Michalczewski retired in 2005.
Tiger Flowers, the Georgia Deacon, died at age 34 in 1927 following eye surgery. Flowers won the World Middleweight title by split decisioning Harry Greb over 15 rounds in 1926. His pro record was 119-15-8 with 55 knockouts.
Lightweight Tiger Kid Walker went 112-45-21 with 36 knockouts between 1929 and 1940. Middleweight Dwight “Tiger” Walker of Newark, new Jersey went 22-6-1 with nine knockouts, and is best known for two televised losses to Mark Frazie when both were up and coming prospects. Walker did win a 10 round decision over the late middleweight contender Wilford Scypion near the end of their careers.
Heavyweight southpaw Tony “The Tiger” Thompson, 40-7 with 27 knockouts, Washington, D.C., did not win the world heavyweight title in his only attempt against Wladimir Klitschko in 2008. Thompson did beat contender Odlanier Solis Fonte (twice) and David Price (twice) ruining their careers as they could not win the rematches.
Welterweight Dustin “The White Tiger” Fleischer went 6-0 between 2015 and 2016 against undistinguished opponents. Italian middleweight southpaw Simone Brusa is 6-2-1. British welterweight prospect Conor “Tiger” Ireson is 5-0. Light heavyweight Tiger Allen of Lancaster, Pennsylvania was 3-0 until a car accident ended his career, the son of the late trainer Nazim Richardson. His twin brother is retired 15-0 welterweight Rock Allen.
COMMENTS
English