Coordinates	28°36′50″N77°12′32″N
Imagecaption	Yusuf Ahmed (''left'') throws an uppercut on Rafael Ortiz (''right'').
Name	Boxing| aka Pugilism, English boxing, Western Boxing, Sweet Science, Gentleman's Sport
Focus	Punching strikes
Country	Greece (Ancient Boxing) United Kingdom (Modern Boxing)
Olympic	Since 688 B.C.
Creator	Various fighters
Parenthood	Unknown }}

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds. The match ends, when an opponent is knocked out or deemed incapable to continue match by a referee (Technical Knockout), if an opponent is disqualified for breaking a rule, resigning by throwing in a towel, or by judges' scorecards at the end of the bout. There are two forms of boxing, amateur and professional.

The birth hour of boxing as a sport may be its acceptance by the ancient Greeks as an Olympic game as early as 688 BC. Modern boxing evolved in Europe, particularly Great Britain.

Early history

Fist fighting depicted in Sumerian relief carvings from the 3rd millennium BC, while an ancient Egyptian relief from the 2nd millennium BC depicts both fist-fighters and spectators. Both depictions show bare-fisted contests. Other depictions can be seen in Assyrian, Babylonian and Hittite art. The earliest evidence for fist fighting with any kind of gloves can be found on Minoan Crete (c. 1500–900 BC), and on Sardinia, if we consider the boxing statues of Prama mountains (c. 2000–1000 BC).

Modern boxing

Broughton's rules (1743)

Records of Classical boxing activity disappeared after the fall of the Western Roman Empire when the wearing of weapons became common once again and interest in fighting with the fists waned. However, there are detailed records of various fist-fighting sports that were maintained in different cities and provinces of Italy between the 12th and 17th centuries. There was also a sport in ancient Rus called Fistfight. As the wearing of swords became less common, there was renewed interest in fencing with the fists. The sport would later resurface in England during the early 16th century in the form of bare-knuckle boxing sometimes referred to as prizefighting. The first documented account of a bare-knuckle fight in England appeared in 1681 in the ''London Protestant Mercury'', and the first English bare-knuckle champion was James Figg in 1719. This is also the time when the word "boxing" first came to be used. It should be noted, that this earliest form of modern boxing was very different. Contests in Mr. Figg's time, in addition to fistfighting, also contained fencing and cudgeling. On 6 January 1681, the first recorded boxing match took place in Britain when Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle (and later Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica) engineered a bout between his butler and his butcher with the latter winning the prize.

Early fighting had no written rules. There were no weight divisions or round limits, and no referee. In general, it was extremely chaotic. The first boxing rules, called the Broughton's rules, were introduced by heavyweight champion Jack Broughton in 1743 to protect fighters in the ring where deaths sometimes occurred. Under these rules, if a man went down and could not continue after a count of 30 seconds, the fight was over. Hitting a downed fighter and grasping below the waist were prohibited. Broughton also invented and encouraged the use of "mufflers", a form of padded gloves, which were used in training and exhibitions. The first paper on boxing was published in the late 18th century by successful Birmingham boxer 'William Futrell' who remained undefeated until his one hour and seventeen minute fight at Smitham Bottom, Croydon, on July 9, 1788 against a much younger "Gentleman" John Jackson which was attended by the Prince of Wales. These rules did allow the fighters an advantage not enjoyed by today's boxers: They permitted the fighter to drop to one knee to begin a 30-second count at any time. Thus a fighter realizing he was in trouble had an opportunity to recover. However, this was considered "unmanly" and was frequently disallowed by additional rules negotiated by the Seconds of the Boxers. Intentionally going down in modern boxing will cause the recovering fighter to lose points in the scoring system. Furthermore, as the contestants did not have heavy leather gloves and wristwraps to protect their hands, a certain amount of restraint was required when striking the head.

London Prize Ring rules (1838)

In 1838, the London Prize Ring rules were codified. Later revised in 1853, they stipulated the following:

Fights occurred in a -square ring surrounded by ropes.

If a fighter was knocked down, he had to rise within 30 seconds under his own power to be allowed to continue.

Biting, headbutting and hitting below the belt were declared fouls.

Marquess of Queensberry rules (1867)

In 1867, the Marquess of Queensberry rules were drafted by John Chambers for amateur championships held at Lillie Bridge in London for Lightweights, Middleweights and Heavyweights. The rules were published under the patronage of the Marquess of Queensberry, whose name has always been associated with them.

There were twelve rules in all, and they specified that fights should be "a fair stand-up boxing match" in a 24-foot-square or similar ring. Rounds were three minutes long with one minute rest intervals between rounds. Each fighter was given a ten-second count if he was knocked down and wrestling was banned.

The introduction of gloves of "fair-size" also changed the nature of the bouts. An average pair of boxing gloves resembles a bloated pair of mittens and are laced up around the wrists. The gloves can be used to block an opponent's blows. As a result of their introduction, bouts became longer and more strategic with greater importance attached to defensive maneuvers such as slipping, bobbing, countering and angling. Because less defensive emphasis was placed on the use of the forearms and more on the gloves, the classical forearms outwards, torso leaning back stance of the bare knuckle boxer was modified to a more modern stance in which the torso is tilted forward and the hands are held closer to the face.

Prohibition

Through the late nineteenth century, boxing or prizefighting was primarily a sport of dubious legitimacy. Outlawed in England and much of the United States, prizefights were often held at gambling venues and broken up by police. Brawling and wrestling tactics continued, and riots at prizefights were common occurrences. Still, throughout this period, there arose some notable bare knuckle champions who developed fairly sophisticated fighting tactics.

The English case of ''R v. Coney'' in 1882 found that a bare-knuckle fight was an assault occasioning actual bodily harm, despite the consent of the participants. This marked the end of widespread public bare-knuckle contests in England.

The first world heavyweight champion under the Queensberry Rules was "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, who defeated John L. Sullivan in 1892 at the Pelican Athletic Club in New Orleans.

Throughout the early twentieth century, boxers struggled to achieve legitimacy, aided by the influence of promoters like Tex Rickard and the popularity of great champions from John L. Sullivan to Jack Dempsey. Shortly after this era, boxing commissions and other sanctioning bodies were established to regulate the sport and establish universally recognized champions.

Rules

The ''Marquess of Queensberry rules'' have been the general rules governing modern boxing since their publication in 1867.

A boxing match typically consists of a determined number of three-minute rounds, a total of up to 12 rounds (formerly 15). A minute is typically spent between each round with the fighters in their assigned corners receiving advice and attention from their coach and staff. The fight is controlled by a referee who works within the ring to judge and control the conduct of the fighters, rule on their ability to fight safely, count knocked-down fighters, and rule on fouls. Up to three judges are typically present at ringside to score the bout and assign points to the boxers, based on punches that connect, defense, knockdowns, and other, more subjective, measures. Because of the open-ended style of boxing judging, many fights have controversial results, in which one or both fighters believe they have been "robbed" or unfairly denied a victory. Each fighter has an assigned corner of the ring, where his or her coach, as well as one or more "seconds" may administer to the fighter at the beginning of the fight and between rounds. Each boxer enters into the ring from their assigned corners at the beginning of each round and must cease fighting and return to their corner at the signaled end of each round.

A bout in which the predetermined number of rounds passes is decided by the judges, and is said to "go the distance". The fighter with the higher score at the end of the fight is ruled the winner. With three judges, unanimous and split decisions are possible, as are draws. A boxer may win the bout before a decision is reached through a knockout; such bouts are said to have ended "inside the distance". If a fighter is knocked down during the fight, determined by whether the boxer touches the canvas floor of the ring with any part of their body other than the feet as a result of the opponent's punch and not a slip, as determined by the referee, the referee begins counting until the fighter returns to his or her feet and can continue. Should the referee count to ten, then the knocked-down boxer is ruled "knocked out" (whether unconscious or not) and the other boxer is ruled the winner by knockout (KO). A "technical knockout" (TKO) is possible as well, and is ruled by the referee, fight doctor, or a fighter's corner if a fighter is unable to safely continue to fight, based upon injuries or being judged unable to effectively defend themselves. Many jurisdictions and sanctioning agencies also have a "three-knockdown rule", in which three knockdowns in a given round result in a TKO. A TKO is considered a knockout in a fighter's record. A "standing eight" count rule may also be in effect. This gives the referee the right to step in and administer a count of eight to a fighter that he feels may be in danger, even if no knockdown has taken place. After counting the referee will observe the fighter, and decide if he is fit to continue. For scoring purposes, a standing eight count is treated as a knockdown.

In general, boxers are prohibited from hitting below the belt, holding, tripping, pushing, biting, or spitting. The boxer's shorts are raised so the opponent is not allowed to hit to the groin area with intent to cause pain or injury. Failure to abide by the former may result in a foul or wallet slap. They also are prohibited from kicking, head-butting, or hitting with any part of the arm other than the knuckles of a closed fist (including hitting with the elbow, shoulder or forearm, as well as with open gloves, the wrist, the inside, back or side of the hand). They are prohibited as well from hitting the back, back of the neck or head (called a "rabbit-punch") or the kidneys. They are prohibited from holding the ropes for support when punching, holding an opponent while punching, or ducking below the belt of their opponent (dropping below the waist of your opponent, no matter the distance between). If a "clinch" – a defensive move in which a boxer wraps his or her opponents arms and holds on to create a pause – is broken by the referee, each fighter must take a full step back before punching again (alternatively, the referee may direct the fighters to "punch out" of the clinch). When a boxer is knocked down, the other boxer must immediately cease fighting and move to the furthest neutral corner of the ring until the referee has either ruled a knockout or called for the fight to continue.

Violations of these rules may be ruled "fouls" by the referee, who may issue warnings, deduct points, or disqualify an offending boxer, causing an automatic loss, depending on the seriousness and intentionality of the foul. An intentional foul that causes injury that prevents a fight from continuing usually causes the boxer who committed it to be disqualified. A fighter who suffers an accidental low-blow may be given up to five minutes to recover, after which they may be ruled knocked out if they are unable to continue. Accidental fouls that cause injury ending a bout may lead to a "no contest" result, or else cause the fight to go to a decision if enough rounds (typically four or more, or at least three in a four-round fight) have passed.

Unheard of these days, but common during the early 20th Century in North America, a "newspaper decision (NWS)" might be made after a no decision bout had ended. A "no decision" bout occurred when, by law or by pre-arrangement of the fighters, if both boxers were still standing at the fight's conclusion and there was no knockout, no official decision was rendered and neither boxer was declared the winner. But this did not prevent the pool of ringside newspaper reporters from declaring a consensus result among themselves and printing a newspaper decision in their publications. Officially, however, a "no decision" bout resulted in neither boxer winning or losing. Boxing historians sometimes use these unofficial newspaper decisions in compiling fight records for illustrative purposes only. Often, media outlets covering a match will personally score the match, and post their scores as an independent sentence in their report.

Professional vs. amateur boxing

Throughout the 17th through 19th centuries, boxing bouts were motivated by money, as the fighters competed for prize money, promoters controlled the gate, and spectators bet on the result. The modern Olympic movement revived interest in amateur sports, and amateur boxing became an Olympic sport in 1908. In their current form, Olympic and other amateur bouts are typically limited to three or four rounds, scoring is computed by points based on the number of clean blows landed, regardless of impact, and fighters wear protective headgear, reducing the number of injuries, knockdowns, and knockouts. Currently scoring blows in amateur boxing are subjectively counted by ringside judges, but the Australian Institute for Sport has demonstrated a prototype of an Automated Boxing Scoring System, which introduces scoring objectivity, improves safety, and arguably makes the sport more interesting to spectators. Professional boxing remains by far the most popular form of the sport globally, though amateur boxing is dominant in Cuba and some former Soviet republics. For most fighters, an amateur career, especially at the Olympics, serves to develop skills and gain experience in preparation for a professional career.

Amateur boxing

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Amateur boxing may be found at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, and in many other venues sanctioned by amateur boxing associations. Amateur boxing has a point scoring system that measures the number of clean blows landed rather than physical damage. Bouts consist of three rounds of three minutes in the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, and three rounds of three minutes in a national ABA (Amateur Boxing Association) bout, each with a one-minute interval between rounds.

Competitors wear protective headgear and gloves with a white strip across the knuckle. A punch is considered a scoring punch only when the boxers connect with the white portion of the gloves. Each punch that lands cleanly on the head or torso with sufficient force is awarded a point. A referee monitors the fight to ensure that competitors use only legal blows. A belt worn over the torso represents the lower limit of punches – any boxer repeatedly landing low blows (below the belt) is disqualified. Referees also ensure that the boxers don't use holding tactics to prevent the opponent from swinging. If this occurs, the referee separates the opponents and orders them to continue boxing. Repeated holding can result in a boxer being penalized or ultimately disqualified. Referees will stop the bout if a boxer is seriously injured, if one boxer is significantly dominating the other or if the score is severely imbalanced. Amateur bouts which end this way may be noted as "RSC" (referee stopped contest) with notations for an outclassed opponent (RSCO), outscored opponent (RSCOS), injury (RSCI) or head injury (RSCH).

Professional boxing

Professional bouts are usually much longer than amateur bouts, typically ranging from ten to twelve rounds, though four round fights are common for less experienced fighters or club fighters. There are also some two- and three-round professional bouts, especially in Australia. Through the early twentieth century, it was common for fights to have unlimited rounds, ending only when one fighter quit, benefiting high-energy fighters like Jack Dempsey. Fifteen rounds remained the internationally recognized limit for championship fights for most of the twentieth century until the early 1980s, when the death of boxer Duk Koo Kim reduced the limit to twelve.

Headgear is not permitted in professional bouts, and boxers are generally allowed to take much more punishment before a fight is halted. At any time, however, the referee may stop the contest if he believes that one participant cannot defend himself due to injury. In that case, the other participant is awarded a technical knockout win. A technical knockout would also be awarded if a fighter lands a punch that opens a cut on the opponent, and the opponent is later deemed not fit to continue by a doctor because of the cut. For this reason, fighters often employ cutmen, whose job is to treat cuts between rounds so that the boxer is able to continue despite the cut. If a boxer simply quits fighting, or if his corner stops the fight, then the winning boxer is also awarded a technical knockout victory. In contrast with amateur boxing, professional male boxers have to be bare chested.

Boxing styles

Definition of Style

"Style" is often defined as the strategic approach a fighter takes during a bout. No two fighters' styles are alike, as it is determined by that individual's physical and mental attributes.

Boxer/out-fighter

A classic "boxer" or stylist (also known as an "out-fighter") seeks to maintain distance between himself and his opponent, fighting with faster, longer range punches, most notably the jab, and gradually wearing his opponent down. Due to this reliance on weaker punches, out-fighters tend to win by point decisions rather than by knockout, though some out-fighters have notable knockout records. They are often regarded as the best boxing strategists due to their ability to control the pace of the fight and lead their opponent, methodically wearing him down and exhibiting more skill and finesse than a brawler. Out-fighters need reach, hand speed, reflexes, and footwork.

Notable out-fighters include Muhammad Ali, Salvador Sanchez, Gene Tunney, Ezzard Charles, Willie Pep, Meldrick Taylor, Ricardo Lopez, Larry Holmes, Roy Jones, Jr., Joe Calzaghe, and Sugar Ray Leonard. This style was also used by fictional boxer Apollo Creed.

Boxer-puncher

A boxer-puncher is a well-rounded boxer who is able to fight at close range with a combination of technique and power, often with the ability to knock opponents out with a combination and in some instances a single shot. Their movement and tactics are similar to that of an out-fighter (although they are generally not as mobile as an out-fighter), but instead of winning by decision, they tend to wear their opponents down using combinations and then move in to score the knockout. A boxer must be well rounded to be effective using this style.

Notable punchers include Nonito Donaire, Sam Langford, Henry Armstrong, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Tony Zale, Archie Moore, Carlos Monzón Alexis Argüello, Erik Morales, Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko, Oscar de la Hoya, Terry Norris, James Toney, Marco Antonio Barrera, Manny Pacquiao, Thomas Hearns, Miguel Cotto and Victor Ortiz

Brawler/slugger

A brawler is a fighter who generally lacks finesse and footwork in the ring, but makes up for it through sheer punching power. Mainly Irish, Irish-American, Mexican, and Mexican-American boxers popularized this style. Many brawlers tend to lack mobility, preferring a less mobile, more stable platform and have difficulty pursuing fighters who are fast on their feet. They may also have a tendency to ignore combination punching in favour of continuous beat-downs with one hand and by throwing slower, more powerful single punches (such as hooks and uppercuts). Their slowness and predictable punching pattern (single punches with obvious leads) often leaves them open to counter punches, so successful brawlers must be able to absorb substantial amounts of punishment. A brawler's most important assets are power and chin (the ability to absorb punishment while remaining able to continue boxing). Examples of this style include Max Baer, Ray Mancini, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, David Tua, Arturo Gatti, "Irish" Micky Ward, Michael Katsidis, James Kirkland, and Ireland's John Duddy. This style of boxing was also used by fictional boxer Rocky Balboa.

Swarmers/in-fighter

In-fighters/swarmers (sometimes called "pressure fighters") attempt to stay close to an opponent, throwing intense flurries and combinations of hooks and uppercuts. A successful in-fighter often needs a good "chin" because swarming usually involves being hit with many jabs before they can maneuver inside where they are more effective. In-fighters operate best at close range because they are generally shorter and have less reach than their opponents and thus are more effective at a short distance where the longer arms of their opponents make punching awkward. However, several fighters tall for their division have been relatively adept at in-fighting as well as out-fighting. The essence of a swarmer is non-stop aggression. Many short in-fighters utilize their stature to their advantage, employing a bob-and-weave defense by bending at the waist to slip underneath or to the sides of incoming punches. Unlike blocking, causing an opponent to miss a punch disrupts his balance, permits forward movement past the opponent's extended arm and keeps the hands free to counter. A distinct advantage that in-fighters have is when throwing uppercuts where they can channel their entire bodyweight behind the punch; Mike Tyson was famous for throwing devastating uppercuts. Julio César Chávez was known for his hard "chin", punching power, body attack and the stalking of his opponents. Some in-fighters, like Mike Tyson, have been known for being notoriously hard to hit. The key to a swarmer is aggression, endurance, chin, and bobbing-and-weaving.

Notable in-fighters include Mike Tyson, Harry Greb, Jack Dempsey, Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier, Jake LaMotta, David Tua, Ricky Hatton and Julio César Chávez; this style was also used by fictional boxer Makunouchi Ippo.

Counter puncher

Counter punchers are slippery, defensive style fighters who often rely on their opponent's mistakes in order to gain the advantage whether it be on the score cards or more preferably a knockout. They use their well rounded defense to avoid or block shots and then immediately catch the opponent off guard with a well placed and timed punch. Thus, fighting against counter punchers requires constant feinting and never telegraphing a punch for the counter puncher to generate a good offense from. To be successful using this style they must have good reflexes, intelligence, punch accuracy, and good hand speed.

Notable counter punchers include Laszlo Papp, Jerry Quarry, Chris Byrd, Bernard Hopkins, Vitali Klitschko, James Toney, Marvin Hagler, Evander Holyfield, Juan Manuel Márquez, Humberto Soto, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., Roger Mayweather, Pernell Whitaker, and Max Schmeling.

Combinations of styles

All fighters have primary skills with which they feel most comfortable, but truly elite fighters are often able to incorporate auxiliary styles when presented with a particular challenge. For example, an out-fighter will sometimes plant his feet and counter punch, or a slugger may have the stamina to pressure fight with his power punches.

Style matchups

There is a generally accepted rule of thumb about the success each of these boxing styles has against the others. In general, an in-fighter has an advantage over an out-fighter, an out-fighter has an advantage over a puncher, and a puncher has an advantage over an in-fighter; these form a cycle with each style being stronger relative to one, and weaker relative to another, with none dominating, as in rock-paper-scissors. Naturally, many other factors, such as the skill level and training of the combatants, determine the outcome of a fight, but the widely held belief in this relationship among the styles is embodied in the cliché amongst boxing fans and writers that "styles make fights."

Brawlers tend to overcome swarmers or in-fighters because, in trying to get close to the slugger, the in-fighter will invariably have to walk straight into the guns of the much harder-hitting brawler, so, unless the former has a very good chin and the latter's stamina is poor, the brawler's superior power will carry the day. A famous example of this type of match-up advantage would be George Foreman's knockout victory over Joe Frazier. Although in-fighters struggle against heavy sluggers, they typically enjoy more success against out-fighters or boxers. Out-fighters prefer a slower fight, with some distance between themselves and the opponent. The in-fighter tries to close that gap and unleash furious flurries. On the inside, the out-fighter loses a lot of his combat effectiveness, because he cannot throw the hard punches. The in-fighter is generally successful in this case, due to his intensity in advancing on his opponent and his good agility, which makes him difficult to evade. For example, the swarming Joe Frazier, though easily dominated by the slugger George Foreman, was able to create many more problems for the boxer Muhammad Ali in their three fights. Joe Louis, after retirement, admitted that he hated being crowded, and that swarmers like untied/undefeated champ Rocky Marciano would have caused him style problems even in his prime.

The boxer or out-fighter tends to be most successful against a brawler, whose slow speed (both hand and foot) and poor technique makes him an easy target to hit for the faster out-fighter. The out-fighter's main concern is to stay alert, as the brawler only needs to land one good punch to finish the fight. If the out-fighter can avoid those power punches, he can often wear the brawler down with fast jabs, tiring him out. If he is successful enough, he may even apply extra pressure in the later rounds in an attempt to achieve a knockout. Most classic boxers, such as Muhammad Ali, enjoyed their best successes against sluggers.

An example of a style matchup was the historical fight of Julio César Chávez, a swarmer or in-fighter, against Meldrick Taylor, the boxer or out-fighter (see Chavez versus Taylor). The match was nicknamed "Thunder Meets Lightning" as an allusion to tremendous punching power of Chávez and blinding speed of Taylor. Chávez was the epitome of the "Mexican" style of boxing. He relentlessly stalked and closed in on the other fighter, ignoring whatever punishment he took for the chance to dish out his own at close range, particularly in the form of a crunching body attack that would either wear down his opponents until they collapsed in pain and exhaustion, or became too tired to defend as Chávez shifted his attack to the head and went for a knockout. During the fight, Taylor's brilliant hand and foot speed and boxing abilities gave him the early advantage, allowing him to begin building a large lead on points, but in the end, Chavez's punishment wore down Taylor and knocked him down with a tremendous right hand in the last round.

Equipment

Since boxing involves forceful, repetitive punching, precautions must be taken to prevent damage to bones in the hand. Most trainers do not allow boxers to train and spar without wrist wraps and boxing gloves. Hand wraps are used to secure the bones in the hand, and the gloves are used to protect the hands from blunt injury, allowing boxers to throw punches with more force than if they did not utilize them. Gloves have been required in competition since the late nineteenth century, though modern boxing gloves are much heavier than those worn by early twentieth-century fighters. Prior to a bout, both boxers agree upon the weight of gloves to be used in the bout, with the understanding that lighter gloves allow heavy punchers to inflict more damage. The brand of gloves can also affect the impact of punches, so this too is usually stipulated before a bout. A mouth guard is important to protect the teeth and gums from injury, and to cushion the jaw, resulting in a decreased chance of knockout.

Boxers practice their skills on two basic types of punching bags. A small, tear-drop-shaped "speed bag" is used to hone reflexes and repetitive punching skills, while a large cylindrical "heavy bag" filled with sand, a synthetic substitute, or water is used to practice power punching and body blows. In addition to these distinctive pieces of equipment, boxers also utilize sport-nonspecific training equipment to build strength, speed, agility, and stamina. Common training equipment includes free weights, rowing machines, jump rope, and medicine balls.

Technique

Stance

The modern boxing stance differs substantially from the typical boxing stances of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The modern stance has a more upright vertical-armed guard, as opposed to the more horizontal, knuckles-facing-forward guard adopted by early 20th century hook users such as Jack Johnson.

In a fully upright stance, the boxer stands with the legs shoulder-width apart and the rear foot a half-step in front of the lead man. Right-handed or orthodox boxers lead with the left foot and fist (for most penetration power). Both feet are parallel, and the right heel is off the ground. The lead (left) fist is held vertically about six inches in front of the face at eye level. The rear (right) fist is held beside the chin and the elbow tucked against the ribcage to protect the body. The chin is tucked into the chest to avoid punches to the jaw which commonly cause knock-outs and is often kept slightly offcenter. Wrists are slightly bent to avoid damage when punching and the elbows are kept tucked in to protect the ribcage. Some boxers fight from a crouch, leaning forward and keeping their feet closer together. The stance described is considered the "textbook" stance and fighters are encouraged to change it around once its been mastered as a base. Case in point, many fast fighters have their hands down and have almost exaggerated footwork, while brawlers or bully fighters tend to slowly stalk their opponents.

Left-handed or southpaw fighters use a mirror image of the orthodox stance, which can create problems for orthodox fighters unaccustomed to receiving jabs, hooks, or crosses from the opposite side. The southpaw stance, conversely, is vulnerable to a straight right hand.

North American fighters tend to favor a more balanced stance, facing the opponent almost squarely, while many European fighters stand with their torso turned more to the side. The positioning of the hands may also vary, as some fighters prefer to have both hands raised in front of the face, risking exposure to body shots.

Modern boxers can sometimes be seen tapping their cheeks or foreheads with their fists in order to remind themselves to keep their hands up (which becomes difficult during long bouts). Boxers are taught to push off with their feet in order to move effectively. Forward motion involves lifting the lead leg and pushing with the rear leg. Rearward motion involves lifting the rear leg and pushing with the lead leg. During lateral motion the leg in the direction of the movement moves first while the opposite leg provides the force needed to move the body.

Punches

There are four basic punches in boxing: the jab, straight right/left hand, hook and uppercut. If a boxer is right-handed (orthodox), his left hand is the lead hand and his right hand is the rear hand. For a left-handed boxer or southpaw, the hand positions are reversed. For clarity, the following discussion will assume a right-handed boxer.

Jab – A quick, straight punch thrown with the lead hand from the guard position. The jab is accompanied by a small, clockwise rotation of the torso and hips, while the fist rotates 90 degrees, becoming horizontal upon impact. As the punch reaches full extension, the lead shoulder can be brought up to guard the chin. The rear hand remains next to the face to guard the jaw. After making contact with the target, the lead hand is retracted quickly to resume a guard position in front of the face. The jab is recognised as the most important punch in a boxer's arsenal because it provides a fair amount of its own cover and it leaves the least amount of space for a counter punch from the opponent. It has the longest reach of any punch and does not require commitment or large weight transfers. Due to its relatively weak power, the jab is often used as a tool to gauge distances, probe an opponent's defenses, harass an opponent, and set up heavier, more powerful punches. A half-step may be added, moving the entire body into the punch, for additional power. Some notable boxers who have been able to develop relative power in their jabs and use it to punish or 'wear down' their opponents to some effect include Larry Holmes and Wladimir Klitschko.

Cross – A powerful, straight punch thrown with the rear hand. From the guard position, the rear hand is thrown from the chin, crossing the body and traveling towards the target in a straight line. The rear shoulder is thrust forward and finishes just touching the outside of the chin. At the same time, the lead hand is retracted and tucked against the face to protect the inside of the chin. For additional power, the torso and hips are rotated counter-clockwise as the cross is thrown. Weight is also transferred from the rear foot to the lead foot, resulting in the rear heel turning outwards as it acts as a fulcrum for the transfer of weight. Body rotation and the sudden weight transfer is what gives the cross its power. Like the jab, a half-step forward may be added. After the cross is thrown, the hand is retracted quickly and the guard position resumed. It can be used to counter punch a jab, aiming for the opponent's head (or a counter to a cross aimed at the body) or to set up a hook. The cross can also follow a jab, creating the classic "one-two" combination. The cross is also called a "straight" or "right", especially if it does not cross the opponent's outstretched jab.

Hook – A semi-circular punch thrown with the lead hand to the side of the opponent's head. From the guard position, the elbow is drawn back with a horizontal fist (knuckles pointing forward) and the elbow bent. The rear hand is tucked firmly against the jaw to protect the chin. The torso and hips are rotated clockwise, propelling the fist through a tight, clockwise arc across the front of the body and connecting with the target. At the same time, the lead foot pivots clockwise, turning the left heel outwards. Upon contact, the hook's circular path ends abruptly and the lead hand is pulled quickly back into the guard position. A hook may also target the lower body and this technique is sometimes called the "rip" to distinguish it from the conventional hook to the head. The hook may also be thrown with the rear hand. Notable left hookers include: Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, and caydos

Uppercut – A vertical, rising punch thrown with the rear hand. From the guard position, the torso shifts slightly to the right, the rear hand drops below the level of the opponent's chest and the knees are bent slightly. From this position, the rear hand is thrust upwards in a rising arc towards the opponent's chin or torso. At the same time, the knees push upwards quickly and the torso and hips rotate anti-clockwise and the rear heel turns outward, mimicking the body movement of the cross. The strategic utility of the uppercut depends on its ability to "lift" the opponent's body, setting it off-balance for successive attacks. The right uppercut followed by a left hook is a deadly combination employing the uppercut to lift the opponent's chin into a vulnerable position, then the hook to knock the opponent out.

These different punch types can be thrown in rapid succession to form combinations or "combos". The most common is the jab and cross combination, nicknamed the "one-two combo". This is usually an effective combination, because the jab blocks the opponent's view of the cross, making it easier to land cleanly and forcefully.

A large, swinging circular punch starting from a cocked-back position with the arm at a longer extension than the hook and all of the fighter's weight behind it is sometimes referred to as a "roundhouse", "haymaker", or sucker-punch. Relying on body weight and centripetal force within a wide arc, the roundhouse can be a powerful blow, but it is often a wild and uncontrolled punch that leaves the fighter delivering it off balance and with an open guard. Wide, looping punches have the further disadvantage of taking more time to deliver, giving the opponent ample warning to react and counter. For this reason, the haymaker or roundhouse is not a conventional punch, and is regarded by trainers as a mark of poor technique or desperation. Sometimes it has been used, because of its immense potential power, to finish off an already staggering opponent who seems unable or unlikely to take advantage of the poor position it leaves the puncher in.

Another unconventional punch is the rarely used Bolo punch, in which the opponent swings an arm out several times in a wide arc, usually as a distraction, before delivering with either that or the other arm.

Defense

There are several basic maneuvers a boxer can use in order to evade or block punches, depicted and discussed below.

Slip – Slipping rotates the body slightly so that an incoming punch passes harmlessly next to the head. As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer sharply rotates the hips and shoulders. This turns the chin sideways and allows the punch to "slip" past. Muhammad Ali was famous for extremely fast and close slips, as was an early Mike Tyson.

Sway or fade – To anticipate a punch and move the upper body or head back so that it misses or has its force appreciably lessened. Also called "rolling with the punch" or " Riding The Punch".

Duck or break – To drop down with the back straight so that a punch aimed at the head glances or misses entirely.

Bob and weave – Bobbing moves the head laterally and beneath an incoming punch. As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer bends the legs quickly and simultaneously shifts the body either slightly right or left. Once the punch has been evaded, the boxer "weaves" back to an upright position, emerging on either the outside or inside of the opponent's still-extended arm. To move outside the opponent's extended arm is called "bobbing to the outside". To move inside the opponent's extended arm is called "bobbing to the inside". Joe Frazier, Jack Dempsey, Mike Tyson and Rocky Marciano were masters of bobbing and weaving.

Parry/block – Parrying or blocking uses the boxer's shoulder, hands or arms as defensive tools to protect against incoming attacks. A block generally receives a punch while a parry tends to deflect it. A "palm" or "cuff" is a block which intentionally takes the incoming punch on that portion of the defender's glove.

The cover-Up – Covering up is the last opportunity (other than rolling with a punch) to avoid an incoming strike to an unprotected face or body. Generally speaking, the hands are held high to protect the head and chin and the forearms are tucked against the torso to impede body shots. When protecting the body, the boxer rotates the hips and lets incoming punches "roll" off the guard. To protect the head, the boxer presses both fists against the front of the face with the forearms parallel and facing outwards. This type of guard is weak against attacks from below.

The clinch – Clinching is a form of trapping or a rough form of grappling and occurs when the distance between both fighters has closed and straight punches cannot be employed. In this situation, the boxer attempts to hold or "tie up" the opponent's hands so he is unable to throw hooks or uppercuts. To perform a clinch, the boxer loops both hands around the outside of the opponent's shoulders, scooping back under the forearms to grasp the opponent's arms tightly against his own body. In this position, the opponent's arms are pinned and cannot be used to attack. Clinching is a temporary match state and is quickly dissipated by the referee. Clinching is technically against the rules, and in amateur fights points are deducted fairly quickly for it. It is unlikely, however, to see points deducted for a clinch in professional boxing.

Guards

There are several defensive positions (guards or styles) used in boxing. Within each style, there is considerable variation among fighters, as some fighters may have their guard higher for more head protection while others have their guard lower to provide better protection against body punches. Many fighters vary their defensive style throughout a bout in order to adapt to the situation of the moment, choosing the position best suited to protect them.

Boxers who use an upright stance protect their chin with the rear hand in either the low or mixed guard styles depicted below. Crouch fighters tend to use the "peek-a-boo" style, discussed below.

Peek-a-boo – Sometimes known as the "poo", the hands are placed next to each other in front of the face (fighters tend to vary the exact positioning) and elbows are brought in tight to the body (this position can be achieved by bringing the elbows as close together while not straining yourself to do so). This defensive style is what a boxer is taught to do when he begins to box, after he gains experience he can decide to change or vary the guard. This style is middle-of-the-road style in terms of counterpunching and damage reduction. A boxer can counter punch from this stance, but it is difficult. However, there have been boxers who can do this very well. This defense covers up a fighter well, but there are holes. Hooks do damage by going around the hands and by hitting just behind the elbows. Winky Wright uses this style very well from a damage reduction stand point. Another famous example is Mike Tyson, who in his early career used the Peek-a-Boo with great success.

Cross-armed – The forearms are placed on top of each other horizontally in front of the face with the glove of one arm being on the top of the elbow of the other arm. This style is greatly varied when the back hand rises vertically. This style is the most effective for reducing head damage. The only head punch that a fighter is susceptible to is a jab to the top of the head. The body is open, but most fighters who use this style bend and lean to protect the body, but while upright and unaltered the body is there to be hit. This position is very difficult to counterpunch from, but virtually eliminates all head damage.

Philly Shell, hitman or crab – The lead arm is placed across the torso usually somewhere in between the belly button and chest and the lead hand rests on the opposite side of the fighter's torso. The back hand is placed on the side of the face. The lead shoulder is brought in tight against the side of the face. This style is used by fighters who like to counterpunch. To execute this guard a fighter must be very athletic and experienced. This style is so effective for counterpunching because it allows fighters to slip punches by rotating and dipping their upper body and causing blows to glance off the fighter. After the punch glances off, the fighter's back hand is in perfect position to hit his out-of-positioned opponent. The shoulder lean is used in this stance. To execute the shoulder lean a fighter rotates and ducks when his opponent's punch is coming towards him and then rotates back towards his opponent while his opponent is bringing his hand back. The fighter will throw a punch with his back hand as he is rotating towards his undefended opponent. The weakness to this style is that when a fighter is stationary and not rotating he is open to be hit, so a fighter must be athletic and well conditioned to effectively execute this style. To beat this style fighters like to jab their opponent's shoulder causing the shoulder and arm to be in pain and to demobilize that arm.

Boxers generally attempt to land high, fast combinations and then quickly shift position to avoid a possible response by their opponent. Strategically, the ring's centre is generally the desired position since a boxer is able to conserve movement by forcing the opponent to circle around them. When in the centre, the boxer is also less likely to be knocked backwards against the ropes surrounding the ring and cornered. Depending on the boxer's style, the centre is the desired location as cornering opponents is always a good strategy. Most fighters, though, will not move around the boxer in the center because doing so makes them vulnerable to shots thrown at good angles. Movement is the most important tool in the ring and allows the fighter to avoid punches that were not telegraphed. If a boxer is standing still, his opponent has a better chance of hitting him. A fighter anticipating a shot while stationary is less likely to be able to evade the shot than a fighter already in motion.

Less common strategies

The "rope-a-dope" strategy : Used by Muhammad Ali in his 1974 "the Rumble in the Jungle" bout against George Foreman, the rope-a-dope method involves lying back against the ropes, covering up defensively as much as possible and allowing the opponent to attempt numerous punches. The back-leaning posture, which does not cause the defending boxer to become as unbalanced as they would during normal backward movement, also maximizes the distance of the defender's head from his opponent, increasing the probability that punches will miss their intended target. Weathering the blows that do land, the defender lures the opponent into expending energy whilst conserving his/her own. If successful, the attacking opponent will eventually tire, creating defensive flaws which the boxer can exploit. In modern boxing, the rope-a-dope is generally discouraged since most opponents are not fooled by it and few boxers possess the physical toughness to withstand a prolonged, unanswered assault. Recently, however, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao skillfully used the strategy to gauge the power of welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto in November 2009. Pacquiao followed up the rope-a-dope gambit with a withering knockdown.

Bolo punch : Occasionally seen in Olympic boxing, the bolo is an arm punch which owes its power to the shortening of a circular arc rather than to transference of body weight; it tends to have more of an effect due to the surprise of the odd angle it lands at rather than the actual power of the punch. This is more of a gimmick than a technical maneuver; this punch is not taught, being on the same plane in boxing technicality as is the Ali shuffle. Nevertheless, a few professional boxers have used the bolo-punch to great effect, including former welterweight champions Sugar Ray Leonard, and Kid Gavilan. Middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia is regarded as the inventor of the bolo punch.

Overhand right : The overhand right is a punch not found in every boxer's arsenal. Unlike the right cross, which has a trajectory parallel to the ground, the overhand right has a looping circular arc as it is thrown over-the-shoulder with the palm facing away from the boxer. It is especially popular with smaller stature boxers trying to reach taller opponents. Boxers who have used this punch consistently and effectively include former heavyweight champions Rocky Marciano and Tim Witherspoon, as well as MMA champions Chuck Liddell and Fedor Emelianenko. The overhand right has become a popular weapon in other tournaments that involve fist striking.

Check hook : A check hook is employed to prevent aggressive boxers from lunging in. There are two parts to the check hook. The first part consists of a regular hook. The second, trickier part involves the footwork. As the opponent lunges in, the boxer should throw the hook and pivot on his left foot and swing his right foot 180 degrees around. If executed correctly, the aggressive boxer will lunge in and sail harmlessly past his opponent like a bull missing a matador. This is rarely seen in professional boxing as it requires a great disparity in skill level to execute. Technically speaking it has been said that there is no such thing as a check hook and that it is simply a hook applied to an opponent that has lurched forward and past his opponent who simply hooks him on the way past. Others have argued that the check hook exists but is an illegal punch due to it being a pivot punch which is illegal in the sport.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. employed the use of a check hook against Ricky Hatton, which sent Hatton flying head first into the corner post and being knocked down. Hatton managed to get himself to his feet after the knockdown but was clearly dazed and it was only a matter of moments before Mayweather landed a flurry of punches which sent Hatton crashing to the canvas, giving Mayweather a TKO victory in the 10th round and handing Hatton his first ever defeat. '''

The corner

In boxing, each fighter is given a corner of the ring where he rests in between rounds and where his trainers stand. Typically, three men stand in the corner besides the boxer himself; these are the trainer, the assistant trainer and the cutman. The trainer and assistant typically give advice to the boxer on what he is doing wrong as well as encouraging him if he is losing. The cutman is a cutaneous doctor responsible for keeping the boxer's face and eyes free of cuts and blood. This is of particular importance because many fights are stopped because of cuts that threaten the boxer's eyes.

In addition, the corner is responsible for stopping the fight if they feel their fighter is in grave danger of permanent injury. The corner will occasionally throw in a white towel to signify a boxer's surrender (the idiomatic phrase "to throw in the towel", meaning to give up, derives from this practice). This can be seen in the fight between Diego Corrales and Floyd Mayweather. In that fight, Corrales' corner surrendered despite Corrales' steadfast refusal.

Medical concerns

Knocking a person unconscious or even causing concussion may cause permanent brain damage. There is no clear division between the force required to knock a person out and the force likely to kill a person. Since 1980, more than 200 amateur boxers, professional boxers and Toughman fighters have died as the result of ring or training injuries. Thus, in 1983, the ''Journal of the American Medical Association'' called for a ban on boxing. The editor, Dr. George Lundberg, called boxing an "obscenity" that "should not be sanctioned by any civilized society." Since then, the British, Canadian and Australian Medical Associations also have called for bans on boxing.

Supporters of the ban state that boxing is the only sport where hurting the other athlete is the goal. Dr. Bill O'Neill, boxing spokesman for the British Medical Association, has supported the BMA's proposed ban on boxing: "It is the only sport where the intention is to inflict serious injury on your opponent, and we feel that we must have a total ban on boxing." In 2007, one study of amateur boxers showed that protective headgear did not prevent brain damage, and another found that amateur boxers faced a high risk of brain damage.

In 1997, the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians was established to create medical protocols through research and education to prevent injuries in boxing.

Professional boxing is forbidden in Norway, Iceland, Cuba, Iran and North Korea. It was banned in Sweden until 2007 when the ban was lifted but strict restrictions, including four three-minute rounds for fights, were imposed. It was banned in Albania from 1965 till the fall of Communism in 1991. Now it is still legal.

Boxing Hall of Fame

The sport of boxing has two internationally recognized boxing halls of fame; the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) and the World Boxing Hall of Fame (WBHF), with the IBHOF being the more widely recognized boxing hall of fame.

The WBHF was founded by Everett L. Sanders in 1980. Since its inception the WBHOF has never had a permanent location or museum, which has allowed the more recent IBHOF to garner more publicity and prestige. Among the notable names in the WBHF are Ricardo "Finito" Lopez, Gabriel "Flash" Elorde, Michael Carbajal, Khaosai Galaxy, Henry Armstrong, Jack Johnson, Roberto Durán, George Foreman, Ceferino Garcia,and Salvador Sanchez. Boxing's International Hall of Fame was inspired by a tribute an American town held for two local heroes in 1982. The town, Canastota, New York, (which is about east of Syracuse, via the New York State Thruway), honored former world welterweight/middleweight champion Carmen Basilio and his nephew, former world welterweight champion Billy Backus. The people of Canastota raised money for the tribute which inspired the idea of creating an official, annual hall of fame for notable boxers.

The International Boxing Hall of Fame opened in Canastota in 1989. The first inductees in 1990 included Jack Johnson, Benny Leonard, Jack Dempsey, Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, and Muhammad Ali. Other world-class figures include Salvador Sanchez, Roberto "Manos de Piedra" Durán, Ricardo Lopez, Gabriel "Flash" Elorde, Vicente Saldivar, Ismael Laguna, Eusebio Pedroza, Carlos Monzón, Azumah Nelson, Rocky Marciano, Pipino Cuevas and Ken Buchanan. The Hall of Fame's induction ceremony is held every June as part of a four-day event.

The fans who come to Canastota for the Induction Weekend are treated to a number of events, including scheduled autograph sessions, boxing exhibitions, a parade featuring past and present inductees, and the induction ceremony itself

Governing and sanctioning bodies

!Governing Body	!Website
British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC)	http://www.bbbofc.com/
	http://boxing.nv.gov/
European Boxing Union	http://www.boxebu.com/
!Sanctioning Body	!Website
World Boxing Association (W.B.A.)	http://www.wbaonline.com/
World Boxing Council (W.B.C.)	http://www.wbcboxing.com/
International Boxing Federation (I.B.F.)	http://www.ibf-usba-boxing.com/
World Boxing Organization (W.B.O.)	http://www.wbo-int.com/

See also

World Professional Boxing Federation

United States Boxing Council

Automated Boxing Scoring System

Boxing at the Summer Olympics

Boxing training

Weight class (boxing)

Helmet boxing

List of current world boxing champions

List of female boxers

List of Triple Champions of Boxing

List of Left-Handed Boxers

NCAA Boxing Championship

Purse bid

White Collar Boxing

Women's boxing

U.S. intercollegiate boxing champions

Upcoming Boxing Matches

Notes

References

''Accidents Take Lives of Young Alumni'' (July/August 2005). ''Illinois Alumni,'' 18(1), 47.

Death Under the Spotlight: The Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection

Fleischer, Nat, Sam Andre, Nigel Collins, Dan Rafael (2002). ''An Illustrated History of Boxing''. Citadel Press. ISBN 0-8065-2201-1

Fox, James A. (2001). ''Boxing''. Stewart, Tabori and Chang. ISBN 1-58479-133-0

Godfrey, John "Boxing" from ''Treatise Upon the Useful Science of Defense'', 1747

Gunn M, Ormerod D. The legality of boxing. Legal Studies. 1995;15:181.

Halbert, Christy (2003). ''The Ultimate Boxer: Understanding the Sport and Skills of Boxing''. Impact Seminars, Inc. ISBN 0-9630968-5-0

Hatmaker, Mark (2004). ''Boxing Mastery: Advanced Technique, Tactics, and Strategies from the Sweet Science''. Tracks Publishing. ISBN 1-884654-21-5

McIlvanney, Hugh (2001). ''The Hardest Game: McIlvanney on Boxing''. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 0-658-02154-0

Myler, Patrick (1997). ''A Century of Boxing Greats: Inside the Ring with the Hundred Best Boxers''. Robson Books (UK) / Parkwest Publications (US). ISBN 1-86105-258-8.

Price, Edmund ''The Science of Self Defense: A Treatise on Sparring and Wrestling'', 1867

Robert Anasi (2003). ''The Gloves: A Boxing Chronicle''. North Point Press. ISBN 0-86547-652-7

Schulberg, Budd (2007). ''Ringside: A Treasury of Boxing Reportage''. Ivan R. Dee. ISBN 1-56663-749-X

Silverman, Jeff (2004). ''The Greatest Boxing Stories Ever Told: Thirty-Six Incredible Tales from the Ring''. The Lyons Press. ISBN 1-59228-479-5

Scully, John ''Learn to Box with the Iceman''

U.S. Amateur Boxing Inc. (1994). ''Coaching Olympic Style Boxing''. Cooper Pub Group. 1-884-12525-5

A Pictoral History Of Boxing, Sam Andre and Nat Fleischer, Hamlyn, 1988, ISBN 0-600-50288-0

* Category:Combat sports Category:Sports originating in England Category:Individual sports Category:Olympic sports

af:Boks ang:Fȳstlāc ar:ملاكمة an:Boxeyo ast:Boxéu az:Boks bn:মুষ্টিযুদ্ধ zh-min-nan:Bo̍k-sèng be:Бокс be-x-old:Бокс bg:Бокс (спорт) bo:ཁུར་འཛིང་། bs:Boks ca:Boxa cs:Box sn:Tsiva cy:Paffio da:Boksning de:Boxen et:Poks el:Πυγμαχία es:Boxeo eo:Boksado eu:Boxeo fa:مشت‌زنی fo:Nevaleikur fr:Boxe anglaise fy:Bokse ga:Dornálaíocht gd:Dòrnaireachd gl:Boxeo ko:권투 hy:Բռնցքամարտ hi:मुक्केबाज़ी hr:Boks ilo:Boksingero id:Tinju iu:ᒥᖏᑎᑕᐅᑎᔪᖅ is:Hnefaleikar it:Pugilato he:איגרוף jv:Tinju kn:ಬಾಕ್ಸಿಂಗ್ ka:კრივი kk:Бокс ht:Bòks ky:Бокс lv:Bokss lt:Boksas hu:Ökölvívás mk:Бокс ml:ബോക്സിങ് mr:बॉक्सिंग ms:Tinju mwl:Boxe my:လက်ဝှေ့ထိုးခြင်း nah:Māīxnāmiquiliztli nl:Boksen ne:मुक्केबाजी ja:ボクシング no:Boksing oc:Bòxa anglesa uz:Boks pms:Bòcs nds:Boxen pl:Boks pt:Boxe ro:Box qu:Saqmanakuy ru:Бокс sah:Бокс sq:Boksi si:බොක්සිං simple:Boxing sk:Box (šport) sl:Boks sr:Бокс sh:Boks su:Tinju fi:Nyrkkeily sv:Boxning tl:Suntukan ta:குத்துச்சண்டை te:ముష్టి యుద్ధం th:มวยสากล tg:Бокс tr:Boks uk:Бокс ur:مکے بازی vi:Quyền Anh wuu:拳击 yi:באקס zh:拳击

Coordinates	28°36′50″N77°12′32″N
name	Tavoris Cloud
nationality	American
realname	Tavoris Karod Cloud
nickname	Thunder
weight	Light Heavyweight
height
birth date	January 10, 1982
birth place	Tallahassee, Florida, USA
home	Tallahassee, Florida, USA
style	Orthodox
total	22
wins	22
ko	18
losses	0
draws	0
no contests	0 }}

Tavoris Karod Cloud (born January 10, 1982) is an American professional boxer and a title holder in the light-heavyweight division.

Early life

In his Interview to ESPN, Tavoris Cloud explained about his childhood neighbourhood and claimed it was very rough. His house had 10-15 people in it and in a very poor environment. He also claimed that his family used a foot hole with Ice in it as a fridge. His mother Emma Smith also claimed that Tavoris declared when he was 15-16 that he was going to take care of this situation. Alonzo Johnson was his coach, who gave him a hand in training and took him on board. Tavoris has been training with Alonzo since his Amateur days. For the last five years, Al Bonanni has been training him for his fights.

Career

Cloud started boxing at 17 and had a 46-8 amateur record, representing his country at the 2000 U19 world championships. He lost the final of the 2002 US-championships to Curtis Stevens.

His record is 22-0 (18) including a KO of Aaron Williams conqueror Jose Luis Herrera.

On August 8, 2008, at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago, Cloud defeated former WBO light-heavyweight champion Julio César González by technical knockout in the tenth round in an IBF light heavyweight title eliminator. Cloud set the tempo of the fight early, hurting Gonzalez with a right cross in dominating the first round. It was more of the same in the next two rounds, although Gonzalez made the third round the most competitive. He kept the fight in the middle of the ring, but Cloud kept sending him back with uppercuts and left hooks. With González taking a beating for the majority of the fight, in round ten, the referee stopped the fight after Cloud landed a right hand.

Recent fights

Tavoris won the IBF light-heavyweight world title in an eliminator against durable Englishman Clinton Woods by way of a 12 round unanimous decision., after former champion Chad Dawson vacated the belt. The fight took place on August 28. Cloud threw well over 1000 punches in the fight which is well over the average for that weight division.

Cloud defeated Glen Johnson by unanimous decision on August 7, 2010.

Cloud faced the Columbian knockout artist Fulgencio Zuniga (24-5-1 (20 KO))for a title defense and earned a unanimous decision.

Following the Zuniga win, Cloud improved his record with another TKO decision over Yusuf Mack on the Alexander vs Matthysse undercard. The professional record of Cloud now stands at 22-0-0.

Professional boxing record

|align="center" colspan=8|22 Wins (18 knockouts, 4 decisions), 0 Losses (0 by knockout, 0 by decision), 0 Draws |- | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Res. | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rd | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location | align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes |-align=center | || align=left| Yusaf Mack | || 8 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Fulgencio Zuniga | || 12 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Glen Johnson | || 12 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Clinton Woods | || 12 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Julio Cesar Gonzalez | || 10 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Mike Wood | || 1 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Jacob Rodriguez | || 3 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Jose Luis Herrera | || 5 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Jim Strohl | || 1 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Aaron Norwood | || 2 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Douglas LaFontsee | || 4 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Tim Shocks | || 4 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Mitch Hicks | || 1 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Anthony Dennis | || 2 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Roosevelt Johnson | || 4 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Ron Krull | || 2 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Joseph Hill | || 3 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Reggie Strickland | || 4 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left| Ronald Moore | || 1 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Curtis Mullins | || 3 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Kevin Thompson | || 1 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Taryll Carpenter | || 1 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center | || align=left|Luis Reyes | ||3 || |align=left| |align=left| |-align=center

References

|-

External links

Article

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4430588

Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Light-heavyweight boxers Category:African American boxers Category:International Boxing Federation Champions Category:People from Tallahassee, Florida

de:Tavoris Cloud fr:Tavoris Cloud ja:タボリス・クラウド pl:Tavoris Cloud

Coordinates	28°36′50″N77°12′32″N
Name	Kelly Robert Pavlik
Nationality	American
Realname	Kelly Robert Pavlik
Nickname	The Ghost, The Express
Height	6 ft. 1 in.
Weight	MiddleweightSuper Middleweight
Reach
Birth date	April 05, 1982
Birth place	Youngstown, Ohio, USA
Style	Orthodox
Wins	37
Ko	32
Losses	2
Draws	0
Total	39 }}

Kelly Pavlik (born April 5, 1982) is an American professional boxer. He was the WBC and WBO Middleweight champion and lineal (Ring) champion from when he beat Jermain Taylor on September 29, 2007 until he lost his titles to Sergio Martinez on April 17, 2010.

Background and early life

Known as "The Ghost", Pavlik grew up on the south side of Youngstown, Ohio, in the traditional ethnic Slovak neighborhood of Lansingville He graduated from Lowellville High School and Mahoning County Joint Vocational School in 2000. Pavlik has been trained by Jack Loew of Youngstown's South Side Boxing Gym for his entire career. His loyalty to his neighborhood and his unassuming, unglamorous lifestyle have earned him praise inside and outside the world of boxing.

Amateur highlights

1998 National Jr. PAL amateur champion, 147 pounds

1998 National Jr. Golden Gloves amateur champion, 147 pounds

1999 U.S. National Under-19 amateur champion, 147 pounds

Professional career

Pavlik turned pro in 2000 and won his first 26 fights before stepping up in competition on October 7, 2005 to face Fulgencio Zúñiga for the vacant NABF middleweight title. Zúñiga scored a knockdown with a left hook in the first round, but Pavlik recovered quickly and dominated the rest of the fight. Zúñiga was cut over his right eye by a clash of heads, and his corner stopped the fight after the ninth round.

On July 7, 2006, Pavlik defeated former WBO junior middleweight champion Bronco McKart by sixth round TKO in his first defense of his NABF middleweight title. McKart scored a knockdown when both of Pavlik's gloves touched the canvas in the fourth round. Pavlik knocked McKart down twice in the sixth round before the referee stopped the fight.

Pavlik headlined in his hometown at the Covelli Centre on November 2, 2006 and put on a dominant performance against Lenord Pierre. Pavlik scored a knockdown with a right hand late in the first round, and rocked Pierre repeatedly in the second and third rounds. Pavlik knocked down Pierre again with a left hook in the fourth round and the referee stopped the fight.

On January 27, 2007, in Anaheim, California, Pavlik defeated Jose Luis Zertuche by eighth round knockout in his second and final defense of his NABF middleweight title. It was a fast-paced, exciting fight that concluded when Pavlik landed a right hand that froze Zertuche in his tracks and then landed an uppercut that dropped him face-first to the canvas.

Fight with Edison Miranda

Pavlik defeated Edison Miranda on May 19, 2007, by TKO in the seventh round. The fight was a WBC eliminator bout. This fight established him as the #1 middleweight contender. During the sixth round, Pavlik knocked Miranda down to the canvas twice. After the first knock down, Miranda spat out his mouthpiece, causing referee Steve Smoger to deduct a point. As the sixth round ended, Miranda seemed unable to continue, but came out nonetheless. In the seventh round, Pavlik trapped Miranda in a corner with a barrage of vicious shots, forcing Smoger to stop the fight.

Bouts with Jermain Taylor

In Atlantic City, New Jersey, in front of a pro-Pavlik crowd (approximately 6,231 Youngstown natives made the trip), Pavlik defeated Jermain Taylor on September 29, 2007. In the pre-fight build-up, Taylor's trainer Emmanuel Steward went on record as calling Pavlik "overrated" and promising a knockout win for his boxer. It nearly happened, as Pavlik was knocked down in the second round and tossed about the ring for much of that round. However, using his reach advantage and ability to trap opponents in the corner, Pavlik slowly turned the tide on Taylor. By the sixth round, many at ringside such as HBO commentator Larry Merchant saw the fight even. HBO's unofficial scorer Harold Lederman even had Pavlik leading the fight at the halfway point. Despite this, he was trailing on all three official scorecards. In the seventh round, Pavlik stunned his opponent with a clean left hook to the chin and backed him against the ropes knocking Taylor out with a barrage of punches. With the victory, Pavlik became ''The Ring'', WBC, and WBO middleweight champion. After the fight with Taylor, Pavlik and his father, Mike Pavlik Sr., accidentally left their paychecks in their hotel room. He was subsequently named The Boxing Times Fighter of the Year in 2007.

This fight was named Fight of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

After the defeat, Taylor activated his clause for a non-title rematch, which was held on February 16 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with both fighter weighing-in at super middleweight. Pavlik won the fight by unanimous decision (117-111, 116-112, 115-113), handing Taylor his second defeat.

Kelly Pavlik vs. Gary Lockett

Pavlik made his first title defense of the Middleweight Crown against WBO #1 mandatory challenger Gary Lockett on June 7, 2008, at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Pavlik defeated Lockett by third round TKO after Enzo Calzaghe, Lockett's trainer, threw in the towel after Lockett was down for the third time in the fight.

Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins

In a HBO PPV non-title bout on October 18, 2008, 43 year-old Bernard Hopkins ( 49-5-1 with 32 KO's) won a unanimous decision over Pavlik. Hopkins and Pavlik fought at the higher light heavyweight limit in a twelve-round non-title bout. Hopkins dominated the whole fight with multiple punch combinations, good defense and movement. Both fighters fought after the bell, and needed to be separated by their corners.

Kelly Pavlik vs Marco Rubio

On February 21, 2009, his first bout after his humiliating defeat to Hopkins, Pavlik defeated Marco Antonio Rubio (WBC #1 contender) in his hometown of Youngstown, Ohio at the Chevy Centre by ninth round technical knockout. Pavlik dominated the fight, forcing Rubio's corner to concede the bout prior to the start of the tenth round.

Kelly Pavlik vs Miguel Espino

Pavlik fought Contender alum Miguel Espino on December 19, 2009 at the Beeghly Center on the campus of Youngstown State University and won with a fifth-round TKO.

Kelly Pavlik vs Sergio Martinez

Following his win over Miguel Espino, Pavlik was set to fight Paul Williams. However, due to a major staph infection and an allergic reaction to some antibiotics that nearly killed him, Pavlik was forced to drop out of the fight. He was eventually able to fight again against the junior middleweight champion Sergio Martinez.

On April 17, 2010, Kelly Pavlik attempted to defend his middleweight title for the fourth time against junior middleweight champion, Sergio Martinez in Atlantic City, NJ. The fight was for Pavlik's WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine Middleweight titles. Pavlik was defeated by Martinez by a unanimous 12-round decision.

Martínez controlled the early rounds with quick in and out movements, refusing to heavily engage with Pavlik. Martínez managed to cut Pavlik's left eyebrow in the first round. Pavlik then started to mount a comeback in the middle rounds by blocking Martínez's punches more effectively. Pavlik spent most of his time headhunting trying to land a hard right, which did help Pavlik get a knockdown in the seventh round. In the late rounds Martínez came back and started to open up Pavlik's cuts more, making his face extremely bloody. In the post fight interview Pavlik said he could not see due to the blood.

Rehab and Return

Pavlik was set to move up the super middleweight division and fight Brian Vera, as the co-main event to Manny Pacquiao vs. Antonio Margarito on November 13, 2010. However roughly two weeks before the fight Pavlik suffered a rib injury and had to pull out of the fight. He then checked himself into the Betty Ford Center for alcohol rehabilitation. Pavlik then fought Alfonso López III in the main card of Manny Pacquiao vs. Shane Mosley. He went on to win via majority decision (95-95, 98-92, 99-91).

Professional record

|- |align="center" colspan=8|37 Wins (32 knockouts), 2 Losses, 0 Draws |- |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Result |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Record |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Opponent |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Type |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Rd., Time |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Date |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Location |align=center style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3"|Notes |-align=center |Win |37–2 |align=left| Alfonso Lopez || MD || 10 |2011-05-07 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |36–2 |align=left| ||UD || 12 |2010-04-17 || align=left| Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |-align=center |Win |36–1 |align=left| Miguel Espino |TKO || 5 , 1:44 |2009-12-19 || align=left| Youngstown, Ohio |align=left| |-align=center |Win |35–1 |align=left| Marco Antonio Rubio |RTD || 9 |2009-02-21 || align=left| Youngstown, Ohio |align=left| |-align=center |Loss |34–1 |align=left| Bernard Hopkins |UD || 12 |2008-10-18 || align=left| Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |-align=center |Win |34–0 |align=left| Gary Lockett |TKO || 3 , 1:40 |2008-06-07 || align=left| Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |-align=center |Win |33–0 |align=left| Jermain Taylor |UD || 12 |2008-02-16 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |32–0 |align=left| Jermain Taylor |TKO || 7 , 2:14 |2007-09-29 || align=left| Atlantic City, New Jersey |align=left| |-align=center |Win |31–0 |align=left| Edison Miranda |TKO || 7 , 1:54 |2007-05-19 || align=left| Memphis, Tennessee |align=left| |-align=center |Win |30–0 |align=left| Jose Luis Zertuche |KO || 8 , 1:40 |2007-01-27 || align=left| Anaheim, California |align=left| |-align=center |Win |29–0 |align=left| Lenord Pierre |TKO || 4 , 0:46 |2006-11-02 || align=left| Youngstown, Ohio |align=left| |-align=center |Win |28–0 |align=left| Bronco McKart |TKO || 6 , 2:45 |2006-07-27 || align=left| Uncasville, Connecticut |align=left| |-align=center |Win |27–0 |align=left| Fulgencio Zúñiga |TKO || 9 , 3:00 |2005-10-07 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |26–0 |align=left| Vincent Harris |TKO || 2 , 2:19 |2005-08-26 || align=left| Houston, Texas |align=left| |-align=center |Win |25–0 |align=left| Daniel Neal |TKO || 1 , 1:49 |2005-06-10 || align=left| Chicago, Illinois |align=left| |-align=center |Win |24–0 |align=left| Dorian Beaupierre |TKO || 2 , 2:35 |2005-03-04 || align=left| Choctaw, Mississippi |align=left| |-align=center |Win |23–0 |align=left| Ross Thompson |UD || 8 |2004-11-27 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |22–0 |align=left| Carlton Holland |KO || 2 , 2:59 |2004-09-18 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |21–0 |align=left| Pedro Ortega |TKO || 6 , ?:?? |2004-07-02 || align=left| Struthers, Ohio |align=left| |-align=center |Win |20–0 |align=left| Roberto Baro |KO || 2 , 2:16 |2004-03-26 || align=left| Phoenix, Arizona |align=left| |-align=center |Win |19–0 |align=left| Anthony Ivory |UD || 8 |2004-01-23 || align=left| Kansas City, Missouri |align=left| |-align=center |Win |18–0 |align=left| Rico Cason |KO || 2 , 2:02 |2003-07-01 || align=left| Niles, Ohio |align=left| |-align=center |Win |17–0 |align=left| Cesar Avila |TKO || 6 , 2:00 |2003-03-22 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |16–0 |align=left| Eduardo Gutierrez |TKO || 2 , 2:59 |2003-02-08 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |15–0 |align=left| Edson Madrid |UD || 6 |2002-09-14 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |14–0 |align=left| Abel Hernandez |TKO || 1 , 2:54 |2002-07-30 || align=left| Concho, Oklahoma |align=left| |-align=center |Win |13–0 |align=left| Eric Olds |KO || 1 , 2:45 |2002-06-21 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |12–0 |align=left| Robert Dasoyan |KO || 2 , 2:15 |2002-02-23 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |11–0 |align=left| Rob Bleakley |KO || 2 , 1:56 |2001-11-21 || align=left| Youngstown, Ohio |align=left| |-align=center |Win |10–0 |align=left| Mario Lopez |TKO || 2 , 1:42 |2001-08-04 || align=left| Las Vegas, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |9–0 |align=left| Grady Brewer |TKO || 2 , 2:48 |2001-06-08 || align=left| Baraboo, Wisconsin |align=left| |-align=center |Win |8–0 |align=left| Tommy Walker |TKO || 1 , 2:46 |2001-03-23 || align=left| Owensboro, Kentucky |align=left| |-align=center |Win |7–0 |align=left| Mathias Bedburdick |TKO || 3 , 2:43 |2001-02-04 || align=left| Concho, Oklahoma |align=left| |-align=center |Win |6–0 |align=left| Cedric Johnson |TKO || 2 , 1:54 |2000-12-15 || align=left| Madison, Wisconsin |align=left| |-align=center |Win |5–0 |align=left| Lafayette Randolph |TKO || 2 , 1:48 |2000-11-17 || align=left| Reno, Nevada |align=left| |-align=center |Win |4–0 |align=left| Anthony Collier |TKO || 1 , ?:?? |2000-10-15 || align=left| Nashville, Tennessee |align=left| |-align=center |Win |3–0 |align=left| Frankie Sanchez |TKO || 1 , 1:59 |2000-09-15 || align=left| Denver, Colorado |align=left| |-align=center |Win |2–0 |align=left| Nelson Hernandez |TKO || 1 , ?:?? |2000-08-05 || align=left| Madison, Wisconsin |align=left| |-align=center |Win |1–0 |align=left| Eric Benito Tzand |TKO || 3 , ?:?? |2000-06-16 || align=left| Indio, California |align=left|

See also

List of current world boxing champions

List of The Ring world champions

List of WBC world champions

List of WBO world champions

References

External links

bio - file profile interview with Kelly Pavlik

Kelly Pavlik fight-by-fight career record

Kelly Pavlik Coverage from The Vindicator

Official Web-Site of Kelly "The Ghost" Pavlik

Pavlik Taylor ringside report & photos

HBO Boxing bio

Boxing-Encyclopedia

Category:1982 births Category:American boxers Category:American people of Slovak descent Category:Living people Category:People from Youngstown, Ohio Category:World Boxing Council Champions Category:World Boxing Organization Champions

de:Kelly Pavlik es:Kelly Pavlik fr:Kelly Pavlik ja:ケリー・パブリク pl:Kelly Pavlik ru:Павлик, Келли fi:Kelly Pavlik

Coordinates	28°36′50″N77°12′32″N
Name	Wladimir Klitschko
Realname	Volodymyr Volodymyrovych Klychko
Nickname	Dr. Steelhammer
Height
Reach
Weight	Heavyweight
Nationality	Ukrainian
Birth date	March 25, 1976
Birth place	Semipalatinsk, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union
Style	Orthodox
Total	59
Wins	56
Ko	49
Losses	3
Losses by ko	3
Draws	0
No contests	0 }}

}}

Wladimir Klitschko (born 25 March 1976) is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO & ''Ring Magazine'' Heavyweight Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC Heavyweight Champion. Klitschko is the longest reigning Heavyweight Champion in history for the IBF, WBO & IBO heavyweight titles, both in measurements of defenses and time & the 7th longest reigning heavyweight champion of all time. As of 2011, ''Boxrec'' rates Klitschko as the number 2 pound-for-pound in the world. ''Ring Magazine'' currently rates Klitschko as the number six pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Since 2005, Klitschko has been the dominant force in the heavyweight division, defeating a majority of the top heavyweights in the rankings. When Klitschko won the IBF title against Chris Byrd there were four separate heavyweight champions. Since then he has unified the IBF, IBO, WBO & WBA belts and defeated the WBA champion in recess. Following his win over Ruslan Chagaev, Klitschko was awarded the vacant Ring Magazine Heavyweight Title. He works behind a strong left jab and possesses one of the strongest right crosses in boxing. Klitschko is a safety first fighter; however, he tends to methodically break down his opponents over a series of rounds. Emanuel Steward, Klitschko's trainer, has also pointed out that Klitschko's ability to hurt opponents late on in fights (Tony Thompson, Samuel Peter, etc.) is a sign of his power. He has gone on to say that he feels Klitschko is one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history.

Early life

Klitschko was born in Semipalatinsk (now Semey, Kazakhstan). Though a celebrity in his former adopted home of Germany, he moved with his older brother Vitali to Beverly Hills, California, USA, in 2004. Their father, Vladimir Rodionovich Klitschko (1947–2011), was a Soviet Air Force major general and a military attaché of Ukraine in Germany. He was also one of the commanders in charge of cleaning up the effects of the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and was afterward diagnosed with cancer. Their mother is Nadezhda Ulyanovna.

In the summer of 1996, Klitschko finished Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky Pedagogical Institute (Ukraine) and was accepted in the postgraduate study program of Kiev University. On 18 January 2001 in a conference hall of Kiev University of physical science and sports, Klitschko presented his doctoral dissertation and was awarded a PhD in Sports Science. Klitschko speaks five languages: Ukrainian, Russian, Polish, German and English. At the beginning of his professional career, he began using the German transliteration of his name, ''Wladimir''.

Amateur career

In 1993, Klitschko won the Junior European Championships as a heavyweight. In 1994, he received 2nd place at the Junior World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. In 1995, he won the gold medal at the Military Championships in Ariccia, Italy, defeating Luan Krasniqi, who he had lost to in the third round of the World Championships in Berlin, Germany earlier that year. In 1996, he captured 2nd place as a Super Heavyweight at the European Championships in Vejle, Denmark. He had an amateur record of 134–6.

Known as "The Steel Hammer," Klitschko first achieved world attention at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He defeated Paea Wolfgramm to win the Super-Heavyweight gold medal. He is now announced as "Dr. Steel Hammer," a name more in the vein of his brother, Vitali, who goes by "Dr. Ironfist."

Professional career

Klitschko turned professional with Universum Box-Promotion in Hamburg under the tutelage of Fritz Sdunek.

He suffered his first setback after 24 bouts without a loss to journeyman Ross Puritty, who entered the bout with a record of 24–13–1. Wladimir Klitschko's coach, Fritz Sdunek, jumped into the ring and stopped the fight.

First world title

On 14 October 2000, in Cologne's Kölnarena (Germany), Klitschko won the WBO Heavyweight Championship from American Chris Byrd. Byrd had previously upset his elder brother Vitali (who pulled out injured during their bout). After five successful defenses of the WBO belt, Klitschko suffered an upset loss to Corrie Sanders. Sanders battered Klitschko for two rounds knocking him out on 8 March 2003, in Hannover, Germany.

Third loss

After winning two minor bouts in Germany and enlisting the services of legendary boxing trainer Emmanuel Steward, Klitschko again fought for the vacated WBO title on 10 April 2004, in Las Vegas, against Lamon Brewster. Klitschko sent Brewster to the canvas in the fourth round; however, things turned around in the fifth when Brewster's punches began backing him up. Not defending himself and leaning into ropes for support, Klitschko took a standing eight count. On unsteady legs, Klitschko went to his knees after the bell and the referee stopped the fight for his safety.

Return to form

Following his loss to Brewster, Klitschko began his journey back towards the top of the heavyweight division. First, he defeated DaVarryl Williamson by technical decision. The fight was stopped due to a Klitschko cut caused by an accidental headbutt. He then knocked out undefeated Eliseo Castillo. Klitschko then signed to fight undefeated power puncher Samuel Peter in an IBF eliminator. The much anticipated bout proved to be hugely entertaining. It went some way towards redeeming Klitschko in the heavyweight division. Though Peter scored three knockdowns (two in round 5, one in round 10) Klitschko withstood the Nigerian's power and went on to dominate for long periods. He even rocked Peter in the final round. The win against Peter showed that Klitschko was capable of defeating power punchers.

IBF Champion

On 22 April 2006, in Mannheim, Germany, Klitschko again defeated Chris Byrd, this time by technical knockout, in a contest for the IBF & IBO Heavyweight Championship. Referee Wayne Kelly stopped the fight in the seventh round after a knockdown—Byrd beat the count, but his face was battered and bloody, and the fight was waved off. Klitschko then defeated mandatory challenger Ray Austin on 10 March 2007, at the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany by a second-round knockout with four consecutive left hooks to Austin's head. Klitschko did not use his right hand once during the fight, doing all his work with his left jab and left hook. Klitschko then avenged one of his previous losses as he defeated Lamon Brewster on 7 July 2007, in Cologne, Germany. Brewster's corner asked the referee to stop the fight at the end of the sixth round. It was later revealed that Klitschko fought most of the fight with a broken middle finger on his left hand.

Klitschko vs Ibragimov Unification

Klitschko defeated WBO Heavyweight Champion Sultan Ibragimov at Madison Square Garden in New York City on 23 February 2008 to unify the IBF, IBO & WBO heavyweight titles. The Klitschko-Ibragimov fight was the first heavyweight unification since Holyfield-Lewis in 1999. The unification clash with Ibragimov proved to be a huge disappointment for fans. Klitschko was very dominant from the first bell. He backed Ibragimov into a corner and proceeded to push down Ibragimov's glove with his left hand so he could not throw a punch. Though Klitschko won every single round the crowd in New York began booing after the second round. The boos and jeers increased as the fight progressed in the same fashion. Ibragimov's corner was almost silent from the sixth round onwards unable to give their man any meaningful advice.

On 12 July 2008, at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg, Klitschko defeated Tony Thompson by eleventh round knockout.

Klitschko was scheduled to defend his titles against Alexander Povetkin later in 2008, but on 25 October, Povetkin withdrew from the fight due to an ankle injury. Instead, Klitschko faced Hasim Rahman on 13 December 2008 and won by TKO. This was the third time Klitschko fought at the SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany. He dominated the fight, winning every round while making good use of his left jab. From the first bell the difference in physical strength was profound. Rahman seemed unable to withstand Klitschko's punch power. The referee finally called a stop to the one-sided contest in the 7th round after Rahman failed to respond to a series of good shots.

Klitschko vs. Chagaev

Klitschko was scheduled to face David Haye who pulled out within weeks of the fight complaining of a back injury. Salvaging the 20 June 2009 date and venue, Klitschko instead retained the IBF, WBO, IBO heavyweight titles and also won the vacant Ring Magazine heavyweight title by defeating replacement opponent and Ring #3 ranked Ruslan Chagaev when Chagaev retired after an onslaught of punches towards the end of the ninth round. As Chagaev was WBA champion in recess, the title was not on the line. Klitschko's win over Chagaev was seen as one of his most impressive performances in the ring. He controlled the tempo of the fight from the very beginning and hit Chagaev at will with the jab. He hit Chagaev with several hard right crosses and never allowed him to build momentum. Towards the end of the second round Klitschko caught Chagaev off balance and sent him to the canvas. Chagaev recovered but was dominated thereafter. This win had added significance because even though the WBA title was not on the line, many saw Klitschko as the rightful champion.

Klitschko vs. Chambers

On 9 December 2009, Klitschko's management group, K2 Promotions confirmed that a bout with Eddie Chambers has been agreed to take place in Germany on 20 March 2010. This mandatory title defense, originally scheduled for December 2009 had to be delayed due to a hand injury that Klitschko sustained in training that required surgery.

Klitschko defeated Chambers by knockout five seconds before the end of the final round. He was criticized between rounds by his trainer Emanuel Steward for not fighting aggressively enough despite having won all prior rounds and Chambers only fighting back weakly. Klitschko began punching more often during the final round than he had done before which eventually led to his left hook hitting Chambers to the forehead. The punch made Chambers fall forwards and lost consciousness for an extended period of time. The referee stepped in and called an end to the contest instantly.

Klitschko vs. Peter II

Following the match with Chambers, a unification fight between Klitschko and David Haye, who as of May 2009 held the WBA title, appeared to be in the offing. Klitschko called out the Briton on YouTube in April 2010, stating, "I want to send this message to boxing fans and directly to David Haye. David, you've bitched out on fighting both Klitschko brothers twice already and now's the time to make it happen. On behalf of the boxing fans around the world, I am officially calling you out to fight me. You can't run away from me forever and you need to follow through with this fight if you want to be respected. I'm ready. What're you waiting for?". Haye's trainer Adam Booth has indicated that Haye would be willing to accept the challenge. Both sides began negotiations for a potential fight and the bout was targeted for September. As the negotiations continued to move forward, the unification fight between Klitschko and Haye was expected to take place in Germany rather than England. The IBF set a deadline to end negotiations on 17 May. A few days before the 17 May deadline to make the unification bout, Haye said he was interested in fighting the older Klitschko, Vitali, rather than Vladimir.

The fight did not materialise and Klitschko took on mandatory challenger Alexander Povetkin. On 17 May 2010, the 30-day period of negotiation began for Klitschko to defend his championship against Povetkin. Within this period, discussions to make a fight with Haye were still ongoing. At first, the bout between Klitschko and Povetkin was tentatively scheduled to take place in Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany, on 11 September 2010. In July 2010, it was confirmed that the bout would be taking place in Frankfurt. However, Povetkin, under trainer Teddy Atlas, backed out of the $2 million purse fight. Samuel Peter replaced Povetkin for the scheduled fight. Peter fought Klitschko on 11 September 2010, for the Ukrainian's IBF, WBO & IBO heavyweight titles. Klitschko won again, by knocking out Peter in the 10th round. Peter weighed in at 241 pounds, two pounds lighter than their first fight. Klitschko came in at a career heavy of 247 pounds. Both fighters had promised knockouts in the pre-fight build up. Peter started the fight very aggressively and caught Klitschko with a good left hook in the opening minute although Klitschko ended the round well. Peter was caught with three hard right-hands in the second round, one of which seemed to stun him. Peter tried to duck under the Klitschko jab, but was being tied up on the inside. After four rounds the fight became one-sided in Klitschko's favour. Peter's right eye was closing and he was taking heavy punishment. After the ninth round, Peter's trainer Abel Sanchez said he would give him one more round. Emmanuel Steward also implored Klitschko to be more aggressive. Peter swung wildly in the tenth and Klitschko put him down with a concussive combination. Referee Robert Byrd did not start a count and waved the fight off, awarding Klitschko the win by knockout.

Klitschko was set to fight Dereck Chisora on 11 December, but the fight was later called off on 8 December due to Klitschko tearing a muscle in his abdomen.

On 5 January 2011, it was announced that Dereck Chisora would get his fight with Klitschko. This enraged David Haye's trainer Adam Booth who described the move as a "disgrace" on a heated live phone-in with Sky Sports News. Booth alleged Haye had met every single one of Klitschko's demands The fight against Dereck Chisora was rescheduled for 30 April 2011, and was going to take place in SAP Arena, Mannheim. However, on 4 March, it was announced Klitschko pulled out of the fight due to not being fully recovered from a torn abdominal muscle. On 5 March, it was instead announced that the highly anticipated fight against David Haye will take place on 2 July 2011. The fight was contingent on Klitschko's recovery from a torn abdominal muscle injury. The contract was written so that if Klitschko is not fully healed, then Haye would fight his brother, Vitali.

Wladimir Klitschko vs. David Haye

Klitschko fought David Haye in a heavyweight unification fight for the WBA (Super), WBO, IBF, IBO & ''The Ring'' heavyweight titles. The fight took place at the Imtech Arena, Hamburg, Germany on 2 July 2011. Klitschko dominated the fight, statistically outlanding Haye nearly 2 to 1. Klitschko won by unanimous decision.

After Haye

On 6 October 2011 Wladimir Klitschko announced his next fight. It was originally to be on 10 December 2011 against the former cruiserweight champion, French Jean-Marc Mormeck. The fight would have taken place at Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf. It was to be Wladimir's first title defense of the WBA (Super) belt, he won against David Haye. The fight was billed ''Alle Gürtel. Ein Champion.'' (All belts. One Champion). However, on 5 December 2011, the fight was cancelled because Wladimir checked into a hospital to have a kidney stone removed. After the removal operation he suffered from fever and inflammation. Since then, the fight has been rescheduled for 3 March 2012.

Other interests

Klitschko appeared with Lennox Lewis in the motion picture ''Ocean's Eleven''. He is an avid chess player, kite-surfer, golfer, and humanitarian. Both Klitschko brothers have been involved in charitable activities dedicated to supporting the needs of children around the world. Both brothers have formed their own charities that contribute to children in need in Africa and South America. They won humanitarian awards for their "Fight For Peace" and "Sport for Good" projects in 2002 and 2007. In 2002, the Klitschko brothers announced that they had agreed to work specifically for UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), which supports more than 180 projects in 87 countries. Klitschko is also a passionate golfer and was seen playing in the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. The tournament was played over three courses in 2008 including St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns in Fife and Angus. Klitschko was named curator of the Ukrainian pavilion at the 2009 Venice Biennale. Klitschko starred in the music video for Chris Cornell's song "Part of Me" in 2008, alongside rising dancer Carlos Kerr Jr. and Method Man.

Personal life

Some media reported that Klitschko had been previously dating Yvonne Catterfeld; the relationship was played up in German comedies ''Keinohrhasen'' and ''Zweiohrküken''. After Vladimir's photo session held for ''Vanity Fair'' magazine with Karolína Kurková she also claimed to have a romantic relationship with the boxer. Alena Gerber was once his girlfriend.

In 2009 Klitschko began dating American actress Hayden Panettiere. Panettiere appeared at ringside at some of Klitschko's fights, including at Klitschko's 10th round KO victory over Samuel Peter. The couple broke up in May 2011.

Professional boxing record

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|56 Wins (49 knockouts), 3 Losses, 0 Draws |- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Res. | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Rd., Time | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes |- align=center | | |align=left| Jean-Marc Mormeck | | | |align=left| Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |56–3 |align=left| David Haye | | | |align=left| Imtech Arena, Altona, Hamburg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |55–3 |align=left| Samuel Peter | | | |align=left| Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Hessen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |54–3 |align=left| Eddie Chambers | | | |align=left| Esprit Arena, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |53–3 |align=left| Ruslan Chagaev ||| | |align=left| Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |52–3 |align=left| Hasim Rahman ||| | |align=left| SAP Arena, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |51–3 |align=left| Tony Thompson ||| | |align=left| Color Line Arena, Altona, Hamburg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |50–3 |align=left| Sultan Ibragimov ||| | |align=left| Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |49–3 |align=left| Lamon Brewster ||| | |align=left| Kölnarena, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |48–3 |align=left| Ray Austin ||| | |align=left| SAP Arena, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |47–3 |align=left| Calvin Brock ||| | |align=left| Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |46–3 |align=left| Chris Byrd ||| | |align=left| SAP Arena, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |45–3 |align=left| Samuel Peter ||| | |align=left| Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |44–3 |align=left| Eliseo Castillo ||| | |align=left| Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |43–3 |align=left| DaVarryl Williamson ||| | |align=left| Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |- align=center |Loss |42–3 |align=left| Lamon Brewster ||| | |align=left| Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |42–2 |align=left| Danell Nicholson ||| | |align=left| Ostseehalle, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |41–2 |align=left| Fabio Eduardo Moli ||| | |align=left| Olympiahalle, Munich, Bayern}} |align=left| |- align=center |Loss |40–2 |align=left| Corrie Sanders ||| | |align=left| Preussag Arena, Hannover, Niedersachsen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |40–1 |align=left| Jameel McCline ||| | |align=left| Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |39–1 |align=left| Ray Mercer ||| | |align=left| Taj Majal Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |38–1 |align=left| Francois Botha ||| | |align=left| Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |37–1 |align=left| Charles Shufford ||| | |align=left| Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |36–1 |align=left| Derrick Jefferson ||| | |align=left| Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, Munich, Bayern}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |35–1 |align=left| Chris Byrd ||| | |align=left| Kölnarena, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |34–1 |align=left| Monte Barrett ||| | |align=left| New London Arena, Millwall, London}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |33–1 |align=left| David Bostice ||| | |align=left| Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |32–1 |align=left| Paea Wolfgramm ||| | |align=left| Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |31–1 |align=left| Lajos Eros ||| | |align=left| Stadionsporthalle, Hannover, Niedersachsen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |30–1 |align=left| Phil Jackson ||| | |align=left| The Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |29–1 |align=left| Axel Schulz ||| | |align=left| Kölnarena, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |28–1 |align=left| Joseph Chingangu ||| | |align=left| Philips Halle, Düsseldorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |27–1 |align=left| Tony LaRosa ||| | |align=left| Sport Palace, Budapest, Central Hungary}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |26–1 |align=left| Everett Martin ||| | |align=left| Circus Krone, Munich, Bayern}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |25–1 |align=left| Zoran Vujecic ||| | |align=left| Maritim Hotel, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Loss |24–1 |align=left| Ross Puritty ||| | |align=left| Sports Palace, Kiev, Kiev Oblast}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |24–0 |align=left| Donnell Wingfield ||| | |align=left| Circus Krone, Munich, Bayern}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |23–0 |align=left| Eli Dixon ||| | |align=left| Prinz-Garden Halle, Augsburg, Bayern}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |22–0 |align=left| Steve Pannell ||| | |align=left| Arena Oberhausen, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |21–0 |align=left| Carlos Monroe ||| | |align=left| Grand Casino Avoyelles, Marksville, Louisiana}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |20–0 |align=left| Najee Shaheed ||| | |align=left| Circus Krone, Munich, Bayern}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |19–0 |align=left| Cody Koch ||| | |align=left| Oberrheinhalle, Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |18–0 |align=left| Everett Martin ||| | |align=left| Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |17–0 |align=left| Marcus McIntyre ||| | |align=left| Maritim Hotel, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |16–0 |align=left| Derrick Lampkins ||| | |align=left| Oberrheinhalle, Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |15–0 |align=left| Ladislav Husarik ||| | |align=left| Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |14–0 |align=left| Jerry Halstead ||| | |align=left| Stadthalle, Offenbach, Hessen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |13–0 |align=left| Marcos Gonzalez ||| | |align=left| Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |12–0 |align=left| James Pritchard ||| | |align=left| Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |11–0 |align=left| Biko Botowamungu ||| | |align=left| Maritim Hotel, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |10–0 |align=left| Gilberto Williamson ||| | |align=left| Berlethalle, Hagen, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |9–0 |align=left| Salvador Maciel ||| | |align=left| Oberrheinhalle, Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |8–0 |align=left| Paul Ashley ||| | |align=left| Arena Oberhausen, Oberhausen, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |7–0 |align=left| Mark Wills ||| | |align=left| Ballsporthalle, Frankfurt, Hessen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |6–0 |align=left| Mark Young ||| | |align=left| Eurogress, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |5–0 |align=left| Carlos Monroe ||| | |align=left| Stadthalle, Cottbus, Brandenburg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |4–0 |align=left| Troy Weida ||| | |align=left| Maritim Hotel, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |3–0 |align=left| Bill Corrigan ||| | |align=left| Zoo-Gesellschaftshaus, Frankfurt, Hessen}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |2–0 |align=left| Exum Speight ||| | |align=left| Nova Arena, Wiener Neustadt, Niederösterreich}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win |1–0 |align=left| Fabian Meza ||| | |align=left| Sporthalle, Wandsbek, Hamburg}} |align=left| |- align=center

References

External links

Vladimir Klitschko Fight-by-Fight Career Record

Klitschko movie 2011

|-

{{S-ttl| title = WBO Heavyweight Champion | years = October 14, 2000 – March 8, 2003}}

{{s-ttl | title=IBF Heavyweight Champion | years=April 22, 2006 – ''present''}}

{{s-ttl | title=IBO Heavyweight Champion | years = April 22, 2006 – ''present''}}

{{s-ttl| title=WBO Heavyweight Champion | years=February 23, 2008 – ''present''}} |- {{s-ttl|title=''The Ring'' Heavyweight Champion | years=June 20, 2009 – ''present''}}

{{s-ttl | title=WBA Heavyweight ChampionSuper Title | years=July 2, 2011 – ''present''}}

|- |- |- |- |- |-

Category:1976 births Category:Boxers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Heavyweight boxers Category:Super-heavyweight boxers Category:Living people Category:Olympic boxers of Ukraine Category:Olympic gold medalists for Ukraine Category:Ukrainian boxers Category:World Boxing Organization Champions Category:International Boxing Federation Champions Category:International Boxing Organization Champions Category:Olympic medalists in boxing Category:Eastern Orthodox Christians from Ukraine

be:Уладзімір Уладзіміравіч Клічко be-x-old:Уладзімер Клічко bg:Владимир Кличко cs:Vladimir Kličko da:Vladimir Klitsjko de:Wladimir Klitschko et:Volodõmõr Klõtško el:Βλάντιμιρ Κλίτσκο es:Wladimir Klitschko fr:Wladimir Klitschko ga:Wladimir Klitschko hr:Vladimir Kličko it:Volodymyr Klyčko he:ולדימיר קליצ'קו lv:Vladimirs Kļičko hu:Volodimir Volodimirovics Klicsko nl:Wladimir Klitschko ja:ウラジミール・クリチコ no:Vladimir Klitsjko pl:Wołodymyr Kłyczko pt:Wladimir Klitschko ro:Vladimir Kliciko ru:Кличко, Владимир Владимирович fi:Volodymyr Klytško sv:Vladimir Klitsjko th:วลาดีมีร์ คลิทช์โก tg:Владимир Владимирович Кличко tr:Vladimir Kliçko uk:Кличко Володимир Володимирович

Coordinates	28°36′50″N77°12′32″N
Name	David Haye
Realname	David Haye
Nickname	The Hayemaker
Weight	Heavyweight
Height
Reach
Nationality	English
Birth date	October 13, 1980
Birth place	Bermondsey, London, England
Style	Orthodox
Total	27
Wins	25
Ko	23
Losses	2
Website	www.david-haye.co.uk }}

}} David Deron Haye (born 13 October 1980) is a retired English professional boxer,

Haye is the former WBA heavyweight champion. He is also the former unified world cruiserweight champion, holding the WBA, WBC, WBO, and ''The Ring'' cruiserweight titles, and the former European cruiserweight champion.

Amateur

Haye started his ambition and passion for boxing at old-school boxing gym Fitzroy Lodge Boxing Club in Lambeth, South London, where he quickly impressed and confidently won his first amateur bouts.

In 1999, 18-year-old Haye participated at the world amateur championships in Houston, Texas, USA at light-heavyweight but was eliminated by experienced American Michael Simms early in the contest.

At the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships in Belfast, Northern Ireland he fought in the heavyweight 201 lb division where he beat world class Sebastian Köber to reach the final where he gave Odlanier Solís a standing eight count before being stopped by the Cuban in round three, and taking the silver medal.

Professional career

Cruiserweight

Based in Bermondsey, London, England, Haye turned professional in December 2002, aged 22, knocking out Tony Booth in two rounds.

In 2003 he won seven fights, two of which include the only fights Haye has fought in the United States. He won all by knockout, the most notable being a fourth round KO of Denmark's Lolenga Mock, in which Haye had to come off the floor to win.

Haye's fights were regularly seen on the BBC and his popularity began to grow in 2004, when he dispatched the 39-year-old ex-world champion "King" Arthur Williams in three rounds.

Later that year, in his eleventh pro fight, he fought 40-year-old former WBO champion Carl Thompson in a 'youth vs experience' matchup. Haye started fast and alarmingly caught Thompson with constant barrages of power punches, coming close to forcing a stoppage at numerous points over the first few rounds.

Gradually, despite the early punishment he received, Thompson warmed up and worked his way into the fight whilst Haye seemed to tire and slow down. Thompson began to pressure Haye and knocked Haye down with a chopping right hand in round 5. With seven seconds left in the round, Thompson landed two jabs followed by a flush right hand which cleanly caught a fatigued Haye, and compelled Haye's corner to throw in the towel.

Haye returned against Estonian Valery Semishkur, winning by TKO in round 1, then defeated Garry Delaney by a third round TKO. Following two more fights against Glen Kelly and Vincenzo Rossitto, Haye faced Alexander Gurov for the EBU cruiserweight championship. Haye easily knocked out Gurov with a single right hand in just 45 seconds.

In January 2006, Haye signed a three-year contract with former Lennox Lewis promoter Frank Maloney to further his world title ambitions. He successfully defended his EBU title against Ismail Abdoul and future world champion Giacobbe Fragomeni, with the latter fight being a WBC eliminator.

Haye's cameo at heavyweight in April 2007 resulted in an impressive first-round KO win over Polish fighter Tomasz Bonin, who at the time was ranked No. 11 by the WBC and had only one loss, against Audley Harrison.

World cruiserweight champion

Haye challenged Jean-Marc Mormeck on 10 November 2007 for the WBA, WBC, & The Ring cruiserweight titles. Haye defeated Mormeck by knockout in the seventh round, despite Haye needing to rally after being knocked down by Mormeck in the fourth. The victory confirmed Haye's arrival as a genuine world class fighter.

The Mormeck fight was expected to be Haye's last fight in the cruiserweight division. Haye himself admitted that he struggles to make weight and feels that he can only box at "70 or 80 per cent" of his potential as a cruiserweight. However Haye would be tempted into a unification cruiserweight bout for the most lucrative fight of Hsye's career.

}}

Haye and Enzo Maccarinelli met in an all-British world cruiserweight title fight in the early hours of 9 March 2008. Haye's WBA, WBC, & ''The Ring'' titles were at stake, while Maccarinelli's WBO title was on the line. British trade paper ''Boxing News'' produced a pullout special on the match. Widely billed as the biggest all-British bout since Chris Eubank met Nigel Benn. As both fighters are hard punchers with excellent KO records, a short fight was predicted. These predictions proved to be correct, as Haye knocked out Maccarinelli in the second round of the contest. Commenting on the fight and of the prospect of working again with Frank Warren, Maccarinelli's promoter, Haye said, "We thank Frank for sacrificing Maccarinelli, but we'd feel immense guilt if we took any more free money from Sports Network. I have a hard enough time sleeping at night as it is."

Heavyweight

Haye described the victory over Maccarinelli as "the final piece" in his cruiserweight jigsaw. Haye then defeated heavyweight Monte Barrett at The O2 Arena in London on 15 November 2008, winning via TKO in the fifth round.

WBC Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko confirmed he would defend his title in a fight with Haye to take place on 20 June 2009, at Stamford Bridge in London. Instead, his younger brother, WBO, IBO & IBF heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko agreed to fight Haye the same date in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Haye pulled out of the fight claiming a back injury.

WBA heavyweight champion

Haye then confirmed that he would meet the WBA champion Nikolay Valuev on 7 November 2009 in the Nuremberg Arena, Nuremberg, Germany. Haye's trainer Adam Booth claimed it was a fight that Valuev wanted; it was billed as David and Goliath. Haye weighed in at 217 pounds, almost 100 lbs less than his opponent. Haye said about Valuev: "He is the ugliest thing I have ever seen. I have watched ''Lord of the Rings'' and films with strange looking people, but for a human being to look like he does is pretty shocking."

Haye beat Valuev in a reserved display of accuracy and efficiency, countering Valuev's misses, jabbing and circling his much larger opponent. Haye came close to knocking down Valuev in the final round with a hard left hand, which made Valuev stumble. Haye won with scores of 114–114 (ITA), 116–112 (USA) and 116–112 (ESP). Haye is the first and currently only boxer in the history of the sport to be seven stone or more lighter than an opponent in a World title fight and still come out victorious.

On 3 April 2010 Haye defeated John Ruiz in his first WBA title defence at the Manchester Arena by TKO in the ninth round after knocking him down four times during the fight excluding a point deduction for hitting Ruiz on the back of his head in round one. This was only the second time Ruiz has been stopped, after being knocked out in round one by David Tua fourteen years prior to facing David Haye. After the fight, Haye immediately called on both Klitschko brothers, after claiming their recent challengers Eddie Chambers and Chris Arreola were "a disgrace to boxing."

It was confirmed on 7 September 2010 that Haye would fight Audley Harrison on 13 November 2010 at the Manchester Arena. The press conference for the bout became heated, leading to the two fighters swearing at each other on live television. On 13 November 2010, Haye defeated Harrison with one minute, seven seconds remaining of the third round by TKO. Southpaw Harrison landed one jab during the entire fight. He staggered to his feet after being knocked down, only for Haye to immediately pounce right back on him, hitting him with another flurry of punches. The referee intervened and ended the bout.

Haye's plans to unify the heavyweight division took a major setback in January 2011 when it was revealed that Tomas Adamek would fight one of the Klitschko brothers in September 2011, before his planned retirement in October of that year. However, in April 2011, it was announced that Haye and Wladimir Klitschko had agreed to meet at the Imtech Arena in Hamburg on 2 July 2011.

Wladimir Klitschko vs David Haye

Wladimir Klitschko versus David Haye was a heavyweight unification fight for the WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring heavyweight titles, the fight taking place at the Imtech Arena, Hamburg, Germany on 2 July 2011 This was the only heavyweight unification fight since Wladimir Klitschko and Sultan Ibragimov fought back in 2008. It was then when Wladimir Klitschko beat Ibragimov and added his WBO title to his IBF title. Klitschko defeated Haye by a unanimous decision to become the unified WBA Super, IBF, WBO, and ''The Ring'' heavyweight champion. The official scores were: 118-108, 117-109 and 116-110, which were all in favour of Klitschko.

Retirement

BBBC chief Robert Smith told The Sun on October 11, 2011 that David Haye had informed him that he would not be not renewing his boxing licence therefore retiring from the sport. Haye has had a long standing plan to retire early from the sport. After the Harrison fight Haye said his plans to retire before he is 31 had not altered, saying "I will have achieved what I wanted to achieve – undisputed cruiserweight champion, unify the heavyweight division and then call it a day." In December 2010, during the negotiations to fight Wladimir Klitschko, Haye said if the fight did not happen, "I'll just have to accept that becoming the WBA champion was enough and move on with my life. That'll be 20 years of getting punched in the face, which is a long enough time. I set my goals and achieved them so unifying the titles is the cherry on the cake but if it doesn't happen it wasn't meant to be and I've just got to get on with my life".

Vitali Klitschko vs David Haye negotiations

Haye put retirement on hold and was in negotiations for a possible bout with WBC heavyweight title holder Vitali Klitschko on 3 March 2012. However, Klitschko went on to schedule a fight with Dereck Chisora on 18 February 2012.

Personal information

Haye attended Bacon's College in Rotherhithe, South East London. His training camp is based in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus and he has worn the Northern Cyprus flag on his shorts alongside the Flag of St. George and the Union Flag in the past. David Haye was awarded with the citizenship of North Cyprus due to his contributions to the North Cyprus. Haye is married and has a son called Cassius, named after Cassius Clay. He supports London football team Millwall. On 20 October 2010, he was awarded an honourary doctorate from Anglia Ruskin University, at the graduation ceremony in the Cambridge Corn Exchange. Haye's successful defences of his title against Ruiz and Harrison saw Haye be selected for the final 10 shortlist for the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award.

Professional boxing record

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="8"|25 Wins (23 KOs), 2 Defeats |- style="text-align:center; background:#e3e3e3;" | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Res. | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Record | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Opponent | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Type | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Round | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Date | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Location | style="border-style:none none solid solid; "|Notes |- align=center |Loss||25–2||align=left| Wladimir Klitschko ||||| |align=left| Imtech Arena, Altona, Hamburg}} | |- align=center |Win||25–1||align=left| Audley Harrison ||||| |align=left| Manchester Arena, Manchester, North West England}} | |- align=center |Win||24–1||align=left| John Ruiz ||||| |align=left| Manchester Arena, Manchester, North West England}} | |- align=center |Win||23–1||align=left| Nikolai Valuev ||||| |align=left| Nuremberg Arena, Nuremberg, Bavaria}} | |- align=center |Win||22–1||align=left| Monte Barrett ||||| |align=left| O₂ Arena, Greenwich, London}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||21–1||align=left| Enzo Maccarinelli ||||| |align=left| O₂ Arena, Greenwich, London}} | |- align=center |Win||20–1||align=left| Jean-Marc Mormeck ||||| |align=left| Stade Marcel Cerdan, Paris, Île-de-France}} | |- align=center |Win||19–1||align=left| Tomasz Bonin ||||| |align=left| Wembley Arena, Wembley, London}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||18–1||align=left| Giacobbe Fragomeni ||||| |align=left| York Hall, Bethnal Green, London}} | |- align=center |Win||17–1||align=left| Ismail Abdoul ||||| |align=left| Leisure Centre, Altrincham, Greater Manchester}} | |- align=center |Win||16–1||align=left| Lasse Johansen ||||| |align=left| York Hall, Bethnal Green, London}} | |- align=center |Win||15–1||align=left| Alexander Gurov ||||| |align=left| Leisure Centre, Bracknell, Berkshire}} | |- align=center |Win||14–1||align=left| Vincenzo Rossitto ||||| |align=left| Leisure Centre, Huddersfield, Yorkshire}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||13–1||align=left| Glen Kelly ||||| |align=left| Magna Centre, Rotherham, Yorkshire}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||12–1||align=left| Garry Delaney ||||| |align=left| Fountain Leisure Centre, Brentford, London}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||11–1||align=left| Valeri Semiskur ||||| |align=left| Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Sheffield, Yorkshire}} |align=left| |- align=center |Loss||10–1||align=left| Carl Thompson ||||| |align=left| Wembley Arena, Wembley, London}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||10–0||align=left| Arthur Williams ||||| |align=left| Rivermead Leisure Centre, Reading, Berkshire}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||9–0||align=left| Hastings Rasani ||||| |align=left| Wembley Arena, Wembley, London}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||8–0||align=left| Tony Dowling ||||| |align=left| York Hall, Bethnal Green, London}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||7–0||align=left| Lolenga Mock ||||| |align=left| Rivermead Leisure Centre, Reading, Berkshire}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||6–0||align=left| Greg Scott-Briggs ||||| |align=left| York Hall, Bethnal Green, London}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||5–0||align=left| Vance Winn ||||| |align=left| The Playboy Mansion, Beverly Hills, California}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||4–0||align=left| Phil Day ||||| |align=left| Rivermead Leisure Centre, Reading, Berkshire}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||3–0||align=left| Roger Bowden ||||| |align=left| Seville Hotel, Miami, Florida}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||2–0||align=left| Saber Zairi ||||| |align=left| Ponds Forge Arena, Sheffield, Yorkshire}} |align=left| |- align=center |Win||1–0||align=left| Tony Booth ||||| |align=left| York Hall, Bethnal Green, London}} |

References

External links

David Haye's MySpace

{{s-ttl | title=WBC Cruiserweight Champion| years=November 10, 2007 – May 12, 2008Vacated}} |- {{s-ttl | title=WBA Cruiserweight Super Champion| years=November 10, 2007 – May 12, 2008Vacated}} {{s-aft|after=Firat Arslan | as=Champion}} {{s-ttl | title=''The Ring'' Cruiserweight Champion| years=November 10, 2007 – May 23, 2008Vacated}} |- {{s-ttl | title=WBO Cruiserweight Champion| years=March 8, 2008 – May 12, 2008Vacated}} |- {{s-ttl | rows=2 | title=WBA Heavyweight Champion| years=November 7, 2009 – July 2, 2011''Lost bid for Super Title}}

Category:1980 births Category:Cruiserweight boxers Category:English boxers Category:English people of Jamaican descent Category:Black British sportspeople Category:Heavyweight boxers Category:Living people Category:People from Bermondsey Category:People from London Category:World Boxing Association Champions Category:World Boxing Council Champions Category:World Boxing Organization Champions Category:World cruiserweight boxing champions Category:Boxers at the 2002 Commonwealth Games

be:Дэвід Хэй be-x-old:Дэйвід Гэй cs:David Haye da:David Haye de:David Haye es:David Haye fr:David Haye it:David Haye lv:Deivids Hejs hu:David Haye nl:David Haye ja:デビッド・ヘイ no:David Haye pl:David Haye pt:David Haye ro:David Haye ru:Хэй, Дэвид sq:David Haye simple:David Haye fi:David Haye uk:Девід Хей