Tony Tucker: the way of the boxer

Tony Tucker - professional boxer, was born on December 27, 1958 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The weight category in which Tony spoke was heavy (over 90 kg). Working arm - right, height 167-169 cm, nickname - TNT.

At the time of 2017, Taker was 59 years old.

Amateur career

Tony Tucker began his amateur career in 1979, in the same year he won the US championship in the weight category up to 81 kg. Further, having won the European Champion Albert Nikolyan, Tucker was recognized the winner of the Pan-American Games and the World Cup, having received two gold medals.

At the Olympic Games, which took place in Moscow in 1980 , the boxer did not appear because of the difficult relations between the countries.

For the year of his amateur career Tucker had 121 fights, of which he could win 115, only 6 fights ended in defeat.

Professional career

Tony Tucker held his first fight in professional boxing on November 1, 1980, it was a fight against Chuck Gadner, all ended with a knockout in the third round in favor of Tucker.

After such a debut, the boxer changed the trainers and managers many times, eventually both his father Bob took the post. Most of the fights of the 80's with the participation of Tony were in off-TV mode.

After there were a number of victories against such fighters as Eddie Lopez, Jimi Young, James Broad.

So Tony Tucker got the right to the championship fight against Douglas James for the title of IBF. At the end of the tenth round of the battle, Tony managed to press his opponent to the ropes and began boxing, the referee stopped the fight, the victory was given to the boxer nicknamed TNT.

The battle for the absolute heavyweight world title was held in August 1987, Tony's rival was the famous and titled Mike Tyson. There is a version that during the fight on Tucker the last injury of the right hand affected him in the third round, but in this fight Tyson injured his working hand and was forced to box as a jambist with his left hand. At the end of the battle, the judges unanimously awarded victory to Tyson.

After the defeat, Tucker postponed all his boxing competitions, until 1991 he did not appear anywhere.

Returning, Tony fought against Leonel Washington and received the championship of California, twice fought against Orlin Norris, in one of them won the NABF belt, lost the second fight.

The championship match against Lennox Lewis, in May 1993, Tony Tucker started well, but after a couple of knockdowns, which in the career of the boxer had not been before, the judges unanimously decided to win Lewis.

Recession in a professional career

The recession began in his career after a heavy defeat against Lewis, Tony was no longer so hardy and moving. His weight reached 110 kg.

The fight with Bruce Seldom ended in failure, Tony got a lot of cuts and injured the eye.

Last his championship fight for the title of WBO against Herbie Haida Tucker lost in the second round, for such a short period of time fell three times in the ring.

The final fight in his professional career boxer spent against John Ruiz, which ended in a defeat Tucker.

The planned battle against Billy Wright did not take place because of medical suspicions about Tony's vision.

May 7, 1998 Tony Tucker left professional sports.

Tucker set a record that is inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records - the shortest time in the champion's boxing rank, 64 days.