Al Ford facts for kids

Allan "Al" Ford (born August 13, 1950) is a Canadian retired professional boxer. He was a champion in the Canadian Boxing Federation (CBF) Lightweight division. Al Ford is known for his exciting boxing style and for winning many fights early in his career.

Al Ford's Boxing Journey

Starting as a Young Boxer

Al Ford began his professional boxing career on October 20, 1967. He was just 17 years old at the time. In his very first fight, he won by knockout in the third round against Joe Hogue. This was a great start for the young boxer. Just two months later, he won another fight by knockout in the first round.

An Amazing Winning Streak

Al Ford had an incredible start to his career. He won his first 37 fights in a row! During this time, he became the Canadian Lightweight Champion. He won this title by defeating Julie Mandell. He then successfully defended his title several times, showing he was a strong champion. One of his notable wins was against Raul Montoya in October 1970.

Facing Tough Challenges

Eventually, Al Ford faced his first loss. This happened in Kingston, Jamaica, against Percy Hayles. They were fighting for the Commonwealth Lightweight title. Hayles won the fight after 15 rounds.

After this, Ford continued to box. He won some fights but also faced tough opponents. He lost to famous boxers like Ken Buchanan and Alfonso Frazer. He also lost his Canadian Lightweight title to Johnny Summerhays in November 1975. Even though he was still winning more often than losing, he found it harder to beat the top boxers. He also fought for the Canadian junior welterweight title in 1979 but lost that fight.

Retirement from Boxing

Near the end of his career, Al Ford faced more losses. He lost to Johnny Summerhays again in 1980. He also lost a fight to the well-known boxer Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini in 1981. After losing six of his last seven fights, Al Ford decided to retire from boxing. His last fight was on June 17, 1982, against Michael Olajide. Al Ford finished his career with a record of 55 wins and 19 losses. Out of his 55 wins, 19 were by knockout.

Family Life

Al Ford is the father of mixed martial arts fighter and professional boxer Ryan Ford. Ryan followed in his father's footsteps into the world of combat sports.

Achievements and Awards

Al Ford received several honors for his boxing career:

• Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
  • He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.
• Canadian Boxing Federation
  • He held the CBF Lightweight Championship one time.
• Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame
  • He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1990.

Al Ford's Boxing Record Summary