Alfonso Ratliff facts for kids

Alfonso Ratliff, born on February 18, 1956, is an American former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1980 to 1989. During his career, he held important titles like the WBC and The Ring cruiserweight championships in 1985. After he stopped boxing, he became a coach at the Harvey Boxing Club in Harvey, Illinois.

Alfonso Ratliff: A Boxing Champion

Alfonso Ratliff was a talented boxer who made a name for himself in the 1980s. He was known for his skills in the ring.

Early Boxing Days

Before becoming a professional, Alfonso Ratliff was an amateur boxer. In 1980, he won the Chicago Golden Gloves title. This was a big achievement for him. He also won a match against another boxer named Mitch Green in a special competition between cities.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

Ratliff started his professional boxing career in 1980. This means he began to box for money and titles. He quickly showed he was a strong fighter.

Winning and Losing Titles

In 1985, Alfonso Ratliff achieved a major goal. He won the WBC and lineal cruiserweight titles. He earned these titles by winning a match against Carlos De León. A "cruiserweight" is a boxing weight class for fighters who weigh between 175 and 200 pounds. Winning these titles meant he was considered one of the best boxers in his weight class.

However, he lost his title in his very first defense later that same year. He was defeated by Bernard Benton.

Facing Mike Tyson

In September 1986, Ratliff had a fight against Mike Tyson. Tyson was a rising star in boxing at the time. Ratliff lost this fight in the second round. After this match, Mike Tyson went on to become the youngest world heavyweight champion ever in his next fight. Alfonso Ratliff retired from boxing in 1989. His last fight was a TKO loss to Lee Roy Murphy. A TKO, or "Technical Knockout," happens when a referee stops a fight because one boxer cannot safely continue.

See Also

• List of world cruiserweight boxing champions