Calvin Brock facts for kids

Calvin Vance Brock (born January 22, 1975) is an American former professional boxer. He competed as a heavyweight from 2001 to 2007. The Ring magazine ranked him as the world's 7th best heavyweight in 2005.

Calvin Brock was trained by Tom Yankello. In 2006, he won Ring Magazine's Knockout of the Year award. This was for his amazing win against Zuri Lawrence. He also fought for the IBF and IBO heavyweight titles. Brock had to stop boxing because of an eye injury.

Calvin Brock's Early Life

Calvin Brock was born and grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. His family was a regular middle-class family. He loved boxing from a young age. When he was 10, his dad took him to a gym. They told him to come back when he was 12.

Five months after turning 12, Brock returned to the gym. He lost his first six fights, but he didn't give up! In 1999, he earned a degree in finance. This was from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He then got a job as a banker at Bank of America.

He even appeared in a Bank of America advertisement. In the ad, they called him "The Boxing Banker." This cool nickname stuck with him! Soon, Brock left his banking job. He wanted to focus completely on his boxing career.

Amateur Boxing Career

Calvin Brock had a very successful amateur boxing career. He won the Golden Gloves heavyweight championship in 1998. The next year, in 1999, he won the U.S. National Amateur Super Heavyweight Championship.

He even qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. He competed in the super heavyweight boxing tournament. He beat T.J. Wilson to get there. However, he lost in the first round to Paolo Vidoz.

At the Olympics, he was teammates with future world champions. These included Jermain Taylor, Jeff Lacy, and Brian Viloria. Brock finished his amateur career with an impressive record. He had 147 wins and only 38 losses.

Calvin Brock's Professional Boxing Journey

Calvin Brock started his professional boxing career on February 11, 2001. He knocked out Zibielee Kimbrough in the third round. He quickly built up an amazing record. He won 23 fights in a row, with 19 knockouts!

Then, he faced a tougher opponent, Clifford Etienne. Etienne was a well-known boxer. Brock knocked Etienne down three times. The referee stopped the fight in the third round. Brock won by TKO (Technical Knockout).

Facing Top Heavyweights

Just three months after beating Etienne, Brock took on Jameel McCline. McCline was ranked 8th in the world by The Ring magazine. Many thought McCline would win this fight. The match happened in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Brock weighed 218 pounds, much lighter than McCline. McCline was 47 pounds heavier! Brock focused on hitting McCline's body. In the middle rounds, Brock used clever moves to avoid punches. He was knocked down in the seventh round. But he got right back up and finished the round strong.

Brock continued to outbox McCline for the rest of the fight. He won by a unanimous decision after ten rounds. Boxing experts praised Brock's performance. This win helped Brock get ranked among the top heavyweights. Even former world champion Mike Tyson said Brock was one of his favorite new fighters.

Winning a Title

On November 19, 2005, Brock fought David Bostice. This was for the IBA Continental Americas heavyweight title. It was Brock's first professional title fight. Bostice was a tough, experienced boxer.

The fight took place in Brock's hometown, Charlotte, North Carolina. Both boxers fought hard from the start. Brock landed good punches to Bostice's head and body. Brock seemed to get tired in the middle rounds. But he picked up his pace later in the fight.

He hurt Bostice several times. In the ninth round, he almost stopped him. The final round was exciting, with both fighters trading punches. The crowd cheered loudly for Calvin. Brock won by unanimous decision. Everyone praised the fight for being so exciting.

Knockout of the Year

On February 25, 2006, Brock fought Zuri Lawrence. This fight was on a big pay-per-view event. Lawrence was an experienced boxer. He had recently upset Jameel McCline.

The first five rounds were careful. Brock slowly wore Lawrence down. He won every round. At the end of the sixth round, Brock landed a powerful left hook. Lawrence fell to the canvas and was unconscious for several minutes.

Brock is the only boxer to ever knock Lawrence out. This knockout won The Ring magazine's KO of the Year award! By the end of 2005, Brock was ranked among the top heavyweights in the world.

World Title Challenge

With a perfect record of 28 wins and no losses, Brock was offered a fight. He could challenge Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF world heavyweight championship. But Brock turned it down because of the terms offered.

Instead, Brock fought undefeated boxer Timur Ibragimov on June 24, 2006. The fight was in Las Vegas. It was a very hot night, over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This made both fighters careful. Brock won the fight by unanimous decision.

After this win, many boxing experts saw Brock as a very promising American heavyweight. He then signed a new contract with Main Events.

Brock finally got his chance to fight for a world title. He agreed to face Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF world heavyweight championship. Brock felt confident. He believed he could adjust to any opponent's style.

The big fight happened at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2006. In the early rounds, Brock's smart movements made Klitschko hesitant. Klitschko's trainer told him to be more aggressive. From the fourth round, Klitschko started fighting harder. He hurt Brock several times.

In the fifth round, Brock caused a cut under Klitschko's eye. It bled a lot in the sixth round. In round 7, Brock was hit hard. He was knocked down. Brock got up, but the referee stopped the fight. He decided Brock could not continue.

Final Fight and Retirement

After two more wins, Brock entered a tournament. This tournament would decide who would get another shot at the IBF world heavyweight championship. In the semifinals, Brock faced undefeated boxer Eddie Chambers.

Brock said he was in the best shape of his life. He weighed 241 pounds, his heaviest ever. This extra weight seemed to be muscle. The fight was in Tacoma, Washington. Chambers used his fast hands and body movement well. He won the fight by a split decision.

During this fight, Brock hurt his right eye. He had surgery in December 2007 to fix it. But the surgery didn't go well. Brock became legally blind in his right eye. This sad injury forced him to retire from boxing forever. He can still see some light and shapes with that eye.

Calvin Brock's Life After Boxing

Today, Calvin Brock works as a commercial real estate agent. He is married and has a daughter and a son.

Professional Boxing Record