Clifford Etienne facts for kids

Clifford Etienne (born March 9, 1970) is a former American professional boxer. He was known for his exciting and aggressive boxing style, even though he was a heavyweight boxer. During his career, he fought famous boxers like Mike Tyson, Francois Botha, and Nikolay Valuev.

Early Life and Challenges

Clifford Etienne grew up in Louisiana. He described himself as a "nerd" when he was young. He was a talented football player at St. Martinville High School. Many top colleges, like LSU and Nebraska, wanted him to play for their teams.

However, his path changed when he faced serious legal trouble during his senior year. This led to him spending time in prison. While in prison, Etienne, who weighed a lot at the time, started boxing. He even won the state prison boxing championship! He was part of a prison boxing team called the "Gunslingers" and had a great record of 30 wins and no losses in prison matches. While there, he also took college classes at Southern University and did very well. After some years, he was released.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

After his release in 1998, Clifford Etienne became a professional boxer. He had a strong career, winning 29 matches. Out of these wins, 20 were by knockout, which means he knocked his opponent out. He also had 4 losses and 2 draws (ties).

Climbing to the Top

In 2000, The Ring Magazine called Etienne the "Most Exciting Fighter to Watch" in the heavyweight division. This was largely because of his impressive win against Lawrence Clay Bey, who had never lost a fight before. Their match was considered one of the best heavyweight fights that year.

Etienne also beat Lamon Brewster in May 2000. Brewster later became a world champion himself. Etienne then signed a contract with Showtime, a big TV network, which helped his career grow. But his rise slowed down when he lost to Fres Oquendo in March 2001.

After winning some more fights, Etienne got a huge opportunity in 2003. He fought against the legendary "Iron" Mike Tyson. This was a very big moment for Etienne, putting him on a global stage.

Later Career

After his fight with Mike Tyson, Etienne continued to box. He faced other strong opponents. In January 2005, he lost to Calvin Brock.

Clifford Etienne's last professional fight was in May 2005 against Nicolay Valuev in Germany. Valuev later became the WBA champion.