Dariusz Michalczewski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dariusz Michalczewski |
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Michalczewski in 2007
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| Nickname(s) | Tiger | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rated at |
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| Height | 1.84 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 178 cm | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 5 May 1968 Gdańsk, Poland |
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| Stance | Orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 48 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Dariusz Tomasz Michalczewski (born 5 May 1968) is a famous Polish-German professional boxer. He competed from 1991 to 2005. Dariusz held many world championship titles in two different weight classes. These included the WBA, IBF, and WBO light heavyweight titles. He held these titles between 1994 and 2003. He also held the WBO junior-heavyweight title from 1994 to 1995.
Contents
Early Life and Amateur Boxing Career
Dariusz Michalczewski was born in 1968 in Gdańsk, Poland. His father, Bogusław, worked for the Polish State Railways. His mother, Maria, was an accountant. Before he started boxing, Dariusz enjoyed wrestling and football.
As a young boy, Michalczewski joined Poland's special sports program. He had a very successful amateur boxing career. He won 139 fights, lost 11, and had 2 draws. He knocked out 89 opponents.
Some of his amateur achievements include:
- 1986 – Reaching the European Junior Semi-Finals in the middleweight division. He beat Fabrice Tiozzo but lost to Ray Close.
- 1990 – Becoming the German National Champion in the light heavyweight division.
- 1991 – Becoming the European Champion in the light heavyweight division.
Moving to Germany
On 24 April 1988, Dariusz Michalczewski was competing in West Germany with the Polish national team. He decided to stay in West Germany and not return to Poland. In 1991, he became a citizen of the now united Germany. He also became a professional boxer that same year.
Soon after, he signed with Universum Box-Promotion. This was one of the top boxing promoters in Europe. His strong and attacking boxing style earned him the nickname "Tiger".
Professional Boxing Journey
Michalczewski started his professional boxing career in September 1991. He quickly won the German International light-heavyweight title on 13 February 1993. This title was for foreign-born boxers living in Germany. He then won the IBF Intercontinental title on 22 May 1993.
Becoming a Two-Weight World Champion
On 10 September 1994, Dariusz Michalczewski had a perfect record of 23 wins and no losses. He won the WBO light-heavyweight title by beating the champion, Leeonzer Barber. The fight went all 12 rounds in Hamburg, Germany.
After winning this title, Michalczewski defended his WBO title 23 times. He fought against 20 different boxers until March 2003. He also won three other championship belts during this time. Three months after beating Barber, he won the WBO cruiserweight title. He knocked out Nestor Giovannini in the tenth round. However, he later gave up this title to focus on fighting as a light-heavyweight.
In 1996, Fritz Sdunek became Michalczewski's head coach. This change greatly improved Dariusz's boxing performances.
Unifying Titles Against Virgil Hill
On 13 June 1997, Dariusz Michalczewski fought Virgil Hill. He won the fight after 12 rounds. This victory added Hill's WBA and IBF light-heavyweight titles to his own WBO title.
However, Michalczewski soon lost both the WBA and IBF titles. The WBA quickly took away his title because he showed their belt alongside the WBO belt. He then had to give up the IBF title. This was because he could not defend it against William Guthrie within a short time after the fight with Hill.
After beating Hill, Michalczewski knocked out 14 opponents in a row. He did this while defending his WBO title. In 1998, he defeated Drake Thadzi. In 1999, he beat Montel Griffin. In 2000, he defeated Graciano Rocchigiani.
Chasing Rocky Marciano's Record
Dariusz Michalczewski had an amazing record of 48 wins and no losses. He faced Julio César González of Mexico on 18 October 2003. This was another defense of his title. Before this fight, he was just one win away from matching Rocky Marciano's record. Marciano had 49 wins with no losses. A win would also have put him close to Joe Louis' record for most successful title defenses.
However, Michalczewski, who was 35 years old, could not achieve this goal. He lost the fight to the 27-year-old Gonzalez in Hamburg. The judges made a split decision, meaning they did not all agree. His record then became 48 wins and 1 loss.
Even with this loss, he still holds a special record. He has the most consecutive successful world title defenses in the light-heavyweight division.
His Last Fight
In October 2004, it was announced that Michalczewski would return to boxing. He was set to fight France's Fabrice Tiozzo for the WBA light heavyweight title. The fight took place on 26 February 2005 in Hamburg. Michalczewski was stopped in the sixth round. He then announced his retirement from boxing in May 2005.
There were talks about Michalczewski fighting German boxer Sven Ottke in May 2008. However, this fight never happened.
Community Involvement
In 2003, Dariusz Michalczewski started a foundation called "Równe Szanse." This means "Equal Chances." The foundation's goal was to support programs for young people from families facing difficulties. Since 2014, he has also supported a social campaign. This campaign is for civil unions and the right for homosexual couples to adopt children.
Titles in Boxing
Major World Titles
- WBA light heavyweight champion (175 pounds)
- IBF light heavyweight champion (175 pounds)
- WBO light heavyweight champion (175 pounds)
- WBO cruiserweight champion (200 pounds)
Regional and International Titles
- IBF Inter-Continental light heavyweight champion (175 pounds)
- German International light heavyweight champion (175 pounds)
See also
In Spanish: Dariusz Michalczewski para niños
- List of light heavyweight boxing champions
- List of WBA world champions
- List of IBF world champions
- List of WBO world champions
