Dariusz Michalczewski facts for kids

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Dariusz Michalczewski

Michalczewski in 2007

Statistics

Nickname(s)

Tiger

Rated at

Light-heavyweight
Cruiserweight

Height

1.84 m

Reach

178 cm

Nationality

Polish
German

Born

5 May 1968 (age 57)
Gdańsk, Poland

Stance

Orthodox

Boxing record

Total fights

Wins

Wins by KO

Losses

Medal record

Men's amateur boxing

Representing Germany
European Championships
Gold	1991 Gothenburg	Light-heavyweight
Representing Poland
European Junior Championships
Silver	1986 Copenhagen	Middleweight

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. Many people believe Michalczewski is one of the greatest light-heavyweight boxers of all time.

Early Life and Amateur Boxing Career
Moving to Germany and Becoming a Pro
Professional Boxing Journey
Helping Others in Society
Professional Boxing Record
Television Viewership Numbers
- Germany
- Poland
See also

Early Life and Amateur Boxing Career

Dariusz was born in 1968 in Gdańsk, Poland. His father, Bogusław, worked for the Polish State Railways. His mother, Maria, was an accountant. When he was young, before he started boxing, he enjoyed wrestling and playing football (soccer).

Dariusz joined Poland's sports program as a young boy. He had a very successful amateur boxing career. He won 139 fights, with 89 knockouts! Here are some of his amateur achievements:

1986 – He was a European Junior Semi-Finalist in the middleweight division. He beat Fabrice Tiozzo but lost to Ray Close.
1990 – He became the German National Champion in the light heavyweight division.
1991 – He won the European Champion title in the light heavyweight division.

Moving to Germany and Becoming a Pro

On 24 April 1988, Dariusz was competing in West Germany with the Polish national team. He decided to stay in West Germany. This was a big decision at the time. In 1991, he became a citizen of the now united Germany. He also turned professional that same year.

He quickly signed with Universum Box-Promotion. This was one of the top boxing companies in Europe. His strong and attacking boxing style earned him the nickname "Tiger."

Professional Boxing Journey

Dariusz Michalczewski started his professional boxing career in September 1991. He quickly won titles. On 13 February 1993, he won the German International light-heavyweight title. This title was for foreign-born boxers living in Germany. Then, on 22 May 1993, he won the IBF Intercontinental title.

Becoming a Two-Weight World Champion

On 10 September 1994, Dariusz had a perfect record of 23 wins and no losses. He won the WBO light-heavyweight title. He beat the champion, Leeonzer Barber, after 12 rounds in Hamburg, Germany.

For almost nine years, until March 2003, Dariusz successfully defended his WBO title 23 times. He fought against 20 different boxers. He also won three other championship belts during this time. Just three months after beating Barber, he won the WBO cruiserweight title. He knocked out Nestor Giovannini in the tenth round. However, he soon gave up this title to focus on being a light-heavyweight.

In 1996, Fritz Sdunek became Dariusz's main coach. This change helped Dariusz improve his boxing performances even more.

Unifying Titles Against Virgil Hill

On 13 June 1997, Dariusz fought Virgil Hill. He won after 12 rounds. This victory added Hill's WBA, IBF, and Lineal light-heavyweight titles to his own. However, he soon lost the WBA and IBF titles. The WBA took their belt away because he showed it alongside the WBO belt. He then had to give up the IBF title. This was because he could not defend it against William Guthrie quickly enough.

After beating Hill, Dariusz knocked out 14 opponents in a row. These were all defenses of his WBO and Lineal titles. In 1998, he beat Drake Thadzi. In 1999, he defeated Montel Griffin. In 2000, he won against Graciano Rocchigiani.

Chasing Rocky Marciano's Record

Autographed replica of Michalczewski's WBO title in Dziwnów

Dariusz Michalczewski had an amazing record of 48 wins and no losses. He was about to fight Julio César González from Mexico on 18 October 2003. If he won this fight, he would tie Rocky Marciano's record of 49 wins with no losses. A win would also bring him very close to Joe Louis's record for the most successful title defenses ever.

However, Dariusz, who was 35 years old, lost the fight. He lost by a split decision to the 27-year-old Gonzalez in Hamburg. His career record then became 48 wins and 1 loss. Even with this loss, he still holds the record for the most consecutive successful world title defenses in the light-heavyweight division.

His Final Fight

In October 2004, it was announced that Dariusz 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. Dariusz was stopped in the sixth round. After this fight, he announced his retirement from boxing in May 2005.

Helping Others in Society

In 2003, Dariusz Michalczewski started a foundation called "Równe Szanse." This means "Equal Chances." The foundation helps young people from families facing difficulties. Since 2014, he has also supported social campaigns. These campaigns are for civil unions and the right for adoption by homosexual couples.

Professional Boxing Record

Professional record summary
50 fights	48 wins	2 losses
By knockout	38	1
By decision	7	1
By disqualification	3	0

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
50	Loss	48–2	Fabrice Tiozzo	TKO	6 (12), 2:05	26 Feb 2005	Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany	For WBA light-heavyweight title
49	Loss	48–1	Julio César González	SD	12	18 Oct 2003	Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany	Lost WBO light-heavyweight title
48	Win	48–0	Derrick Harmon	KO	9 (12)	29 Mar 2003	Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
47	Win	47–0	Richard Hall	TKO	10 (12)	14 Sep 2002	Volkswagen Halle, Braunschweig, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
46	Win	46–0	Joey DeGrandis	KO	2 (12)	20 Apr 2002	Hala Olivia, Gdańsk, Poland	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
45	Win	45–0	Richard Hall	TKO	11 (12), 1:50	15 Dec 2001	Estrel Hotel, Berlin, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
44	Win	44–0	Alejandro Lakatos	KO	9 (12), 1:35	5 May 2001	Volkswagen Halle, Braunschweig, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
43	Win	43–0	Ka-Dy King	TKO	7 (12), 0:28	16 Dec 2000	Grugahalle, Essen, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
42	Win	42–0	Graciano Rocchigiani	TKO	10 (12), 3:00	15 Apr 2000	Preussag Arena, Hanover, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
41	Win	41–0	Montell Griffin	TKO	4 (12), 2:59	28 Aug 1999	Stadthalle, Bremen, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
40	Win	40–0	Muslim Biarslanov	TKO	7 (12), 1:41	3 Apr 1999	Stadthalle, Bremen, Germany	Retained WBO light heavyweight title
39	Win	39–0	Drake Thadzi	TKO	9 (12), 1:45	12 Dec 1998	Ballsporthalle, Frankfurt, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
38	Win	38–0	Mark Prince	KO	8 (12)	19 Sep 1998	Arena Oberhausen, Oberhausen, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
37	Win	37–0	Andrea Magi	TKO	4 (12)	20 Mar 1998	Ballsporthalle, Frankfurt, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
36	Win	36–0	Darren Zenner	RTD	6 (12), 3:00	13 Dec 1997	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
35	Win	35–0	Nicky Piper	TKO	7 (12), 3:00	4 Oct 1997	Stadionsporthalle, Hanover, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
34	Win	34–0	Virgil Hill	UD	12	13 Jun 1997	Arena Oberhausen, Oberhausen, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title; Won WBA and IBF light-heavyweight titles
33	Win	33–0	Christophe Girard	TKO	8 (12)	13 Dec 1996	Stadionsporthalle, Hanover, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
32	Win	32–0	Graciano Rocchigiani	DQ	7 (12), 3:00	10 Aug 1996	Wilhelm-Koch-Stadion, Hamburg, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title; Rocchigiani disqualified for punching after a clinch
31	Win	31–0	Christophe Girard	UD	12	8 Jun 1996	Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
30	Win	30–0	Asluddin Umarov	TKO	5 (12), 2:30	6 Apr 1996	Stadionsporthalle, Hanover, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
29	Win	29–0	Philippe Michel	UD	12	7 Oct 1995	Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
28	Win	28–0	Everardo Armenta Jr.	KO	5 (12), 2:59	19 Aug 1995	Eisstadion an der Brehmstraße, Düsseldorf, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
27	Win	27–0	Paul Carlo	KO	4 (12), 2:46	20 May 1995	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
26	Win	26–0	Roberto Dominguez	KO	2 (12), 1:05	11 Mar 1995	Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany	Retained WBO light-heavyweight title
25	Win	25–0	Nestor Hipolito Giovannini	KO	10 (12), 1:25	17 Dec 1994	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany	Won WBO junior-heavyweight title
24	Win	24–0	Leeonzer Barber	UD	12	10 Sep 1994	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany	Won WBO light-heavyweight title
23	Win	23–0	Melvin Wynn	KO	2, 3:05	28 May 1994	Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany
22	Win	22–0	David Davis	KO	7 (10)	23 Apr 1994	Sporthalle Bildungszentrum, Halle, Germany
21	Win	21–0	David Vedder	DQ	1	19 Feb 1994	Sporthalle Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
20	Win	20–0	Sergio Daniel Merani	TD	9 (12)	20 Nov 1993	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany	Retained IBF Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title
19	Win	19–0	Mwehu Beya	PTS	12	11 Sep 1993	Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany	Retained IBF Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title
18	Win	18–0	Juan Alberto Barrero	KO	5 (10)	26 Jun 1993	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
17	Win	17–0	Noel Magee	TKO	8 (12)	22 May 1993	Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany	Won vacant IBF Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title
16	Win	16–0	Pat Alley	KO	4	3 Apr 1993	Sporthalle Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
15	Win	15–0	Ali Saidi	KO	10 (10)	13 Feb 1993	Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany	Won German International light-heavyweight title
14	Win	14–0	Willie McDonald	KO	2 (8)	12 Jan 1993	Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Germany
13	Win	13–0	Mike Peak	PTS	8	8 Dec 1992	Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany
12	Win	12–0	Keith Williams	TKO	2	17 Nov 1992	Holstentorhalle, Lübeck, Germany
11	Win	11–0	Cecil Simms	KO	2	7 Nov 1992	Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany
10	Win	10–0	Steve McCarthy	DQ	3 (10), 2:59	29 Sep 1992	Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany	McCarthy disqualified for an intentional headbutt
9	Win	9–0	Sylvester White	TKO	5	28 Aug 1992	Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany
8	Win	8–0	Richard Bustin	KO	4 (8)	27 Jun 1992	Hotel, Quinta do Lago, Portugal
7	Win	7–0	Terrence Wright	TKO	2	22 May 1992	Dinslaken, Germany
6	Win	6–0	Robert Johnson	TKO	2 (8), 2:41	4 Apr 1992	Düsseldorf, Germany
5	Win	5–0	Sean Mannion	TKO	3	21 Feb 1992	Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany
4	Win	4–0	Yves Monsieur	TKO	4 (8)	28 Jan 1992	Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany
3	Win	3–0	Zoltan Habda	TKO	2 (6)	10 Jan 1992	Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Germany
2	Win	2–0	Peter Cenki	TKO	2	15 Oct 1991	Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany
1	Win	1–0	Frederic Porter	TKO	2	16 Sep 1991	Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany

Television Viewership Numbers

Many people watched Dariusz Michalczewski's fights on television. Here are some of the viewership numbers from Germany and Poland.

Germany

Date	Fight	Viewership (avg.)
14 September 2002	Dariusz Michalczewski vs. Richard Hall II	4,140,000
29 March 2003	Dariusz Michalczewski vs. Derrick Harmon	6,870,000
19 October 2003	Dariusz Michalczewski vs. Julio César González	7,620,000
26 February 2005	Dariusz Michalczewski vs. Fabrice Tiozzo	7,870,000
	Total viewership	26,500,000

Poland

Date	Fight	Viewership (avg.)	Source(s)
19 October 2003	Dariusz Michalczewski vs. Julio César González	5,794,000
	Total viewership	5,794,000