Darnell Boone facts for kids

Darnell Lamont Boone (born January 21, 1980) is an American professional boxer. He is famous for fighting many boxers who later became world champions. Even though Boone never won a world title himself, he often gave these champions very tough fights.

For example, in 2004, he was the first boxer to score a knockdown against Andre Ward. Ward was an Olympic gold medalist and had never lost a fight before. Boone also famously knocked out future world champion Adonis Stevenson in 2010. He fought Stevenson again in 2013. Boone also faced other big names like Jean Pascal, Erislandy Lara, and Sergey Kovalev.

Early Days in Boxing

Darnell Boone started boxing a bit later than some other fighters. He had only ten amateur fights before he became a professional boxer in 2004. He got into boxing after visiting his younger brother's gym. In his very first training session, he even sparred with Kelly Pavlik, who later became a world champion!

Darnell Boone's Boxing Journey

When Darnell Boone became a professional, his record was 6 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. One of his early big fights was against Andre Ward in 2005. Ward was a rising star with no losses. Boone took this fight with only one week's notice. Even though Ward won the fight by a unanimous decision (meaning all judges agreed he won), Boone managed to knock Ward down twice! This was a big surprise for many.

After that, Boone kept fighting tough opponents. He faced Enrique Ornelas and Anthony Thompson, who were also future title challengers. He lost these fights by unanimous decisions. He also fought Jean Pascal, who was undefeated at the time, and lost that fight too.

Big Upset Against Adonis Stevenson

In April 2010, Boone had a major upset victory. He was matched against Adonis Stevenson, who was undefeated with 13 wins and no losses. Boone had a record of 16 wins, 15 losses, and 2 draws, and was on a losing streak. Despite this, Boone knocked out Stevenson just 17 seconds into the second round! This was a huge shock in the boxing world. Leading up to this fight, Boone had been training himself.

Fighting Sergey Kovalev

Boone then took another fight on short notice against Sergey Kovalev, who was also undefeated at 17 wins and 1 draw. This was a light heavyweight fight. Boone fought hard and even knocked Kovalev down. However, he eventually lost the fight by a split decision (meaning the judges disagreed on who won, but most picked Kovalev).

Boone continued to face strong opponents. He fought Willie Monroe Jr., who later challenged for a world title, and Boone won that fight by a split decision in 2011.

In March 2013, Boone had a rematch with Adonis Stevenson. This time, Stevenson got his revenge, knocking out Boone in the sixth round.

Boone's last fight was in November 2018. He made his debut in the cruiserweight division, and that fight ended in a draw.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

Darnell Boone had a long career with many fights. Here's a quick look at his professional record: