Demetrice King facts for kids

Demetrice King, born on January 21, 1985, is an American former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 2003 to 2011. A big moment in his career was when he won against Bermane Stiverne, who later became a world heavyweight champion.

Demetrice King's Boxing Career

Starting as a Professional Boxer

Demetrice King began his professional boxing journey on September 20, 2003. His first fight was in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he beat Matthew Fendley. He won by a technical knockout (TKO) in the first round. A TKO happens when the referee stops the fight because one boxer can't safely continue.

After his first win, King had a few more fights. He won two by knockout and lost two by "points decision." A points decision means judges decide the winner based on who landed more punches or showed better skill. He then beat Joe Johnson in Sarasota.

Big Fights and Challenges

King faced some tough opponents early in his career. He lost to Zuri Lawrence by points decision. He also fought Shannon Briggs, who was an International Boxing Union (IBU) heavyweight champion at the time. This fight took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 3, 2005. King lost this fight by TKO in the second round. This was the first time King had been stopped in a fight.

After the fight with Briggs, King had a series of losses. He fought against well-known boxers like Jason Estrada, Chazz Witherspoon, Derric Rossy, and Kevin Johnson. He lost these fights by points decision.

A Winning Streak

Even after many losses, Demetrice King showed great determination. He went on a winning streak, winning five fights in a row, all by knockout! During this time, in 2007, he famously defeated Bermane Stiverne. Stiverne later became a World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champion. This winning streak improved King's record to 14 wins and 15 losses.

Later Career Fights

After his winning streak, King faced more challenges. He lost to Michael Grant by points decision. He also had a rematch with Raymond Olubowale, who he had previously beaten. This time, King lost by points decision.

A notable win for King was against the undefeated Australian boxer Bowie Tupou. King knocked out Tupou in the second round at the Agua Caliente Casino.

By November 2009, Demetrice King was ranked among the top heavyweight boxers in the world. He was ranked 40th globally and 18th in the United States.

King then fought Fres Oquendo for two important titles: the North American Boxing Association (NABA) and the vacant United States Boxing Association (USBA) heavyweight titles. The fight was scheduled for 12 rounds, but King could not continue after the ninth round.

His last two professional fights were against Tor Hamer and David Tua. He lost both of these fights by points decision.

Throughout his career, Demetrice King was only knocked out once, by Shannon Briggs. He has mentioned that some of his losses by points decision were "very controversial," meaning he disagreed with the judges' scores.

Professional Boxing Record

15 Wins (13 knockouts), 20 Losses (1 knockout)
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	15-20	David Tua	UD	10	2011-03-19	TelstraClear Pacific, Manukau City, New Zealand
Loss	15-18	Fres Oquendo	RTD	9 (12)	2010-02-20	Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana, U.S.	For WBA–NABA and vacant IBF–USBA heavyweight titles
Win	15-17	Bowie Tupou	KO	2 (8), 0:52	2009-08-01	Agua Caliente Casino, Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
Win	14-15	Raymond Olubowale	KO		2007-10-27	Casino Rama, Rama, Ontario, Canada
Win	12-15	Bermane Stiverne	TKO	4 (8), 1:59	2007-07-07	Harbour Yard Arena, Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S.
Loss	9-15	Kevin Johnson	UD	6	2006-10-11	Westchester County Center, White Plains, New York, U.S.
Loss	7-6	Shannon Briggs	TKO	2 (6), 1:49	2005-03-03	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
Win	1-0	Matthew Fendley	TKO		2003-09-20	Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S.