Donovan Ruddock facts for kids

Donovan "Razor" Ruddock (born December 21, 1963) is a Canadian former professional boxer. He was born in Jamaica. Donovan was known for his incredibly powerful punches. His special move was a mix of a hook and an uppercut with his left hand. He called this punch "The Smash." This punch helped him win many fights by knockout.

Donovan Ruddock had some very famous fights. These included two matches against Mike Tyson in 1991. He also fought Lennox Lewis in 1992 and Tommy Morrison in 1995. He competed as a boxer from 1982 to 2001, and then again briefly in 2015.

Early life

Donovan Ruddock was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to Toronto, Canada. They settled in a neighborhood called Weston. As a teenager, Ruddock went to Emery Collegiate Institute and Westview Centennial Secondary School.

Amateur career

Before becoming a professional, Ruddock was an amateur boxer. In March 1980, he won a fight against Lennox Lewis in Toronto. This was at the Ontario Junior Boxing Championship. Ruddock won by a close decision in the 75 kg (165 lbs) weight class.

Professional career

Starting out

Donovan Ruddock became a professional boxer in 1982. His career began slowly, with only 11 fights between 1982 and 1985. He won eight of his first nine fights. One fight ended in a draw. In April 1985, he lost to a boxer named David Jaco. Ruddock had to stop fighting because he had trouble breathing. Doctors found he had a rare breathing illness. They thought his boxing career was over.

Back in the ring

Surprisingly, Ruddock got completely better in 10 months. He started boxing again and won nine fights in a row. Eight of these wins were by knockout. He also won a decision against former champion Mike Weaver. In 1988, Ruddock won the Canadian heavyweight championship. He knocked out Ken Lakusta in the first round.

In 1989, Ruddock fought another former champion, James "Bonecrusher" Smith. Ruddock was knocked down in the second round. But he got back up and stopped Smith in the seventh round. This win made him a top contender to fight the undisputed heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson. However, Tyson canceled their planned fight.

Ruddock vs. Dokes

In 1990, Ruddock fought former heavyweight champion Michael Dokes. Many people thought Dokes would win. But Ruddock fought one of his best fights. He knocked out Dokes in the fourth round. Dokes was badly hurt by Ruddock's famous "Smash" left hook.

After another knockout win, Ruddock wanted to fight Evander Holyfield. Holyfield was the heavyweight champion at the time. But Holyfield chose to fight George Foreman instead.

Ruddock vs. Tyson

Since he couldn't get a big fight, Ruddock had a warm-up match. He knocked out Mike Rouse in the first round in December 1990. In January 1991, Mike Tyson finally agreed to fight Ruddock. This fight was very important. It was to decide who would get to fight the winner of the Holyfield-Foreman match.

Ruddock was knocked down in the third round. But he kept fighting hard. In the seventh round, the referee Richard Steele stopped the fight. He decided Tyson had won. Some fans were very upset by this decision. There were even fights in the stadium.

Ruddock vs. Tyson II

A rematch between Ruddock and Tyson happened on June 28, 1991. This time, the fight lasted all 12 rounds. Tyson knocked Ruddock down twice. Tyson won the fight by a unanimous decision. Both boxers were hurt. Ruddock had a broken jaw. Tyson had a perforated eardrum. Even after winning, Tyson praised Ruddock. He said Ruddock was a great heavyweight and could be a champion one day.

Ruddock vs. Lewis

After losing to Tyson twice, Ruddock won two more fights. He knocked out former champion Greg Page. He also knocked out Phil Jackson, who had never lost a fight before. These wins led to a big fight against Lennox Lewis in London in October 1992. This fight was to decide who would get to challenge for the WBC heavyweight title. Lewis knocked out Ruddock in the second round.

Ruddock vs. Morrison

After a break of more than two years, Ruddock returned to boxing in 1994. He won a fight against Anthony Wade. This led to a match with Tommy Morrison in 1995. Ruddock knocked Morrison down in the first round. But he couldn't finish the fight early. In the sixth round, Ruddock was stopped by the referee. This decision was also seen as controversial by some fans.

Retirement

After the loss to Morrison, Ruddock took another break from boxing. He returned in 1998. He was supposed to fight Vitali Klitschko for a world title in 2000. But he had to pull out because of an injury. After winning several fights against less famous opponents, Ruddock won the Canadian heavyweight title again in 2001. He beat Egerton Marcus in the tenth round. After this win, he retired from boxing. His record was 38 wins (28 by knockout), 5 losses, and 1 draw.

Comeback and second retirement

On March 28, 2015, Ruddock returned to the ring. He won by knockout in the fifth round against Raymond Olubowale. Two months later, he won another fight. But on September 11, 2015, he lost by knockout to Dillon Carman. This fight was for the Canadian heavyweight title. After this, he retired again.

Exhibition bout

Donovan Ruddock made another return to the ring at age 59. On November 11, 2023, he fought James Toney in Kingston, Jamaica. Toney was 55 years old and a famous former champion. The fight was an exhibition, meaning it wasn't a professional match with official records. It went all six rounds and ended in a draw. Both boxers were much older, and the fight was slow-paced.

Legacy

Donovan Ruddock was known for his incredible punching power. The Ring magazine, a famous boxing publication, ranked him 70th on their list of "The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time."

Life after boxing

After his boxing career, Ruddock faced some challenges. He had lost money from bad investments. He also had problems with his brother, who used to be his manager.

In 2006, Ruddock invented something new. It was a garbage compactor called "The Boxer." This device didn't need electricity. He hoped it would be very successful. He designed it because he was frustrated with how much trash his family collected. He tried to sell it online, but the product is no longer available.