Emanuel Augustus facts for kids

Emanuel Augustus (born Emanuel Ya'kov Burton, January 2, 1975) is a retired American professional boxer. He was known for his exciting and tricky boxing style. He often used fancy moves to confuse his opponents. Emanuel fought from 1994 to 2011. He competed against many top boxers. In 2004, he won the IBA light welterweight title.

Early Life and Start in Boxing

Emanuel Augustus was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Louisiana. He started his boxing career from Baton Rouge. Emanuel began boxing when he was 17 years old. At first, he used his birth name, Emanuel Burton. Later, he took his father's last name, Augustus. He kept his nickname "YA," which comes from his middle name, Ya'kov.

Emanuel's Unique Boxing Style

Emanuel Augustus became famous for his special way of fighting. He often appeared on ESPN2's boxing shows. Fans loved his unique style and flair in the ring. He was always ready to fight anyone. He would even take fights at the last minute. This included fighting in his opponent's hometown.

Augustus often "clowned" in the ring. This meant he would do funny or surprising moves. He wanted to make his opponents confused or frustrated. His most famous move was the "string-puppet dance." He was also known for losing close fights. These fights often happened away from his home. Many people thought the judges' decisions were unfair.

Famous Fights and Wins

One of Emanuel's most talked-about fights was against Courtney Burton. This fight happened on July 6, 2004. Emanuel lost by a very close decision. Many people thought the decision was wrong. The state of Michigan even looked into it. Emanuel demanded a rematch. He got it on September 1, 2006. In this fight, he beat Burton in the eighth round. He won with a strong left hook to the body.

Another great win for Augustus was against Carlos Wilfredo Vilches. This fight took place on July 19, 2002. Emanuel agreed to the fight with only two days' notice. Vilches was a highly ranked boxer at the time. During the fight, Emanuel kept pushing forward. He landed many strong punches. Vilches got a cut near his eye. This led to Emanuel winning in the eighth round. This big win helped Emanuel become the number two boxer in the world. He was ranked in the International Boxing Federation light welterweight division.

Close Calls and Tough Losses

Not all of Emanuel's fights went his way. Some of his losses were very close. On June 6, 1999, he fought Allan Vester. Emanuel was knocked down with just one second left in the final round. He later said he gave up because he was frustrated.

Winning Boxing Titles

Emanuel Augustus won several important boxing titles:

• On April 2, 2004, he became the IBA light welterweight champion. He beat Alex Trujillo by a unanimous decision.
• On December 9, 2006, he won the WBC Continental Americas light welterweight title. He defeated Russell Stoner Jones.
• On July 4, 2008, he won the WBO Oriental welterweight title. He knocked out Jakkirt Suwunnalirt in Australia.

Losing a Title in a Surprising Way

Emanuel was the IBA light welterweight champion for a short time in 2004. He lost his title in his first defense. This happened against Tomas Barrientes. The referee, Laurence Cole, stopped the fight. Emanuel was ahead on all the judges' scorecards. But he was disqualified for pushing and talking back to the referee.

Awards and Recognition

Emanuel Augustus had many memorable fights.

• His fight against "Irish" Micky Ward on July 13, 2001, was amazing. It was named "Fight of the Year" by ESPN in 2001. Ring magazine also gave it the same award.
• In June 2008, ESPN nominated this fight for its "Fight of the Decade" award.
• Emanuel Augustus was also named "ESPN's Most Memorable Fighter."

Life Outside the Ring

Famous boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. once said something special about Emanuel. In a 2012 interview, Mayweather said Augustus was the toughest opponent he had ever faced. This is a huge compliment from one of boxing's greatest. As of 2016, Emanuel Augustus was engaged to be married. He had also started training again.

Notable Fights and Opponents

Emanuel Augustus fought many well-known boxers throughout his career. Here are some of his notable opponents:

• He faced Jesus Chavez early in his career.
• He fought Ivan Robinson on short notice.
• He beat Wilfredo Negron in a close fight.
• He took on Diosbelys Hurtado with little preparation time.
• He knocked out England's Jon Thaxton.
• He lost to Antonio Díaz and Teddy Reid in tough fights.
• He fought John John Molina.
• He was stopped by Floyd Mayweather Jr.. Mayweather still says Emanuel was one of his toughest fights.
• He had an epic "Fight of the Year" against Micky Ward. Ward also said Emanuel was one of the toughest he ever fought.
• He fought Leonard Doroftei from Romania.
• He had a draw with Leavander Johnson.
• He upset Carlos Wilfredo Vilches with a TKO win.
• He lost to Omar Weis, Kelson Pinto, and David Diaz.
• He dominated Alex Trujillo to win a title.
• He stopped Ray Oliveira.
• He had an exciting fight against Herman Ngoudjo.
• He took on Ruslan Provodnikov on short notice.
• His very last fight was a loss to Vernon Paris.