Emanuel Augustus facts for kids

Emanuel Augustus (born Emanuel Ya'kov Burton on January 2, 1975) is a famous American former professional boxer. He was known for his super fun and unique boxing style. He often used fancy moves and "showboating" in the ring to confuse his opponents. Emanuel boxed from 1994 to 2011 and fought many of the best boxers of his time. He even won the IBA light welterweight title in 2004.

Early Life and Training

Emanuel Augustus was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in Louisiana and started his boxing journey in Baton Rouge.

When he was 17, Emanuel found a boxing coach named Frank James. Frank ran a gym in Baton Rouge. There, Emanuel met two great friends, James Georgetown and LJ Morvant. LJ Morvant once said that nobody in the gym could beat Emanuel. He would keep fighting, always wanting another round. Emanuel had 27 amateur fights before he became a professional boxer.

Emanuel's Professional Boxing Journey

Emanuel started his professional boxing career at age 17, using his birth name, Emanuel Burton. Later, when his parents got married in 1974, he took his father's last name, Augustus. He kept his nickname "YA," which came from his middle name, Ya'kov. Many boxing fans saw Emanuel fight on ESPN2's Tuesday Night Fights and Friday Night Fights.

In his early career, Emanuel mostly fought in the southern parts of the United States. His first international fight was in Germany in 1997. After a tough period with four losses, he went on his longest winning streak, staying unbeaten for 10 fights! During this time, he traveled to Denmark with only three days' notice to fight a strong boxer named Soren Sondergaard. Emanuel even knocked Soren down twice and earned a draw. Just 10 days later, he flew to England and beat Jon Thaxton to win two important titles: the IBF and WBO Inter-Continental Light titles.

Fans loved watching Emanuel's fights because of his special style and exciting moves. He was always ready to fight anyone, even on short notice, and often in his opponent's hometown. Emanuel would sometimes "clown around" in the ring to make his opponents frustrated. He was famous for his "string-puppet dance." People also remember him for losing some close fights that many thought he should have won, especially when fighting away from home.

In 2000, Emanuel fought a young boxer who would become very famous: Floyd Mayweather. Many people say this was one of Mayweather's toughest fights ever. Even though Mayweather won most of the fight, Emanuel had some great moments and even made Mayweather's nose bleed! To this day, Mayweather says Emanuel was his hardest opponent.

On July 13, 2001, Emanuel faced Micky Ward in what was called the "Fight of the Year" for 2001. Both boxers stood close and threw many punches. It was a wild, non-stop fight where both fighters gave it their all until they were exhausted.

Emanuel became even more well-known after his fight against Courtney Burton on July 6, 2004. He lost this fight in a very close decision that many people disagreed with. The state of Michigan even looked into the decision, but it wasn't changed. Emanuel wanted a rematch, and he got it! On September 1, 2006, he beat Burton in the eighth round. This was a big win because in their first fight, Emanuel had a knockdown taken away unfairly.

One of Emanuel's best wins was against Carlos Wilfredo Vilches on July 19, 2002. Emanuel took this fight with only two days' notice! Vilches was a highly ranked fighter with a record of 37 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws. Emanuel kept pushing forward and landed strong punches, causing a cut near Vilches' eye. The fight was stopped in the eighth round, giving Emanuel an upset win. This victory moved Emanuel to the number two spot in the world rankings for the International Boxing Federation light welterweight division.

After a draw against Alvaro Aguilar, Emanuel won his first world title on April 2, 2004. He fought Alex Trujillo for the IBA World Super Lightweight championship and won by a clear decision after 12 rounds. Two years later, in 2006, Emanuel won another title, the WBC Continental Americas super lightweight belt, by beating Russell Stoner Jones. He won every round on all three judges' scorecards!

Some of Emanuel's losses were very questionable. For example, on June 6, 1999, Danish boxer Allan Vester won their fight with just one second left in the final round. Emanuel was knocked down and didn't get up in time. Emanuel later said he felt frustrated and gave up near the end. Because Emanuel was always willing to fight anyone, anywhere, he often lost close and unfair decisions when fighting in his opponents' hometowns. Many boxing fans believe he was one of the most "robbed" fighters in boxing history.

Near the end of his career in 2008, Emanuel had a three-fight winning streak. This included a knockout win over Jakkirt Suwunnalirt to win the WBO Oriental welterweight title. This was his last title win. He then returned to the United States and lost his next five fights before retiring in 2011. Fans still remember him for his exciting style and showmanship. He is seen as one of the best "journeyman" boxers, meaning he fought many tough opponents and always put on a great show.

Titles Emanuel Won

• IBF and WBO Inter-Continental Light Welterweight Champion: On September 26, 1998, he beat Jon Thaxton in England.
• IBA Light Welterweight Champion: On April 2, 2004, he defeated Alex Trujillo.
• WBC Continental Americas Light Welterweight Champion: On December 9, 2006, he won against Russell Stoner Jones.
• WBO Oriental Welterweight Champion: On July 4, 2008, he knocked out Jakkirt Suwunnalirt in Australia.

A Controversial Loss of a Title

Emanuel was the IBA light welterweight champion from April 2 to June 18, 2004. He lost his title in his very first defense against Tomas Barrientes. The referee, Laurence Cole, stopped the fight and said Emanuel was disqualified. At that time, Emanuel was actually ahead on all the judges' scorecards! He was disqualified for pushing, talking back to the referee, and not looking him in the eyes when asked.

Other Amazing Achievements

Emanuel's fight against "Irish" Micky Ward on July 13, 2001, was named the "Fight of the Year" by ESPN, USA Today, and Ring magazine. In 2008, ESPN even nominated this fight for its "Fight of the Decade" award! Emanuel was also called "ESPN's Most Memorable Fighter."

Emanuel's Unique Boxing Style

Emanuel Augustus was famous for his unusual and exciting boxing style. He would often dance around the ring, including his special "string-puppet dance." But he wasn't just about show; Emanuel also had amazing defense. He was great at slipping punches and using shoulder rolls to avoid getting hit. He used both regular and very unusual footwork. His long-time friend LJ Morvant said that many of Emanuel's unique moves came from characters in the video game Tekken! Because of his fighting style, he earned the nickname "The Drunken Master."

Emanuel once said, "If you were watching my fight, I wanted to give you your money’s worth." This shows how much he cared about entertaining the fans.

Life Outside the Ring

In a 2012 interview, boxing superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr. said that Emanuel Augustus was the toughest opponent he had ever faced. Mayweather also said that Emanuel's boxing record didn't truly show how skilled he was as a fighter.

On October 13, 2014, Emanuel was seriously hurt when he was hit in the back of the head by a random gunshot. He was in critical condition, but he bravely recovered. He lived with his sister in Baton Rouge. By 2016, Emanuel was doing much better, was engaged to be married, and had even started training again.

Emanuel Augustus's Boxing Record Summary

Some of Emanuel's Notable Opponents

Emanuel Augustus fought many well-known boxers throughout his career:

• He faced Jesus Chavez in only his 10th professional fight.
• He fought Ivan Robinson on short notice.
• He won a close fight against Wilfredo Negron.
• He took a short-notice fight against Diosbelys Hurtado.
• He knocked out Jon Thaxton in England after taking the fight on short notice.
• He lost a 12-round decision to Antonio Diaz.
• He lost a controversial 12-round decision to Teddy Reid.
• He fought John John Molina.
• He was stopped by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the 9th round. Mayweather still says Emanuel was one of his toughest opponents.
• He was part of the "Fight of the Year" in 2001 against Micky Ward. Ward also said Emanuel was one of the toughest men he ever fought.
• He fought Leonard Doroftei.
• He had a draw with Leavander Johnson.
• He upset Carlos Wilfredo Vilches with a TKO win.
• He lost a 10-round decision to Omar Weis.
• He lost a 10-round decision to Kelson Pinto on short notice.
• He lost an 8-round decision to David Diaz.
• He clearly won a 12-round fight against Alex Trujillo.
• He stopped Ray Oliveira in 8 rounds.
• He lost an exciting 12-round fight to Herman Ngoudjo.
• He took a short-notice fight against tough boxer Ruslan Provodnikov.
• He lost to Vernon Paris in his very last fight.