Howard Davis Jr. facts for kids
Davis with Chuck Liddell, 2009
|
||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nationality | American | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born | February 14, 1956 Glen Cove, New York, U.S. |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Died | December 30, 2015 (aged 59) Plantation, Florida, U.S. |
|||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 60 kilograms (132 lb) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Boxing | |||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | Lightweight and Featherweight | |||||||||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Howard Edward Davis Jr. (born February 14, 1956 – died December 30, 2015) was a famous American boxer. He grew up on Long Island as the oldest of ten children. Howard first learned how to box from his father.
He was inspired by a movie about the legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. This led Howard to start his own boxing journey as an amateur. He achieved great success, winning an Olympic gold medal in 1976. This amazing win happened just one week after his mother passed away. At the Olympics, he also received the Val Barker Trophy. This award is given to the most outstanding boxer at the Games. He won it over other future boxing stars like Sugar Ray Leonard and Michael Spinks.
After the Olympics, Howard became a professional boxer. He had a career record of 36 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw. He retired from boxing in 1996. Later, he became a boxing trainer. He worked at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida. There, he trained both amateur and professional boxers, and even MMA fighters. Howard was also known as a motivational speaker and a musician.
Contents
Howard's Amateur Boxing Journey
Howard Davis Jr. had a truly amazing amateur boxing career. His father, who was also a former boxer, trained him. Howard won many important matches.
Olympic Gold Medal Win
In 1976, Howard won the gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada. He competed in the lightweight division. This was a huge achievement for him and his country.
At these same Olympics, Howard was named the Most Outstanding Boxer. He was given the special Val Barker Trophy for this honor. His teammates at the Olympics included famous boxers like Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Spinks, and Leon Spinks. His Olympic victory was especially meaningful because it happened just one week after his mother died.
Howard's amateur record was very impressive, with 125 wins and only 5 losses.
Key Amateur Achievements
Howard won several major titles before turning professional:
- In 1973, he became the National AAU Champion.
- In 1974, he won the World Amateur Championships in Havana, Cuba.
- In 1976, he again became the National AAU Champion. He even defeated future boxing legend Thomas Hearns in the final.
- He also beat Aaron Pryor to qualify for the 1976 Olympic team.
At the 1976 Olympics, he won all his fights:
- He defeated boxers from Japan, Colombia, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia.
- In the final match, he won against Simion Cuţov from Romania to claim the gold medal.
Becoming a Professional Boxer
Howard Davis Jr. started his professional boxing career in 1977. He won his first thirteen fights in a row.
Challenging for World Titles
In 1980, Howard fought Jim Watt for the WBC lightweight title. Watt won the fight. In 1984, Howard had a record of 26 wins and only 1 loss. He then challenged Edwin Rosario for the WBC lightweight title. Rosario kept his title after a close fight.
Howard's last chance to win a world title was in 1988. He fought Buddy McGirt for the IBF junior welterweight championship. McGirt won the fight. Howard retired after this match.
Comeback and Final Retirement
In 1994, Howard decided to return to boxing as a middleweight. He fought a few more times. He officially retired for good after a fight in April 1996.
He ended his professional career with a record of 36 wins, 6 losses, and 1 draw. He had 14 knockouts.
Special Recognitions
Howard Davis Jr. received several honors from his hometown.
Hometown Parades and Street Naming
In August 1976, his hometown of Glen Cove, New York, held a parade to celebrate his Olympic gold medal. Many people attended, including the Lt. Governor.
In July 2009, Glen Cove honored Howard again. They named a street after him. The Mayor also declared July 10 as Howard Davis Day. This day honored both Howard and his father.
Howard's Life Outside the Ring
Howard Davis Jr. had an interesting life beyond boxing.
Lost and Found Medal
In 1981, his Olympic Gold Medal was stolen from his home. Years later, a landscaper found it on the side of the road. The landscaper realized how valuable the medal was and returned it to Howard.
Trainer and Speaker
Howard became a boxing trainer for MMA fighters. These included famous names like Chuck Liddell. He also worked with fighters from American Top Team. He was a sports commentator and a public speaker. Howard even promoted boxing events. He was a boxing coach for Chuck Liddell on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter 11. His wife, Karla Guadamuz-Davis, helped him with his public relations and business.
Howard followed a strict vegetarian diet. His son, Dyah, also became a professional boxer. Dyah now works as a boxing coach at the American Top Team.
Howard's Passing
In the summer of 2015, Howard Davis Jr. found out he had lung cancer. The cancer was in a late stage and could not be cured. He passed away on December 30, 2015, at the age of 59.
Images for kids
-
Howard Davis Jr. with Chuck Liddell in 2009.
