Jeff Fenech facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeff Fenech
Statistics
Real name	Jeff Fenech
Nickname(s)	Marrickville Mauler Brick Top
Rated at	Super-flyweight Bantamweight Super-bantamweight Featherweight Super-featherweight Lightweight
Height	5 ft 7 in
Reach	66+1/2 in
Born	(1964-05-28) 28 May 1964 (age 61) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	33
Wins	28
Wins by KO	21
Losses	3
Draws	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  Australia World Cup Bronze 1983 Rome Flyweight Commonwealth Championships Bronze 1983 Belfast Flyweight Oceanian Championships Gold 1984 Taoyuan Flyweight

Jeff Fenech (born 28 May 1964) is a famous Australian former professional boxer. He competed from 1984 to 2008. Jeff is known for winning world titles in three different weight classes. He held the IBF bantamweight title, the WBC super-bantamweight title, and the WBC featherweight title. Later, he was even recognized for a fourth title, the WBC super-featherweight title, after a review of a past fight. Jeff was trained by the well-known Sydney boxing coach Johnny Lewis.

Jeff Fenech was honored in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002. He also joined the Australian National Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2013, he was given the special "Legend" status.

Jeff Fenech's Boxing Journey

Jeff Fenech was born in St Peters, a suburb of Sydney. His family background is Maltese. When he was young, Jeff played junior rugby league. He found his way into boxing at the Newtown Police Boys Club in Sydney. There, he met his future trainer, Johnny Lewis.

Jeff had a fantastic amateur boxing career. He even represented Australia at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was chosen as the captain of the boxing team. At the Olympics, Jeff had a very close quarter-final fight. He initially won, but the decision was changed after a review. Many people felt Jeff should have won and earned an Olympic medal. This experience led him to become a professional boxer.

Jeff turned professional later in 1984. In his very first pro fight, he won by knockout in the second round. He quickly became known for his powerful starts. He won his first eleven fights by knockout! His fourth fight was even held in Fiji.

He continued to win against tough opponents. By early 1985, he was ranked number one among bantamweight boxers worldwide. Some people wondered if he could last a long fight, but he soon proved them wrong.

Becoming a Bantamweight Champion

It took Jeff Fenech only six professional fights to become a top contender. He became one of the fastest boxers to fight for a world title. In his seventh fight, he challenged Satoshi Shingaki for the IBF Bantamweight title. Jeff made history by knocking out Shingaki in nine rounds. This happened in front of a huge crowd in Sydney.

After winning two more non-title fights by knockout, he gave Shingaki a rematch. Jeff won again, knocking him out in three rounds. Then, he faced Jerome Coffee and won by a decision after 15 rounds. This showed he could last the whole fight.

In 1986, Jeff had two big fights. He beat former world champion Daniel Zaragoza. He also defended his IBF title against Steve McCrory. This fight was called "Olympic Revenge" because McCrory had won the Olympic Gold Medal in the same weight class as Fenech. After the fight, McCrory let Jeff wear his Olympic Gold Medal. This was a great moment for the fans.

Winning the Super Bantamweight Title

The year 1987 was very exciting for Jeff Fenech. He moved up to the super bantamweight division. He won his first fight in this new weight class. Then, he challenged the WBC super bantamweight champion, Samart Payakaroon. Jeff became a two-weight world champion by knocking out Payakaroon in four rounds.

For his next title defense, he faced Greg Richardson and knocked him out. Then, he fought former champion Carlos Zarate. Jeff kept his title with a technical decision win. He finished the year by knocking out Osmar Avila in just one round.

Becoming a Featherweight Champion

By 1988, Jeff Fenech had grown into a featherweight. The WBC set up a fight for their vacant featherweight title. Jeff fought Puerto Rico's former champion, Victor Luvi Callejas, in Sydney. Jeff joined an exclusive group of boxers who have won world titles in three or more divisions. He knocked out Callejas in the 11th round. He defended this title twice that year. He knocked out Tyrone Downes and Georgie "Go Go" Navarro.

In 1989, he won two more fights by decision. He beat Marcos Villasana and Mario Martinez.

Challenging for the Super Featherweight Title

After a year off, Jeff returned in 1991 as a super featherweight. He tried to become a four-division world champion. He fought Azumah Nelson in Las Vegas. After 12 intense rounds, the fight was declared a draw. Many boxing experts felt Jeff should have won. In 2022, the WBC reviewed the fight and officially declared Jeff Fenech the winner. This meant he had indeed won a fourth world title!

After returning to Australia, Jeff fought Azumah Nelson again. This time, Nelson won by knockout in the eighth round. This was Jeff's first professional loss.

Jeff fought a few more times after that. In 1993, he lost to Calvin Grove. In 1995, he won a fight in New Jersey.

Lightweight Title Challenge and Retirement

In 1996, Jeff fought for the IBF lightweight title against Phillip Holiday. He lost this fight and decided to retire from boxing.

Jeff Fenech retired with an impressive record. He had 28 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw. Out of his wins, 21 were by knockout.

Life After Boxing

Jeff Fenech was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1986.

After retiring, Jeff has stayed busy. He owns a sports clothing brand in Australia. He was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002. Jeff became a boxing trainer, helping many fighters. Some of the boxers he trained include Danny Green and Vic Darchinyan.

In March 2005, Jeff became the trainer for former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. He helped Tyson prepare for his exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. in 2020.

Boxing Comeback Against Nelson

In March 2008, Jeff Fenech, at 43 years old, announced he would return to professional boxing. He trained hard and lost a lot of weight. He planned to fight Azumah Nelson again, who was 49 at the time. This fight was called a "grudge match." On 24 June 2008, Jeff Fenech won the fight against Azumah Nelson by a majority decision.

Jeff also enjoys playing poker. In June 2008, he won a celebrity poker event. He now appears at poker events around the world.

Amateur Boxing Highlights

• 1983: Won the Oceanic Flyweight championship.
• 1983: Earned 3rd place at the World Championships in Rome, Italy.
• 1983: Placed 3rd as a Flyweight at the Commonwealth Titles in Belfast.
• 1984: Won the Oceanic Flyweight championship again.
• 1984: Represented Australia as a Flyweight at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. He won two fights before a controversial loss in the quarter-final.

Professional Boxing Record Summary

See also

• List of boxing quadruple champions
• List of IBF world champions
• List of WBC world champions