Rocky Lockridge facts for kids

Rick "Rocky" Lockridge (born January 10, 1959 – died February 7, 2019) was a professional boxer from America. He was known for his exciting fights and for winning important boxing titles. Rocky became famous for defeating Roger Mayweather very quickly in a fight. This win earned him the WBA and lineal super featherweight titles. Later, he also won the IBF super featherweight title. Many people also remember him from his appearance on the TV show Intervention in 2010.

Rocky Lockridge's Early Life and Boxing Career

Rocky Lockridge was born in Tacoma, Washington, on January 10, 1959. When he was 19, in 1978, he moved to Paterson, New Jersey. He started his professional boxing career on August 9, 1978, winning his first fight.

Rocky quickly showed his talent in the ring. He won the New Jersey State Featherweight Championship in 1979. In 1980, he became the USA Featherweight Champion. His first professional loss came on October 4, 1980, when he fought Eusebio Pedroza for the WBA World Featherweight title.

Winning World Titles

A big moment in Rocky's career happened on February 26, 1984. He fought Roger Mayweather, who had never lost a fight before. Rocky won by knockout in the very first round, becoming the WBA junior-lightweight world champion. After this big win, Rocky and his wife Carolyn had twin sons, Ricky and Lamar, in August 1984.

Rocky successfully defended his WBA title two times. He won against Tae Jin Moon in June 1984 and against Kamel Bou-Ali in January 1985. However, he lost his WBA title to Wilfredo Gómez in May 1985.

On August 9, 1987, Rocky won another major title. He defeated Barry Michael to become the IBF world junior-lightweight champion. He defended this title twice, winning against Johnny de la Rosa in October 1987 and Harold Knight in April 1988. On July 23, 1988, he lost his IBF title to Tony Lopez. They had a rematch in March 1989, but Rocky lost again. After one more win against Mike Zena in 1989, Rocky decided to retire from boxing.

Later Years and Passing

After retiring from boxing, Rocky Lockridge moved back to Tacoma, Washington, in 1991. He tried to return to boxing a couple of years later, but both of his comeback fights ended in losses.

In 2006, Rocky suffered a stroke, which made it necessary for him to use a cane. In 2010, his family helped him appear on the TV show Intervention. A short clip from this episode, showing Rocky expressing strong emotion, became a popular Internet meme known as "best cry ever." After the show, Rocky spent time in a special facility and remained sober.

Rocky Lockridge passed away on February 7, 2019, at the age of 60. He had been receiving hospice care at home after experiencing several strokes. Before his death, he had difficulty swallowing and suffered from a lung infection. His caretaker created a fundraiser to help with his medical costs.

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See also

• List of super featherweight boxing champions
• List of WBA world champions
• List of IBF world champions