Shannon Briggs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shannon Briggs
Briggs in 2023
Statistics
Nickname(s)	The Cannon
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 4 in
Reach	80 in
Born	(1971-12-04) December 4, 1971 (age 53) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	68
Wins	60
Wins by KO	53
Losses	6
Draws	1
No contests	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing US National Championships Gold 1992 Colorado Springs Heavyweight Representing  United States Pan American Games Silver 1991 Havana Heavyweight

Shannon Briggs (born December 4, 1971) is an American former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1992 to 2016. He was the World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight champion from 2006 to 2007. Briggs was known for his very strong punches and a fierce style. He won many fights by knocking out his opponents, often in the very first round.

Early Life and Start in Boxing

Shannon Briggs was born in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in the Brownsville area of Brooklyn. For some time when he was a child, he did not have a home.

When Briggs was 12, in 1983, he saw the famous boxer Mike Tyson. Briggs said that seeing Tyson that day changed his life. At age 17, Briggs started training at a boxing club in Brooklyn. He was diagnosed with asthma as a child.

Amateur Boxing Career

Shannon Briggs started his boxing journey at the Starrett City Boxing Club. His coach was James O'Farrell. Briggs mostly competed in the heavyweight division. This division is for boxers weighing over 201 pounds.

• He became the New York City Golden Gloves champion.
• He also won the New York State Champion title.
• He became the National P.A.L. Champion.
• In 1991, he won a silver medal at the Pan American Games. He reached the finals without fighting because of "byes" (meaning other boxers withdrew or were not available). He lost the final match to Félix Savón.
• In 1992, he became the United States Amateur Champion.

Briggs also trained with professional boxer Phil Jackson. Jackson was getting ready for a fight against Donovan Ruddock. Briggs hoped to compete in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. However, he had to stop because of a hand injury.

Amateur Fight Highlights

Professional Boxing Career

Early Professional Fights

Shannon Briggs began his professional career in 1992. He did not lose any of his first 25 fights. His trainer during this time was Teddy Atlas. Briggs had his first loss in 1996. He was knocked out in three rounds by Darroll Wilson. This fight was shown on HBO and was meant to highlight young heavyweight boxers.

Becoming a Champion

Briggs vs. George Foreman

On November 22, 1997, Briggs fought against the famous boxer George Foreman. The fight took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Briggs had a record of 29 wins and 1 loss before this fight. His only loss was a knockout against Darroll Wilson. Briggs knew that beating Foreman would help his career a lot.

George Foreman had won the WBA and IBF titles in 1994. He later gave up those titles but kept his "lineal" championship. He had successfully defended this title against other boxers.

The fight between Briggs and Foreman was very close. Briggs won by a decision from the judges. This is called a "majority decision." Foreman landed more punches and had a higher percentage of his punches connect. Foreman landed 284 out of 488 punches (58%). Briggs landed 223 out of 494 punches (45%). Foreman earned $5 million from the fight, while Briggs earned $400,000.

Foreman was the one moving forward more during the fight. Briggs often moved away from Foreman. In the later rounds, Foreman's strong punches seemed to affect Briggs. Briggs slowed down and was hit by some heavy shots. In the last round, Foreman tried hard to get a knockout. He even broke Briggs' nose, but Briggs stayed on his feet. The judges then decided the winner. One judge scored it a draw, but the other two judges scored it for Briggs. This made Shannon Briggs the new lineal heavyweight champion.

Briggs vs. Lennox Lewis

After beating Foreman, Briggs fought Lennox Lewis on March 28, 1998. Lewis was the WBC heavyweight champion. The fight was called March Badness.

In the fifth round, Lewis knocked Briggs down for the third time. Briggs fell flat on his back but got up at the count of eight. He tried to continue the fight. However, after Briggs fell again from a missed punch, the referee stopped the fight. Lewis won by a technical knockout. Lewis earned $4 million, and Briggs earned $1 million. Years later, Lewis said that Briggs had the fastest hands and strongest punches of any opponent he had ever faced.

Later Career (1998–2006)

After losing to Lennox Lewis, Briggs spent seven years fighting against many different opponents. He won 17 fights, all by knockout. He had two losses and one draw during this time. Some of his notable wins were against Ray Mercer and Brian Scott.

WBO Heavyweight Champion

Briggs vs. Siarhei Liakhovich

Briggs won the WBO heavyweight title on November 4, 2006. He knocked out Siarhei Liakhovich in the very last round of their fight. For most of the fight, Briggs was losing on all the judges' scorecards.

In the 12th and final round, Briggs pushed hard. He knocked Liakhovich down. Then, Briggs trapped him against the ropes and kept punching. He knocked Liakhovich out of the ring! Liakhovich landed on a table next to the ring, and the referee stopped the fight. Briggs became the new WBO heavyweight champion.

Briggs vs. Sultan Ibragimov

For his first title defense, Shannon Briggs was supposed to fight Sultan Ibragimov on March 10, 2007. However, Briggs had to pull out because he had a lung infection called "aspiration pneumonia." The fight was rescheduled for June 2, 2007. Briggs lost the fight by a unanimous decision from the judges. He was heavier than ever before at 273 pounds. After this loss, Briggs announced he was retiring from boxing.

Return to Boxing (2009–2010)

Briggs returned to boxing in 2009. He won a fight against Marcus McGee by knockout in the first round. However, Briggs later tested positive for a banned substance. The fight result was changed to "No Contest." His manager said Briggs was taking medication for his asthma. Briggs was suspended for 90 days.

Briggs fought three more times in 2010 before facing Vitali Klitschko. He knocked out all three opponents in the first round.

Briggs vs. Vitali Klitschko

On October 16, 2010, Briggs fought for the WBC heavyweight title against Vitali Klitschko. The fight was in Hamburg, Germany, and was called Thunderstorm. Briggs took a lot of punches during the fight. He lost by a clear unanimous decision from the judges. After the fight, Briggs was taken to a hospital. He had a broken bone near his eye, a broken nose, and a torn muscle in his arm.

2014 Comeback

After not fighting for over three years, Briggs returned in 2014. He fought six times that year and two more times in 2015. He won all eight fights, seven by knockout. He also won the NABA Heavyweight title.

Briggs fought Zoltan Petranyi in Panama and knocked him out. After that fight, another boxer, Guillermo Jones, came into the ring to challenge Briggs. At this time, Briggs was trying to get a fight with the world champion Wladimir Klitschko. Briggs told Jones he would fight him after Klitschko. Neither of those fights happened. Briggs became well-known for a video where he playfully bothered Klitschko while he was paddleboarding.

Later Career (2016–2017)

In March 2016, Briggs confronted David Haye at a press conference. Haye was announcing a fight against Arnold Gjergjaj. Haye did not agree to fight Briggs right away. Instead, he offered Briggs a fight on the same event. Haye promised to fight Briggs next if Briggs won his match. Briggs agreed.

Briggs vs. Emilio Zarate

On May 21, 2016, Briggs fought Emilio Ezequiel Zarate. Briggs stopped Zarate in the first round with strong body punches. This win meant Briggs might fight David Haye next.

Even though Briggs won, a fight between him and Haye did not happen. Briggs kept calling out Haye, asking him to keep his promise. Haye later said the fight didn't happen because Briggs wanted it to be a pay-per-view event, and Haye wanted it on a free TV channel.

WBA Title Discussions

In November 2016, the WBA ordered Briggs to fight Lucas Browne for the WBA regular title. This title became available after Browne lost it for testing positive for a banned substance. The WBA wanted the fight to happen by the end of 2016.

However, on May 21, 2017, it was reported that Briggs also tested positive for a banned substance. His sample showed very high levels of testosterone. The fight was called off. On July 20, 2017, Briggs was suspended for six months by the WBA.

Career from 2019

On March 5, 2019, Briggs announced he would visit the UK for fan events. He said he would apply for a British boxing license to fight there. He also mentioned he might fight on Tyson Fury's undercard in Nevada. On May 15, 2020, Briggs said on Instagram that he and Mike Tyson would have an exhibition fight. They hoped for July 4, 2020, near the Statue of Liberty.

Outside the Boxing Ring

Shannon Briggs is also an actor. He appeared in the TV show New York Undercover in 1995. He has also been in movies like Bad Boys II with Will Smith, Transporter 2, and The Wackness.

Briggs also appeared in a music video for rapper Thirstin Howl III.

In 2019, Shannon Briggs became the trainer for internet star Logan Paul. This was for Paul's boxing rematch against fellow internet star KSI. The fight went all rounds, and KSI won by a split decision. Briggs became well-known in the world of influencer boxing. His catchphrase "let's go champ" became very popular.

Images for kids

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  Briggs in 2023