Tony Thompson (boxer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Thompson
Thompson in 2011
Statistics
Real name	Anthony Tyrone Thompson
Nickname(s)	The Tiger
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 5 in
Reach	81+1/2 in
Born	(1971-10-18) October 18, 1971 (age 53) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	47
Wins	40
Wins by KO	27
Losses	7

Anthony Tyrone Thompson (born October 18, 1971) is an American former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 2000 to 2016. He fought twice for the world heavyweight boxing titles, in 2008 and 2012. Both times he faced the famous boxer Wladimir Klitschko. Many people who watched him box said Thompson had a unique and tricky boxing style. The Ring magazine ranked him as one of the top heavyweights in the world.

Tony Thompson's Early Life

Tony Thompson was born in Washington, D.C. on October 8, 1971. He grew up with 10 brothers and sisters. Tony and his older brother, Keith, lived in an orphanage when they were very young. Later, they moved to a foster home.

The brothers spent most of their childhood in Southeast, D.C.. They often moved between different relatives' homes. Eventually, they went back to the orphanage. Their mother visited them a few times before she passed away. Their father was not around for most of their lives.

When Tony and Keith were in first grade, their grandmother legally adopted them. They lived with her family until she passed away. After that, Tony and Keith returned to foster care. They then lived with an aunt and her two sons in public housing. Tony later moved in with his girlfriend, Sydnee. He became a father at age 17. Neither he nor Keith finished high school. Keith said that having each other and following the law helped them survive.

The brothers were separated in their 20s when Keith joined the army. Keith often sent Tony money to help him. At 23, Tony Thompson became a police officer. He had always dreamed of this job. He later left his job after an incident. Soon after, Thompson moved to Maryland. He then worked as a counselor at the National Children’s Center.

Tony Thompson's Amateur Boxing Career

Thompson started boxing when he was 26 years old. He met his car insurance agent, Gene Molowsky, who had a boxing gym. Gene thought Tony, being tall and strong, would be a great boxer. Tony believed starting boxing later helped him. He felt it allowed his body to grow before getting into tough sports. Thompson had 13 wins and 3 losses as an amateur. He then became a professional boxer in 2000.

Tony Thompson's Professional Boxing Journey

Starting His Boxing Career (2000–2004)

Tony Thompson had his first professional fight on January 27, 2000. He was 28 years old. He won against DeShaun Harper. For this first fight, he earned $300. This money helped him pay his electric bill that month. In his early years as a pro boxer, Thompson also worked regular jobs. He saw boxing as a way to earn extra money. He often trained early in the morning before going to work.

After winning a few fights, Thompson started to see boxing as more than just a side job. On May 20, 2001, he fought Chester Hughes, who had a perfect record of 9 wins. Thompson won that fight in the first round.

By the end of 2001, Thompson had 13 wins and only one loss. He then faced Marion Wilson. Wilson was known for being tough and hard to knock out. Thompson won this fight easily.

On August 31, 2002, Thompson fought Ron Guerrero. Thompson won by a unanimous decision. On October 20, 2002, he faced Zuri Lawrence, an experienced boxer who was on a winning streak. Thompson won this fight in the seventh round.

The Thunderbox Tournament

His wins led Thompson to join the Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament on November 30, 2002. This tournament had eight boxers. It included former world champions and top challengers. Each boxer was guaranteed $5,000. The winner would get $100,000. All the fights took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In the first round, Thompson fought Jeremy Williams. The fight was a draw, but Thompson won because he landed more punches. In the next round, he beat Derrick Jefferson. This sent him to the final. However, Thompson lost in the final to Maurice Harris.

Fighting for Titles (2004-2007)

On March 27, 2004, Thompson fought Yanqui Díaz, an undefeated boxer from Cuba. Díaz was seen as a very promising fighter. Thompson gave Díaz his first loss, winning by a clear decision. Soon after, Thompson agreed to fight Vaughn Bean on September 11, 2004. Bean was known for his tough fights against famous boxers. Thompson won this fight by a unanimous decision. By the end of 2004, BoxRec ranked Thompson as the 7th best heavyweight in the world.

After winning more fights, Thompson signed to face Dominick Guinn on March 18, 2006. Guinn was a well-known American heavyweight. This was Thompson's first 12-round fight. The first half of the fight was close. Thompson used his jab well. In the second half, Guinn started to get tired. Thompson took over the fight, landing many punches. Thompson won by a unanimous decision. His wife, Sydnee, later said she heard Guinn say after the fight that Thompson was much better than he expected.

Winning against Guinn made Thompson more recognized. After a break, he fought Timur Ibragimov on February 16, 2007. Thompson dominated Ibragimov, winning by unanimous decision. After this win, Thompson called out other top boxers. He entered the WBA and IBF heavyweight rankings.

His win over Timur Ibragimov led to a fight against German boxer Luan Krasniqi on July 14, 2007. This fight was to decide who would get a shot at the WBO world heavyweight title. The fight took place in Hamburg, Germany. Thompson seemed to be in control from the start. He pushed Krasniqi against the ropes and landed many punches. In the third round, Thompson hurt Krasniqi's ribs. In the fifth round, the referee stopped the fight because Krasniqi was taking too much punishment. Krasniqi later said this was a very difficult moment in his career.

After winning this important fight, Thompson became the required challenger for the WBO world heavyweight title. This meant he would fight the champion, Sultan Ibragimov. The title fight was delayed because Ibragimov had other fights planned. Thompson then fought Cliff Couser on September 27, 2007. Thompson won by knockout in the second round. By the end of 2008, The Ring magazine ranked Thompson as the 9th best heavyweight.

First World Title Fight (2008)

Thompson finally got his chance to fight for a world heavyweight championship. He signed to face the WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko on July 12, 2008. Klitschko's IBF world heavyweight title was also on the line. Before the fight, Klitschko and his trainer praised Thompson's defensive skills. Thompson promised to fight Klitschko head-on. Many people thought Klitschko would win.

The fight took place in Hamburg, Germany, where Thompson had won his title eliminator. Thompson was considered a big underdog, meaning most people thought he would lose. Thompson weighed 247.5 pounds, which was heavier than Klitschko.

The first few rounds were careful, with both boxers trying to figure each other out. Thompson won the first round on all three judges' scorecards. In the second round, both fighters got a cut above their right eye from an accidental headbutt. Klitschko's eye started to swell in the fifth round. However, after the sixth round, Klitschko started to take control. He landed strong punches on Thompson. In the tenth round, Thompson fell down, mostly from being tired. In the eleventh round, Thompson was hit by a strong punch he didn't see coming. He fell again, and the referee started counting. Thompson got up, but he was unsteady. The referee stopped the fight, giving Klitschko the win.

Even though he lost, Thompson was praised for fighting well. He managed to land punches on Klitschko, which was rare for Klitschko's opponents. Klitschko said the fight was tougher than he expected. Thompson was disappointed but said Klitschko took advantage when he was tired. Thompson reportedly earned $500,000 for the fight.

Coming Back Strong (2009–2011)

After his loss, Thompson stayed in Germany. He became a sparring partner for Vitali Klitschko and fought Adnan Serin. Thompson won that fight in the fifth round. Thompson then agreed to fight Chazz Witherspoon on December 5, 2009. Witherspoon had a good record with only one loss. Thompson dominated Witherspoon from the start. He won in the ninth round after landing many punches.

On April 16, 2010, Thompson faced Owen Beck. Thompson knocked Beck down in the first round. He continued to hurt Beck until Beck's corner stopped the fight in the fourth round.

After this win, Thompson was out of action for almost seven months due to a shoulder injury. He returned on November 20, fighting Paul Marinaccio. Thompson won quickly, stopping Marinaccio in the fourth round. Thompson then agreed to fight Maurice Harris in a fight to decide who would be the number two contender for the IBF world heavyweight title. Thompson defeated Harris in the third round.

Thompson was then set to fight Eddie Chambers on October 28, 2011. This would have been a final fight to decide the IBF world heavyweight title challenger. However, Chambers had to pull out due to an injury. Because of this, Thompson, who was ranked number two, became the mandatory IBF challenger. By the end of 2011, BoxRec ranked Thompson as the 8th best heavyweight in the world.

Second World Title Fight (2012)

On March 4, 2012, Wladimir Klitschko announced he would fight Thompson again. Klitschko said he usually performs better in rematches. He also said Thompson was a strong and difficult boxer with good technique. Thompson said he had been waiting for this rematch for a long time. He promised to knock Klitschko out and bring the belts back to the United States.

The fight took place in Bern, Switzerland, on July 7. Thompson weighed 244.75 pounds, lighter than his previous fight. Klitschko weighed 249 pounds, his heaviest ever.

In the first round, both boxers were careful. Klitschko became more dominant in the second round, using his jab. Thompson tried to attack but fell. The referee did not count it as a knockdown. In the third round, Thompson hurt Klitschko with a punch, but Klitschko was still outboxing him. In the fifth round, Thompson was trapped in a corner and hit by a strong punch. He fell down and the referee started counting. Thompson got up but looked hurt. He managed to survive the round. Klitschko continued his attack in the sixth round, sending Thompson down again with a series of punches. Thompson got up but had to hold onto the ropes. The referee stopped the fight, giving Klitschko the win in the sixth round. Klitschko said Thompson was hard to hit and saw most of his punches. Statistics showed Klitschko landed more punches.

Big Wins and Challenges (2013)

In December 2012, it was announced that Thompson would fight David Price. Price was a highly regarded British heavyweight with a record of 15 wins and no losses. This fight was seen as a big step up for Price. Price's promoter believed a win would make him even more famous. Thompson was a big underdog, meaning few people expected him to win.

Thompson surprised everyone by defeating David Price in the second round. He landed a counter punch that hit Price behind the ear, sending him down. Price got up, but the punch affected his balance. The fight was stopped, giving Thompson a big upset win. After the fight, Price's promoter, Frank Maloney, collapsed and was taken to the hospital.

Maloney said there was a rematch clause, but they wouldn't use it right away. Thompson was upset about how little he was paid for the first fight. He said if they wanted a rematch, it would have to be in the United States, and he would need to be paid what he was worth. However, a rematch was confirmed for July 6, again in Liverpool. David Price said that former world champion Lennox Lewis advised him to take the rematch. Thompson won the rematch in the fifth round. Price seemed to give up after Thompson landed many punches.

In August, Thompson faced undefeated boxer Kubrat Pulev in another important fight. After a close first seven rounds, Thompson seemed to tire. Pulev took advantage and won the fight. This loss made people wonder about Thompson's future at the top level, as he was 41 years old.

Later Career (2014–2015)

In March 2014, Thompson made another comeback. He defeated Odlanier Solís, an Olympic gold medalist, by a split decision. In that fight, Thompson threw over 1,000 punches, setting a new record for a heavyweight fight. He then lost a fight to Carlos Takam later that year. Thompson fought Solís again in February 2015, winning when Solís stopped fighting in the eighth round.

Professional boxing record