Tony Tubbs facts for kids

Tony Tubbs, born on February 15, 1958, is a former American professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1980 to 2006. Tony Tubbs was the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight champion from 1985 to 1986. His nickname was "TNT."

Tony Tubbs's Early Boxing Days

As a young boxer, Tony Tubbs had a great amateur career. He fought in 253 matches, winning 240 of them and losing only 13. Most of these fights were in the heavyweight division.

In 1976, Tony Tubbs faced Igor Vysotsky from the Soviet Union. Tubbs lost this match by knockout in the second round. Two years later, in 1978, he competed in the World Cup. He lost in the quarterfinals to the famous Cuban boxer Teofilo Stevenson. Tubbs was the only boxer who managed to stay in the fight for the full time against Stevenson.

Tony Tubbs trained with the Muhammad Ali Amateur Boxing Team. In 1979, he became the National AAU Heavyweight Champion. He won against Mitch Green and Greg Page, who he had lost to before. He also defeated top boxers like Yevgeni Gorstkov and Pyotr Zayev.

Winning the World Cup

In 1979, Tony Tubbs won the AIBA Boxing World Cup. He beat Khoren Indzhyan in the finals. He also got a big win against Marvis Frazier, who had been undefeated with a record of 42 wins and no losses.

Tony Tubbs was supposed to compete in the 1980 Olympic Games. However, he could not go because the United States boycotted the Moscow Olympics. During his amateur career, Tubbs also helped train the legendary Muhammad Ali. He was a sparring partner for Ali's rematch against Leon Spinks.

Tony Tubbs finished his amateur career with an impressive record of 240 wins and 13 losses.

Tony Tubbs's Professional Boxing Career

Tony Tubbs started his professional boxing career on June 14, 1980. He won his first fight by knockout in the very first round. He quickly built up a strong record.

Rising Through the Ranks

After 11 wins, Tony Tubbs fought another undefeated boxer, Clarence Hill, in 1982. Tubbs won that fight by a unanimous decision. In 1983, he defeated Jimmy Young, a boxer who had previously beaten George Foreman. After this, famous boxing promoter Don King signed Tubbs. Tony Tubbs continued to win, and his record reached 20 wins and no losses. In 1985, he won a key fight against James "Bonecrusher" Smith, which helped him get closer to a world title shot.

Becoming a World Champion

On April 29, 1985, Tony Tubbs challenged Greg Page for the WBA Heavyweight Championship. Tubbs and Page had fought seven times as amateurs, with Page winning most of those matches. However, in their professional fight, Tubbs won by a unanimous decision after 15 rounds. This made him the WBA Heavyweight Champion.

Tony Tubbs defended his title for the first time on January 17, 1986, against Tim Witherspoon. Tubbs weighed more for this fight than his previous one. He lost the title to Witherspoon by a majority decision after 15 rounds.

A rematch between Tubbs and Witherspoon was planned for December 1986. But Tubbs pulled out, saying he had a shoulder injury. He was replaced by Bonecrusher Smith, who then knocked out Witherspoon.

On March 21, 1988, Tony Tubbs fought against the legendary Mike Tyson for the Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship. Tubbs boxed well in the first round, but Tyson knocked him out in the second round.

In November 1989, Tubbs won against Orlin Norris, earning the North American Boxing Federation title. However, the victory was later changed to a "no contest" because Tubbs had an issue with a drug test.

Later Career Fights

On April 20, 1991, Tony Tubbs lost a close fight to Riddick Bowe. Many people who watched the fight thought Tubbs had outboxed Bowe easily. In 1992, Tubbs was upset by Lionel Butler, losing by knockout in the first round.

Despite this, Tubbs bounced back with wins against future WBA Heavyweight Champion Bruce Seldon and the undefeated Alexander Zolkin. However, he then suffered another first-round knockout loss to Jimmy Ellis.

The People's Choice Tournament

In December 1993, Tony Tubbs participated in a special one-night tournament called the People's Choice Heavyweight Tournament. He won four fights in one night! He knocked out Willie Jackson in the first round. Then, he won three-round decisions against Tyrell Biggs (an Olympic Gold Medalist), Jose Ribalta, and Daniel Dăncuţă to win the entire tournament. He earned $170,000 for his victory.

Final Years in Boxing

From 1994 to 1997, Tubbs had a record of 3 wins, 3 losses, and one no-contest. He retired from boxing for a while but returned in 2002. He lost two of his first three comeback fights. However, he then won his next five fights, including a victory over the undefeated Brian Minto. Tony Tubbs's last professional fight was on November 4, 2006, where he won a six-round decision against Adam Smith.

California Boxing Hall of Fame

Tony Tubbs was honored for his boxing career on June 25, 2011. He was inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame in Studio City, California. Tubbs attended the ceremony with his family.

Tony Tubbs's Boxing Record Summary

See also

In Spanish: Tony Tubbs para niños