Tony Tucker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Tucker
Statistics
Real name	Tony Craig Tucker
Nickname(s)	TNT
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 5 in
Reach	82 in
Born	(1958-12-27) December 27, 1958 (age 66) Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	65
Wins	57
Wins by KO	47
Losses	7
No contests	1
Medal record Men's amateur boxing Representing  United States Pan American Games Gold 1979 San Juan Light heavyweight World Cup Gold 1979 New York Light heavyweight

Tony Craig Tucker (born December 27, 1958) is an American former professional boxer. He competed from 1980 to 1998. Tony Tucker won the IBF heavyweight title in 1987. He held this world championship for only 64 days, making him the shortest-reigning world heavyweight champion.

Tony sometimes called himself the "invisible champion." This was because the news and public didn't pay much attention to him. He is most famous for his fight against Mike Tyson, who was at the peak of his career. Tony Tucker even "rocked Tyson" in the first round, meaning he hit him hard. However, Tyson won the fight by a unanimous decision. As an amateur boxer, Tony won several big titles in 1979. These included the United States national championships, the World Cup, and a gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games. All these wins were in the light heavyweight division.

Tony Tucker's Amateur Boxing Journey

Tony Tucker started boxing because of his father, Bob Tucker. His father was also a boxer and became Tony's trainer and manager. He put a lot of effort into helping Tony's boxing career. Tony fought out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. For most of his amateur career, he competed in the light heavyweight division. At the 1979 Pan American Games, he weighed exactly 178 pounds, which was the limit for his division.

Some boxing experts thought Tony was very talented. Robert Surkein, a national boxing chairman, said Tony was even better than another famous boxer, Leon Spinks, at the same stage of their careers. Rollie Schwartz, another boxing official, compared Tony to Joe Louis, a legendary boxer. He said Tony was a mix of a boxer and a puncher and would take him over other light heavyweight champions.

Amateur Highlights and Big Wins

Tony Tucker had many important fights as an amateur. He won the United States National Championships in May 1979. He also won the Pan American Games in July 1979 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In that tournament, he defeated boxers from Cuba, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Later, in October 1979, he won the World Cup in New York City. He beat opponents from Australia, West Germany, and the Soviet Union.

Tony also competed in international matches. He fought against boxers from countries like the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Poland.

The 1980 Olympics and a Lucky Escape

Tony Tucker hoped to compete in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He was an alternate for the United States Olympic Team. However, President Jimmy Carter decided that the U.S. would boycott the Olympics. This meant the U.S. team could not go. Instead, they planned a series of exhibition fights in Europe.

On March 14, 1980, the plane carrying the U.S. boxing team crashed near Warsaw, Poland. All 22 boxers on board died. Tony Tucker was not on that flight. He missed it because of an injury he got just before the accident. After this, Tony became very religious. He believed that God saved his life for a special reason: to become the heavyweight champion of the world. Soon after, Tony decided to become a professional boxer.

Tony finished his amateur career with an impressive record. He had 121 fights, winning 115 of them and losing only 6.

Tony Tucker's Professional Boxing Career

Tony Tucker became a professional boxer in 1980. His early fights were often shown on NBC as part of a show called "Tomorrow's Champions."

Tony's journey as a pro boxer was not always easy. He often got injured. He missed more than a year of fighting because of a knee injury. Tony also changed his managers and trainers many times. Eventually, his father, Bob Tucker, took on both roles. After a strong start, Tony fought in many matches that were not shown on TV during the 1980s.

In June 1984, he won a big fight by knocking out Eddie "The Animal" Lopez. This was special because Lopez had never been knocked down before. Tony then beat Jimmy Young in September. In September 1986, Tony got a major fight against James "Broad-Axe" Broad. This fight was for the USBA belt and was a step towards a world title. Tony won by a unanimous decision.

Becoming the IBF Heavyweight Champion

In 1987, there was a plan to bring together all the heavyweight boxing titles. Tony Tucker was supposed to fight the IBF champion, Michael Spinks. But Spinks chose to fight Gerry Cooney instead, which would earn him more money. Because Spinks refused to fight Tony, the IBF took away his championship on February 19. They then said Tony, as the top challenger, should fight Buster Douglas. Douglas was the boxer who would later famously defeat Mike Tyson.

Tony Tucker fought Buster Douglas on May 30, 1987. This fight was part of a big event that also featured Mike Tyson. Tony won the fight in the tenth round by a technical knockout (TKO). This made him the new IBF heavyweight champion.

The Big Fight: Tucker vs. Tyson

After winning the IBF title, Tony Tucker had to defend it very quickly. Just 64 days later, on August 1, 1987, he faced Mike Tyson. Tyson was already the WBA and WBC champion. This fight was the final match in the championship series. Many people thought Tony would lose, with Tyson being a 10-to-1 favorite.

Tony Tucker had a broken right hand during the fight. Even with this injury, he put up a strong fight against Tyson. Tyson won by a unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed he won. This made Tyson the unified champion, holding all three major heavyweight titles. Tony Tucker's reign as world champion lasted only 64 days, the shortest in heavyweight history.

Even though he lost, Tony showed great skill. He landed 174 punches, while Tyson landed 216. Tony also used his jab well, even though Tyson had a shorter reach. Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard praised Tony, saying he was a "non-conformist" and a "very strategic, very tactical, very intelligent fighter."

Tony Tucker's Comeback Fights

Tony Tucker returned to boxing in 1989. By 1992, he was working with promoter Don King again. He won the NABF belt by beating Orlin Norris and then defended it against Oliver McCall. He ended 1992 with another win, setting himself up for another shot at a world title.

By May 1993, Tony's record was 48 wins and only 1 loss. He challenged Lennox Lewis for the WBC world heavyweight title. Lewis won the fight by a unanimous decision over 12 rounds. Lewis knocked Tony down twice. Before this fight, the 34-year-old Tony had never been knocked off his feet in his professional career.

In 1995, Tony had another chance at a world title. After George Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion, he wanted to fight a boxer named Axel Schulz. But the WBA organization wanted Foreman to fight Tony Tucker instead, as Tony was their top-ranked challenger. When Foreman refused, the WBA took away his title. This set up a fight between Tony Tucker and Bruce Seldon for the vacant WBA heavyweight title in April 1995. Seldon won when doctors stopped the fight in the seventh round because Tony's eye was closing.

Tony lost another chance at a rematch later that year when he was defeated by Henry Akinwande. In 1996, he lost to his old rival Orlin Norris. He then won two smaller fights in California. In 1997, he traveled to the U.K. to challenge Herbie Hide for the WBO title. Tony was knocked down three times and lost in the second round.

In 1998, Tony challenged John Ruiz for his NABF belt. Tony had a strong sixth round, but Ruiz eventually stopped him in the 11th round. Tony came back in May to knock out Billy Wright in the first round. However, his boxing license was later taken away because of concerns about his vision.

See also

In Spanish: Tony Tucker para niños