Winky Wright facts for kids

Ronald Lamont "Winky" Wright (born November 26, 1971) is a famous American former professional boxer. He competed in boxing from 1990 to 2012.

Winky was a two-time world champion in the light middleweight division. He was the last boxer to hold the "undisputed" title at that weight until 2022. This means he held all the major championship belts at the same time! Later in his career, he also fought for a major middleweight world title. Winky stopped boxing in 2012 after his last fight against Peter Quillin.

In 2005, a well-known boxing magazine called The Ring said he was the second-best boxer in the world. This ranking was "pound for pound," meaning they compared fighters of all weights. In 2017, Winky Wright was chosen to join the International Boxing Hall of Fame. This is a huge honor for boxers!

Winky Wright's Boxing Journey

How Winky Got His Name

Winky Wright got his famous nickname, "Winky," from his grandmother when he was just 6 months old! The name stuck with him throughout his amazing boxing career. After he won a fight by knockout against Carlos Santana in 1992, the ring announcer used the name "Winky" Wright, and it became official.

At the start of his career, big boxing promoters like Don King and Lou Duva weren't interested in working with Winky. So, his first promoters were the Acaries brothers from France. They arranged for Winky to fight in Europe. He won eight fights in a row in places like France, Germany, and Monte Carlo. During this time, he only fought once in the United States.

First Chance at a Title

On August 21, 1994, Winky got his first chance to win a world title. He fought Julio César Vásquez for the WBA light-middleweight championship in France. Even though Winky had won all 25 of his previous fights, he hadn't fought in a match longer than 8 rounds. This lack of experience showed in the 12-round fight. Vásquez knocked Winky down several times, and Winky lost the fight by a unanimous decision.

After that, on February 4, 1995, Winky won the NABF light-middleweight title by beating Tony Marshall.

Winning a World Title in Europe

Winky kept fighting in Europe, only coming back to the U.S. for one fight. Then, in March 1996, he had an impressive win against Andrew Council. This win opened the door for him to fight Bronco McKart for the WBO light-middleweight title. Winky won this fight by a split decision, becoming a world champion!

He successfully defended his WBO title three times in England. But then, he traveled to South Africa and lost his world title to Harry Simon. It was a very close fight, and the decision was controversial.

Moving Back to America

In 1999, Winky decided to stop working with the Acaries brothers because he was tired of all the traveling. He returned to the U.S. and knocked out Derrick Graham in Miami, Florida.

Next, Winky challenged IBF light-middleweight champion Fernando Vargas. Many people watching, including some boxing reporters, thought Winky had won the fight. However, Vargas was given a controversial majority decision win. Even Harold Lederman, a well-known boxing scorer for HBO, thought Winky won.

Winky continued to win titles like the NABF and USBA light-middleweight titles. He beat Bronco McKart again in one of these fights.

Becoming IBF Champion

When Félix Trinidad moved to a higher weight class, the IBF light-middleweight title became empty. Winky Wright fought Robert Frazier on October 12, 2001, and won the vacant title by a unanimous decision. He successfully defended this title twice. In his third defense, he fought Bronco McKart again. This fight ended in a strange way when the referee stopped the fight and disqualified McKart for hitting Winky below the belt too many times.

Later, Oscar De La Hoya offered to fight Winky, but the deal didn't happen because of money disagreements. Winky then made his national TV debut in Las Vegas. He defended his IBF title against Juan Carlos Candelo in March 2003, winning easily. Eight months later, he had another big win against Angel Hernandez.

Big Fights Against Shane Mosley

Many people were surprised when Shane Mosley challenged Winky to a light-middleweight title fight on March 13, 2004. Mosley was a very famous boxer. Winky was considered the underdog, meaning most people thought he would lose. But Winky surprised everyone! He used his size, strong jabs, and great defense to control the fight. Winky won by a clear unanimous decision, becoming the undisputed light middleweight champion. This meant he held the IBF, The Ring, WBC, and WBA titles all at once!

The rematch happened on November 20, 2004. This fight was much closer, but Winky still won by a majority decision. Soon after, Winky gave up his titles to move up to the middleweight division. He wanted to challenge Félix Trinidad.

Winky vs. Trinidad

On May 14, 2005, Winky was once again seen as the underdog against Félix Trinidad. Trinidad was a fan favorite and known for his powerful punches. Many thought he would knock Winky out. But Winky's amazing defense and quick jabs were too much for Trinidad. Winky easily won by a unanimous decision. Winky says this fight was his greatest achievement because he earned the respect of many fans. His dominant win made many people consider him one of the best boxers in the world. This loss caused Trinidad to retire from boxing for three years.

This fight also meant Winky earned a chance to fight Jermain Taylor, who was the undisputed middleweight champion.

After beating Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya offered Winky a lot of money for a fight. However, Winky turned it down because he felt he deserved more. He also turned down a fight with Floyd Mayweather because he wanted an equal share of the money, which Mayweather's team didn't agree to.

Middleweight Title Shot

After winning a fight against Sam Soliman in December 2005, Winky faced undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor on June 17, 2006. This fight was for the The Ring, WBC, and WBO titles. It was a very close fight and ended in a draw. Both sides tried to arrange a rematch, but they couldn't agree on how to split the money.

Winky returned to the ring in December 2006 and defeated Ike Quartey by a unanimous decision.

Winky vs. Bernard Hopkins

Winky's next big fight was against Bernard Hopkins on July 21, 2007. This fight was at a slightly heavier weight. Early in the fight, Hopkins was ahead on points. But then, an accidental clash of heads caused a deep cut over Winky's eyebrow. This made Winky fight with more urgency, and he started landing more punches. Hopkins, however, managed to land punches on Winky's cut eye. Hopkins won the fight by a unanimous decision.

This was Winky's first loss in eight years. After the fight, Winky explained that he took the fight to prove he was the best boxer, no matter the weight.

Later Years in Boxing

After a long break of 21 months, Winky fought Paul "The Punisher" Williams in April 2009. Winky lost this fight by a clear decision.

After this, Winky tried to get more fights but had trouble. He even had knee surgery in 2010. He wanted to fight champions like Sergio Martínez and Kelly Pavlik, but these fights didn't happen. He was supposed to fight Grady Brewer in Puerto Rico, but that fight was canceled due to low ticket sales.

In November 2010, Winky's grandmother, Mary Dorsey, passed away. Winky said his grandmother was the reason for all his success in boxing.

In 2011, Winky said he would return to boxing. He wanted to fight Matthew Macklin, hoping a win would lead to a shot at the middleweight title. But this fight was also canceled because Winky injured his right hand.

Later, Winky offered to help his friend Chad Dawson prepare for a fight against Bernard Hopkins. Winky said he wasn't a trainer but was there to give advice and help Dawson get in shape. He also said he would return to boxing again, aiming for a couple of warm-up fights. He expressed interest in fighting champions like Miguel Cotto, Saul Alvarez, and Sergio Martínez.

After a three-year break from boxing, Winky fought Peter Quillin on June 2, 2012. Quillin defeated Winky by a unanimous decision. Winky announced his retirement from boxing shortly after this fight.

Professional boxing record

Winky Outside the Boxing Ring

Winky Wright has appeared in several music videos. These include videos for artists like Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, Jamie Foxx, and 2 Pistols. He also had a small role in the movie State Property 2.

He has worked with many well-known brands. These include Reebok, Vitamin Water, and Rocawear. You might have seen him in TV commercials or ads in magazines like Men's Fitness and Men's Health.

Winky also owns his own independent record label called Pound 4 Pound Records. It's based in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Florida. The label works with artists who make different kinds of music, from rock & roll to hip hop.

He also has his own company called Winky Promotions, which helps promote boxing events.

Winky Wright married Sayquana Barney on August 1, 2009. He often takes part in charity events. He also has his own charity called the Winky Wright Foundation. This foundation helps him give back to his community. He still lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

See also

• List of world light-middleweight boxing champions