................. 11140$ $$FM 01-18-05 14:08:52 PS PAGE i MORE SPORTS TITLES FROM POTOMAC BOOKS Boxing’s Most Wanted娃: The Top 10 Book of Champs, Chumps, and Punch-Drunk Palookas, David L. Hudson, Jr., and Mike Fitzgerald, Jr. Indy: The Race and Ritual of the Indianapolis 500, Second Edition, Terry Reed You Can Quote Me on That: Greatest Tennis Quips, Insights, and Zingers, Paul Fein Forging Genius: The Making of Casey Stengel, Steven Goldman The Super Bowl’s Most Wanted娃: The Top 10 Book of Big-Game Heroes, Pigskin Zeroes, and Championship Oddities, Walter Harvey Big Play: Barra on Football, Allen Barra Wrigley Field: The Unauthorized Biography, Stuart Shea Pro Basketball Forecast: 2004–05 Edition, John Hollinger Pro Football Forecast: 2004 Edition, Sean Lahman and Todd Greanier ................. 11140$ $$FM 01-18-05 14:08:52 PS PAGE ii HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING UPSETS OF THE 1990S DAVID E. FINGER Potomac Books, Inc. Washington, D.C. ................. 11140$ $$FM 01-18-05 14:08:59 PS PAGE iii Copyright 䉷 2005 by David Finger. Published in the United States by Potomac Books, Inc. (formerly Brassey’s, Inc.). All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Finger, David. Rocky lives! : heavyweight boxing upsets of the 1990s / David Finger. —1st ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-57488-905-2 (alk. paper) 1. Boxing—United States—History. 2. Boxing matches—United States—History. 3. Boxers (Sports)—United States—Biography. I. Title. GV1125.F52 2005 796.83⬘0973—dc22 2004027238 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper that meets the American National Standards Institute Z39-48 Standard. Potomac Books, Inc. 22841 Quicksilver Drive Dulles, Virginia 20166 First Edition 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ................. 11140$ $$FM 01-18-05 14:08:59 PS PAGE iv To my parents, who never bet against this underdog. ................. 11140$ $$FM 01-18-05 14:08:59 PS PAGE v ................. 11140$ $$FM 01-18-05 14:09:00 PS PAGE vi CONTENTS List of Photographs xi Acknowledgments xii Introduction xiii CHAPTER ONE: 1990 James ‘‘Buster’’ Douglas KO10 Mike Tyson 1 Mark Wills KO6 Greg Page 9 Mike ‘‘The Bounty’’ Hunter Wu10 Pinklon Thomas 12 John Sargent TKO8 Yuri Vaulin 16 CHAPTER TWO: 1991 Oliver McCall TKO9 Bruce Seldon 25 Levi Billups Wu10 James ‘‘Bonecrusher’’ Smith 29 Nathaniel Fitch TKO1 Terry Davis 33 CHAPTER THREE: 1992 Larry Holmes Wu12 Ray Mercer 37 Jerry Arentzen TKO4 Paul Roma 42 Jerry Jones Wu10 Carl ‘‘The Truth’’ Williams 44 Lionel Butler WDQ4 David Dixon 48 Tim ‘‘Doc’’ Anderson Wu5 Mark Gastineau 51 Jimmy Lee Smith TKO7 Mark Carrier 56 Everett ‘‘Bigfoot’’ Martin Ws10 Tim Witherspoon 59 Lionel Butler KO1 Tony Tubbs 64 Ron Cranmer Wu6 Jerry Quarry 67 Lennox Lewis TKO2 Donovan ‘‘Razor’’ Ruddock 71 vii ................. 11140$ CNTS 01-18-05 14:08:53 PS PAGE vii viii C O N T E N T S CHAPTER FOUR: 1993 Mike ‘‘The Bounty’’ Hunter Wu12 Tyrell Biggs 77 Lawrence ‘‘Poncho’’ Carter TKO7 Pinklon Thomas 81 Jesse Ferguson Wu10 ‘‘Merciless’’ Ray Mercer 84 Mike Weaver Wu10 Bert Cooper 90 Jeremy Williams TKO2 Danell Nicholson 96 Mike ‘‘The Duke’’ Dixon TKO2 Alex Garcia 99 Jimmy Ellis KO1 Tony Tubbs 102 Carl McGrew W6 John ‘‘Hogg Man’’ Sargent 104 William Morris Wu8 Tim Puller 108 Ladislao Mijangos TKO1 Jimmy Ellis 111 Michael Bentt TKO1 Tommy ‘‘The Duke’’ Morrison 113 Evander Holyfield Wm12 Riddick Bowe 118 Dan Dancuta Wu3 James ‘‘Bonecrusher’’ Smith 125 CHAPTER FIVE: 1994 William Morris Ws8 Ray Anis 131 Stanley Wright TKO8 Peter McNeeley 134 Ed Donaldson KO2 Quinn Navarre 138 Michael Moorer Wm12 Evander Holyfield 141 Nate Tubbs KO2 Corrie Sanders 148 Craig Payne TKO6 Samson Po’uha 152 Doug Davis Wu8 Craig Tomlinson 157 Oliver McCall TKO2 Lennox Lewis 160 John Carlo TKO1 Leon Spinks 165 George Foreman KO10 Michael Moorer 168 Josh Imadiyi TKO2 Tom ‘‘The Bomb’’ Glesby 177 Bobby Crabtree TKO1 King Ipitan 180 CHAPTER SIX: 1995 Robert Hawkins Wu4 Jerry Ballard 185 Franco Wanyama Ws10 James Thunder 187 Marion Wilson Ws10 Mike ‘‘The Bounty’’ Hunter 192 Brian ‘‘B-52’’ Yates KO2 Earnie Shavers 195 Mitch Rose TKO2 Butterbean 199 ................. 11140$ CNTS 01-18-05 14:08:53 PS PAGE viii C O N T E N T S ix CHAPTER SEVEN: 1996 Maurice ‘‘Mo’’ Harris Wu8 David (Izon) Izonritei 205 Darroll Wilson KO3 Shannon Briggs 208 James Pritchard TKO4 Greg Suttington 214 Lou Monaco TKO5 ‘‘Hurricane’’ Peter McNeeley 217 Jesse Ferguson Wu10 Bobby Joe Harris 221 Craig Petersen TKO8 Alex Stewart 225 Peter Hrivnak TKO2 Jukka Jarvinen 230 Evander Holyfield TKO11 Mike Tyson 232 Brian Scott KO2 Courage Tshabalala 240 CHAPTER EIGHT: 1997 John Ruiz Ws12 James Thunder 243 Bert Cooper TKO1 Richie Melito 248 Levi Billups KO6 Terrence Lewis 251 Darroll Wilson KO4 Courage Tshabalala 255 Ike Ibeabuchi Wu12 David Tua 258 Lyle McDowell Ws12 Trevor Berbick 264 Robert Hawkins TKO10 Gary Bell 267 Paul ‘‘Rocky’’ Ray Phillips KO2 Michael Dokes 272 CHAPTER NINE: 1998 Michael Murray TKO3 Kevin McBride 277 Joe Bugner TKO1 James ‘‘Bonecrusher’’ Smith 280 Terry Verners TKO3 Alonzo Highsmith 283 Ross Puritty TKO11 Wladimir Klitschko 286 Jesse Ferguson Ws10 Obed Sullivan 290 CHAPTER TEN: 1999 Julius Francis TKO3 Pele Reid 295 Artis Pendergrass Ws10 Greg Page 298 Israel Cole W10 David Bostice 303 Dick Ryan TKO10 Brian Nielsen 306 Maurice Harris Wu10 Jeremy Williams 313 Jeff Pegues TKO5 Joe Hipp 317 ................. 11140$ CNTS 01-18-05 14:08:53 PS PAGE ix