Dick Tiger

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Template:Short description Template:Infobox boxer

Richard Ihetu GCOI (August 14, 1929 – December 14, 1971), professionally known as Dick Tiger was a Nigerian professional boxer who held the undisputed middleweight and light-heavyweight championships.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Tiger emigrated to Liverpool, England to pursue his boxing career and later to the United States. Tiger was Igbo and served as a Lieutenant in the Biafran army during the Nigerian Civil War, primarily training soldiers in hand-to-hand combat.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Tiger was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1962 and 1965, while the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1962 and 1966. In 1996, Tiger was voted as one of the best boxers of the 1960s, The later in 1998, Tiger was put in the book of "Best boxers of the 20th Century". In 2002, Tiger was voted by The Ring magazine as the 31st greatest fighter of the last 80 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His first world title win in 1962 was ranked the 15th most memorable moment in Nigerian sports history since 1960 by Premium Times in 2020, the highest ranked combat sports-related moment.<ref name=nigerian-greatest-sports-moments>Template:Cite web</ref>

Professional career

Tiger became a two-time undisputed world middleweight champion and helped keep boxing alive during the 1950s boxing industry recession. Tiger won the WBA middleweight title when he beat Gene Fullmer on October 23, 1962, and the light heavyweight title in 1966 when he dethroned José Torres of Puerto Rico.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Prior to these accomplishments, however, Tiger seemed condemned to poor management and a resulting lack of exposure. In 1957, using Liverpool as his fighting base, Tiger was fighting on undercards for small purses, when by fortune, facing off against popular favorite Terry Downes at Shoreditch Town Hall, he walked away with a TKO after six heats.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> New management saw to it certain "errors in his style" were corrected, and in another year, Tiger had taken 17 of 19 fights and won the British Middleweight title. In 1959, handled by the independent Jersey Jones, Tiger came to America, to face adversity in a whole, new way. Jersey Jones, resisting the influences of Madison Square Garden, brokered deals for Tiger by himself, which in the short run, cost them both. In an independent promotion at Edmonton, Alberta, Tiger's Empire belt was lost in a more-than questionable 15 round nod to local challenger Wilf Greaves. The decision as rendered, had first been called a draw; appalled, Jones demanded a recount of the cards, which boomeranged, showing the fight, dominated by Tiger, as a win for Greaves. Tiger, sincere and honorable in his dealings, often found this virtuous approach not reciprocated, particularly in North America.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

A. J. Liebling, impressed in witnessing Tiger's 1962<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> performance versus Henry Hank of Detroit, described the fighter's appearance thus, "... a chest like an old-fashioned black office safe, dropping away to a slender waist, big thighs, and slender legs; he boxed classically, his arms tight against his sides at the beginning of a punch, his savagely methodical blows moving in short arcs and straight lines."

Such a description was similarly evoked, albeit in simpler terms, by Tiger's contemporaries. Gene Fullmer: "Tiger was a rough guy....I went to Nigeria to fight him, and, of course, I don't know what happened over there....He beat me. He beat me bad. My mother and father could have been judge and referee, and I couldn't have won a round..."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Joey Giardello: "I thank Dick Tiger because Dick Tiger was a man and Dick Tiger gave (a title shot) to me. He didn't have to give it to me. He could have give it to somebody else."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Giardello and Tiger fought four times, with each bout going the full distance. They exchanged the middleweight title during their last two encounters. In total, they spent approximately two and a half hours in the ring together. Prior to one of their later fights, when asked whether he planned to trade punches with the hard-hitting Tiger, Giardello responded, "I wouldn't trade stamps with him."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Numerous accounts of Tiger, both as a person and a fighter, describe him as solid, disciplined, and principled.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He generally avoided promotional theatrics, a contrast to Western marketing tactics of the time. In an effort to secure a title shot, contender Joey Archer, a technically skilled middleweight known for his speed, launched a small-scale advertising campaign aimed at Tiger. One ad stated, "I'm a middleweight, and I've licked every man I ever fought, including you," referencing a previous victory over Tiger. However, Tiger had already signed to defend his title against Emile Griffith, prompting another ad from Archer that read, "The Middleweight Champion should meet the best middleweight (not a welterweight)." Archer also promoted his campaign through television appearances and in the New York Daily News, and was even photographed taunting a caged tiger at the Bronx Zoo. Despite his efforts, Tiger went on to lose the middleweight title to Griffith, and a bout with Archer never materialized. Following the loss, Archer shifted focus elsewhere, and in 1966, Tiger moved up to campaign as a full-time light heavyweight.

After defeating José Torres by decision to win the light heavyweight title, Tiger successfully defended the crown against Torres in a rematch and against Montana native Roger Rouse. He then lost the title to Bob Foster of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Although Foster was sometimes described as a veteran, he was only 26 years old with 33 fights, while Tiger, nearly 40, was approaching the end of his career. The left hook Foster used to knock out Tiger was later ranked among "The 10 Deadliest Punches of the Last 25 Years" by Big Book of Boxing in 1975.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Due to the emphatic nature of the knockout, promoters at Madison Square Garden reportedly felt a rematch would not draw sufficient public interest. As a result, Tiger had to requalify for a title shot and was matched against rising contender Frankie DePaula, who had recorded five consecutive knockouts. Their bout was highly competitive, with both fighters being knocked down twice in the first four rounds. It was later named "Fight of the Year" by Ring magazine. Although Tiger won the decision, it was DePaula—despite the loss—who received the next title shot against Foster.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Retirement and death

In the later part of his career, Tiger traveled from his home in Nigeria to Liverpool, in northwestern England, and eventually to the United States, continuing to make a significant contribution to boxing.

After retiring, he worked as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. One day, he experienced severe back pain and was later diagnosed with liver cancer.

Tiger had previously been banned by the Nigerian government due to his involvement with the Biafran movement. However, the ban was lifted after news of his illness reached Nigeria. He died of liver cancer on 14 December 1971 in Aba, Nigeria, at the age of 42.<ref>Dick Tiger dies of liver cancer, google.com; accessed November 6, 2016.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Professional boxing record

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Template:Abbr Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
82 Template:No2Loss Template:Nowrap Emile Griffith UD 10 Jul 15, 1970 Template:Small
81 Template:Yes2Win 60–18–3 Andy Kendall UD 10 Nov 14, 1969 Template:Small
80 Template:Yes2Win 59–18–3 Nino Benvenuti UD 10 May 26, 1969 Template:Small
79 Template:Yes2Win 58–18–3 Frank DePaula UD 10 Oct 25, 1968 Template:Small
78 Template:No2Loss 57–18–3 Bob Foster KO 4 (15), Template:Small May 24, 1968 Template:Small Template:Small
77 Template:Yes2Win 57–17–3 Roger Rouse TKO 12 (15), Template:Small Nov 17, 1967 Template:Small Template:Small
76 Template:Yes2Win 56–17–3 José Torres SD 15 May 16, 1967 Template:Small Template:Small
75 Template:Yes2Win 55–17–3 Abraham Tomica TKO 5 (10) Feb 5, 1967 Template:Small
74 Template:Yes2Win 54–17–3 José Torres UD 15 Dec 16, 1966 Template:Small Template:Small
73 Template:No2Loss 53–17–3 Emile Griffith UD 15 Apr 25, 1966 Template:Small Template:Small
72 Template:Yes2Win 53–16–3 Peter Mueller KO 3 (10), Template:Small Feb 18, 1966 Template:Small
71 Template:Yes2Win 52–16–3 Joey Giardello UD 15 Oct 21, 1965 Template:Small Template:Small
70 Template:Yes2Win 51–16–3 Rubin Carter UD 10 May 20, 1965 Template:Small
69 Template:Yes2Win 50–16–3 Juan Carlos Rivero TKO 6 (10) Mar 12, 1965 Template:Small
68 Template:No2Loss 49–16–3 Joey Archer SD 10 Oct 16, 1964 Template:Small
67 Template:Yes2Win 49–15–3 Don Fullmer UD 10 Sep 11, 1964 Template:Small
66 Template:Yes2Win 48–15–3 Jose Monon Gonzalez TKO 6 (10) Jul 31, 1964 Template:Small
65 Template:No2Loss 47–15–3 Joey Giardello PTS 15 Dec 7, 1963 Template:Small Template:Small
64 Template:Yes2Win 47–14–3 Gene Fullmer RTD 7 (15), Template:Small Aug 10, 1963 Template:Small Template:Small
63 Template:DrawDraw 46–14–3 Gene Fullmer SD 15 Feb 23, 1963 Template:Small Template:Small
62 Template:Yes2Win 46–14–2 Gene Fullmer UD 15 Oct 23, 1962 Template:Small Template:Small
61 Template:Yes2Win 45–14–2 Henry Hank UD 10 Mar 31, 1962 Template:Small
60 Template:Yes2Win 44–14–2 Florentino Fernández TKO 6 (10) Jan 20, 1962 Template:Small
59 Template:Yes2Win 43–14–2 William Pickett UD 10 Dec 16, 1961 Template:Small
58 Template:Yes2Win 42–14–2 Hank Casey SD 10 May 15, 1961 Template:Small
57 Template:Yes2Win 41–14–2 Ellsworth Webb KO 6 (10), Template:Small Apr 15, 1961 Template:Small
56 Template:Yes2Win 40–14–2 Gene Armstrong TKO 9 (10), Template:Small Feb 18, 1961 Template:Small
55 Template:Yes2Win 39–14–2 Wilf Greaves TKO 9 (15), Template:Small Nov 30, 1960 Template:Small Template:Small
54 Template:No2Loss 38–14–2 Wilf Greaves SD 15 Jun 22, 1960 Template:Small Template:Small
53 Template:Yes2Win 38–13–2 Víctor Zalazar MD 10 Apr 1, 1960 Template:Small
52 Template:Yes2Win 37–13–2 Gene Armstrong UD 10 Feb 24, 1960 Template:Small
51 Template:Yes2Win 36–13–2 Holly Mims MD 10 Dec 30, 1959 Template:Small
50 Template:No2Loss 35–13–2 Joey Giardello UD 10 Nov 4, 1959 Template:Small
49 Template:Yes2Win 35–12–2 Joey Giardello UD 10 Sep 30, 1959 Template:Small
48 Template:Yes2Win 34–12–2 Gene Armstrong PTS 10 Sep 2, 1959 Template:Small
47 Template:No2Loss 33–12–2 Rory Calhoun SD 10 Jul 17, 1959 Template:Small
46 Template:DrawDraw 33–11–2 Rory Calhoun PTS 10 Jun 5, 1959 Template:Small
45 Template:Yes2Win 33–11–1 Randy Sandy PTS 10 May 12, 1959 Template:Small
44 Template:No2Loss 32–11–1 Randy Sandy PTS 10 March 19, 1959 Template:Small
43 Template:Yes2Win 32–10–1 Yolande Pompey PTS 10 Oct 14, 1958 Template:Small
42 Template:No2Loss 31–10–1 Ellsworth Webb PTS 10 Jun 24, 1958 Template:Small
41 Template:Yes2Win 31–9–1 Billy Ellaway KO 2 (8) May 1, 1958 Template:Small
40 Template:Yes2Win 30–9–1 Pat McAteer KO 9 (15) Mar 27, 1958 Template:Small Template:Small
39 Template:Yes2Win 29–9–1 Johnny Read KO 6 (8) Feb 25, 1958 Template:Small
38 Template:Yes2Win 28–9–1 Jimmy Lynas KO 7 (8) Feb 3, 1958 Template:Small
37 Template:Yes2Win 27–9–1 Jean Ruellet PTA 8 Jan 13, 1958 Template:Small
36 Template:Yes2Win 26–9–1 Paddy Delargy KO 6 (10) Nov 28, 1957 Template:Small
35 Template:DrawDraw 25–9–1 Pat McAteer PTS 10 Nov 11, 1957 Template:Small
34 Template:Yes2Win 25–9 Jean Claude Poisson PTS 10 Oct 21, 1957 Template:Small
33 Template:Yes2Win 24–9 Phil Edwards PTS 10 Sep 9, 1957 Template:Small
32 Template:Yes2Win 23–9 Alan Dean PTS 8 Jun 25, 1957 Template:Small
31 Template:No2Loss 22–9 Willie Armstrong PTS 8 Jul 15, 1957 Template:Small
30 Template:Yes2Win 22–8 Marius Dori TKO 7 (8) Jun 4, 1957 Template:Small
29 Template:Yes2Win 21–8 Terry Downes TKO 5 (8) May 14, 1957 Template:Small
28 Template:Yes2Win 20–8 Johnny Read TKO 2 (8) Apr 29, 1957 Template:Small
27 Template:Yes2Win 19–8 Alan Dean PTS 8 Nov 9, 1956 Template:Small
26 Template:No2Loss 18–8 Alan Dean PTS 6 Oct 18, 1956 Template:Small
25 Template:Yes2Win 18–7 Jimmy Lynas PTS 8 Jul 2, 1956 Template:Small
24 Template:Yes2Win 17–7 Wally Scott TKO 4 (8) May 28, 1956 Template:Small
23 Template:Yes2Win 16–7 Alan Dean PTS 8 May 10, 1956 Template:Small
22 Template:Yes2Win 15–7 Dennis Rowley KO 1 (8) May 3, 1956 Template:Small
21 Template:No2Loss 14–7 George Roe PTS 8 Mar 22, 1956 Template:Small
20 Template:No2Loss 14–6 Jimmy Lynas PTS 8 Mar 1, 1956 Template:Small
19 Template:No2Loss 14–5 Gerry McNally PTS 8 Jan 27, 1956 Template:Small
18 Template:No2Loss 14–4 Alan Dean PTS 6 Dec 08, 1955 Template:Small
17 Template:Yes2Win 14–3 Bolaji Johnson PTS 8 Aug 31, 1955 Template:Small
16 Template:Yes2Win 13–3 John Ama KO 2 May 1, 1955 Template:Small
15 Template:Yes2Win 12–3 Raheem Fagbemi PTS 8 Jan 31, 1955 Template:Small
14 Template:Yes2Win 11–3 Koko Kid KO 6 Jan 1, 1955 Template:Small
13 Template:Yes2Win 10–3 Peter Okptra KO 8 Nov 1, 1954 Template:Small
12 Template:Yes2Win 9–3 Super Human Power PTS 8 Jul 18, 1954 Template:Small
11 Template:Yes2Win 8–3 Mighty Joe PTS 6 Jun 12, 1954 Template:Small
10 Template:Yes2Win 7–3 Robert Nwanne KO 2 Feb 1, 1954 Template:Small
9 Template:No2Loss 6–3 Tommy West PTS 6 Jan 29, 1954 Template:Small
8 Template:No2Loss 6–2 Tommy West RTD 7 May 20, 1953 Template:Small
7 Template:Yes2Win 6–1 Simon Eme PTS 8 Feb 1, 1953 Template:Small
6 Template:Yes2Win 5–1 Blackie Power PTS 6 Jan 30, 1953 Template:Small
5 Template:Yes2Win 4–1 Lion Ring TKO 6 Jan 1, 1953 Template:Small
4 Template:No2Loss 3–1 Tommy West PTS 10 Dec 13, 1952 Template:Small
3 Template:Yes2Win 3–0 Easy Dynamite KO 1 Oct 1, 1952 Template:Small
2 Template:Yes2Win 2–0 Koko Kid PTS 8 Sep 1, 1952 Template:Small
1 Template:Yes2Win 1–0 Simon Eme KO 2 Jan 1, 1952 Template:Small

Titles in boxing

Major world titles

The Ring magazine titles

Regional/International titles

Undisputed titles

Portrayals

Fiction

  • A fictional August 29, 1963 Madison Square Garden bout in which a heavily favored Dick Tiger loses to Tom "The Hammer" Case of Dallas, Texas comes near the end of Stephen King's time-travel novel, 11/22/63.

Television

See also

Notes and references

Notes

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References

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Further reading

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