Dick Tiger

Dick Tiger, a Nigerian professional boxer born as Richard Ihetu in 1929 in Amaigbo, fought a total of 82 times over his 18-year career in boxing. Known for his impressive performances in the ring, Tiger holds a record of 60 wins, 19 losses, and 3 draws, with 27 of his wins coming by way of knockout.

Tiger's professional boxing debut took place on January 1, 1952, when he knocked out Simon Eme in the second round. Over his career, he won 8 world titles at two weight classes and held the undisputed world championship title three times, as he secured the light-heavyweight and the middleweight titles twice each. He was also elevated as the world champion once. In this article, we'll take a closer look at Tiger's career highlights and most notable fights.

The Early Years

Tiger's first boxing loss came against Tommy West via a 10-round PTS on December 13, 1952. His next loss didn't come for over three years, during which time he won 17 fights and only had one draw.

On October 23, 1962, after 61 professional fights, Tiger fought Gene Fullmer for the middleweight WBA title, securing his first world title by defeating Fullmer with a 15-round unanimous decision. Fighting Fullmer again in August 1963, Tiger became the undisputed middleweight world champion by knocking him out in the 7th round. He held the WBA, The Ring, and WBC middleweight world-champion belts. Two years later, Tiger added the WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight world-champion belts to his collection after a 15-round unanimous decision against Joey Giardello.

Light Heavyweight Champion

After his second loss to Emile Griffith in 1968, Tiger returned to Nigeria to recover from his injuries. The following year, he defeated Nino Benvenuti in a highly anticipated match that took place on May 26, 1969, and won the fight via a 10th round unanimous decision.

On December 16th, 1966, Tiger became the undisputed light-heavyweight world champion by defeating José Torres with a 15-round unanimous decision. He held the WBA, WBC, and The Ring light-heavyweight world-champion belts. Tiger went on to defend his titles against Torres once more, in a 15-round split-decision win, and against Roger Rouse, whom he knocked out in the ninth round, before losing two fights in a row against Bob Foster and Griffith, respectively.

Career Summary

Throughout his career, Tiger fought against some of the most memorable boxers of his time and retired with a record of 60-19-3, with 27 of his wins by knockout. Among those included four Hall-of-Famers: Nino Benvenuti, José Torres, Joey Giardello, and Gene Fullmer. Tiger also had notable victories against Abraham Tomica, Roger Rouse, and Peter Mueller, among others.

Tiger's last professional fight was a non-title rematch against Griffith on July 15, 1970, at the age of 40. He lost the fight via 10 round unanimous decision. However, despite his retirement, Tiger's legacy as one of the greatest boxers in history remains intact. His outstanding achievements in the sport of boxing led to his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 1991.

Conclusion

In summary, Dick Tiger's professional boxing career spanned more than 18 years and comprised a total of 82 fights, highlighted by his excellence in the ring and victories against some of the most notable boxers of his time. Winning eight world titles across two weight classes, Tiger established himself as one of the greatest boxers of all time and blazed a path for other African boxers to follow. While his professional boxing career may have ended, his contributions to the sports world and he remains an icon in the boxing community.

Dick Tiger Fight Record