Donovan Ruddock

Donovan Ruddock
Donovan "Razor" Ruddock
Statistics
Real name Donovan Ruddock
Nickname(s) Razor
Rated at Heavyweight
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Nationality Canadian
Born December 21, 1963 (1963-12-21) (age 47)
St. Catherine, Jamaica
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 44
Wins 38
Wins by KO 29
Losses 5
Draws 1

Donovan Ruddock (born December 21, 1963, Saint Catherine, Jamaica), also known as Razor Ruddock, is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxer. He was a promising Heavyweight of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Ruddock earned the "Razor" nickname early on for his cutting jab but he was better known for a powerful left hook, which he called "The Smash." One of the best exhibitions of his left hook power, was his brutal 1990 knockout of former Heavyweight champion Michael Dokes.

Contents

Early years

As an amateur, Ruddock had a win over Lennox Lewis.[1] He turned pro in 1982, but his career started slowly, having only 11 fights between 1982 and 1985. He won eight of his first nine fights, but drew his fifth. More controversy would follow in April 1985 when he lost to journeyman David Jaco, who'd been KO'd by a young Mike Tyson the year after. After eight rounds Ruddock's corner threw in the towel after he complained of breathing problems. Jaco was awarded a TKO victory. It was discovered Ruddock had a rare respiratory illness and doctors told him his career might be over.

Return to the ring

After taking 10 months off after rehabilitation Ruddock made a full recovery to the doctors surprise and resumed his boxing career winning 9 straight fights, 8 of them by KO also picking up an impressive decision win over former Heavyweight Champion Mike Weaver before going on to fight Ken Lakusta in 1988 for the Canadian heavyweight championship. Ruddock won by first round knock out.

In 1989 after two more wins, both by KO, a fight with another former Heavyweight Champion, the hard hitting James 'Bonecrusher' Smith was made. Some[who?] saw it was a risky fight because of Smith's power and a risk not worth taking. In the round 2 he was floored heavily by Smith but showed his heart by getting up, coming back in the round and impressively knocking out Smith in the 7th round.

A title bout was made with undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, scheduled for November 1989 in Edmonton, Alberta.[2] Tyson, claiming illness, cancelled and opted instead to fight James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo. Tyson would go on to lose in one of the biggest shocks in boxing history. Many[who?] accused Tyson of avoiding Ruddock.

Ruddock vs Dokes

1990, Ruddock would fight former heavyweight champion Michael Dokes. Ruddock would go into the fight as underdog but would put on one of the best performances of his career knocking out Dokes in the 4th round. Dokes appeared to be seriously stunned on the ropes after taking Ruddock's famous 'Smash' left hook, a right hand would follow which appeared to put Dokes out cold but Ruddock would throw another two hooks and Dokes was knocked out cold for minutes.

Difficulty finding opponents

After another KO win over Kimmuel Odum in 1990 Ruddock was now seen as the most feared and exciting heavyweight since Mike Tyson burst onto the boxing scene in 1985 with many[who?] ranking his power with that of the Heavyweight greats like George Foreman. Ruddock would hold talks with the new heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield fresh from his KO win over James 'Buster' Douglas. Holyfield refused the fight and opted to fight 42 year old George Foreman instead. Ruddock would turn his attentions to another up and coming star Riddick Bowe, and held talks with Bowe's management about a possible fight between the two but again Ruddock was unable to get the big fight he craved as Bowe would refuse the fight and opted to fight little known Philipp Brown instead.

Mike Tyson Accepts Fight

With no big name opponent, Ruddock took a warm up fight against Mike Rouse in December 1990 winning by 1st round knockout. The boxing world[who?] was calling for Holyfield, Bowe and Tyson to fight Ruddock and prove who was the best heavyweight. Ruddock would finally get his big fight in 1991 after it was announced in January that Ruddock would fight Mike Tyson in March after Tyson accepted Ruddock's challenge. Both fighters were praised in the boxing world[who?] for making the fight happen and it was seen by many as the fight between the two best heavyweights in the world as Evander Holyfield was still lightly regarded as champion. It would pit Tyson the number #1 contender against Ruddock who was number #2 for the right to fight the winner of Holyfield-Foreman.

Tyson vs Ruddock

Tyson-Ruddock happened on March 18, 1991. The fight received much attention and at the time was one of the biggest pay-per-view fights to date. The fight was brutal with Tyson scoring a knockdown in round 2 and then knocking Ruddock down toward the end of round 3. The fight went back and forth with Ruddock showing incredible heart and determination. Ruddock had his big moment in round 6 after connecting with some big shots and an uppercut that stunned Tyson before the bell sounded. Tyson started Round 7 charging at Ruddock and after catching him with numerous big shots. Referee Richard Steele controversially stopped the fight even though it appeared Ruddock, although staggering, was healthy enough to continue. The premature stoppage caused tempers to boil over with people angry at the decision. Fighting broke out between both camps in the ring. Steele had to be escorted out of the ring after the angry protests. The only people who seemed calm through it all were the two fighters who both praised each other after the fight with Tyson saying "He punches like a fucking mule kick", stating it was the hardest he'd ever been hit, something he still says to this day.

Tyson vs Ruddock II

After such a controversial first meeting, a rematch was called for. The second Tyson-Ruddock fight took place on June 28, 1991.

The rematch went the distance, a full 12 rounds. Tyson knocked Ruddock down twice during the bout, and won by unanimous decision. The severity of the struggle was evident on both fighters after the fight: Ruddock had a broken jaw and Tyson suffered a perforated eardrum. Sports Illustrated reported that Ruddock's jaw may have been broken as early as the fourth round.[3] Tyson was magnanimous after his triumph, praising Ruddock as a great heavyweight: 'Man this guy is tough, he'll be champion of the world one day if he stays dedicated and doesn't slip up'.

Comeback Trail

After losing to Tyson for the second time, Ruddock picked up victories over former heavyweight champion Greg Page and got an impressive win over undefeated hope Phil Jackson, both fights again were won by KO. Those victories set up a bout with Lennox Lewis in London, 1992. The bout was seen as an elimination bout for the opportunity to face the winner of the upcoming Bowe - Holyfield match.[4] Ruddock was knocked out in the second round.

After more than two years out after the Lewis defeat Ruddock came back in 1994 with a points win over Anthony Wade which led to a fight with Tommy Morrison in 1995. In the first round he put Morrison down, and seemed to be close to stopping Morrison, but was caught by a left hook that wobbled him. Again, like the first Tyson fight, Ruddock was stopped controversially in the 6th round on the three knockdown rule. After the loss to Morrison, Ruddock disappeared for 3 years until he returned once again in 1998. He continued to fight until 2001 and never lost a fight. He finished his career by regaining the Canadian Heavyweight title for a second time with a win over Egerton Marcus in his last fight and retired with a record of 37 wins in 43 bouts.

Legacy

Since he Retired in 2001 when asked about his Boxing career he stated his fights with Tyson took everything out of him and believed they also finished Tyson insisting both he and Tyson were never the same after those fights.

Ruddock was ranked 70th on Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time.

Life After Boxing

In the late 1990s Ruddock had filed for bankruptcy as a number of failed investments, including $1 million that he lost when his Fort Lauderdale nightclub "Razor's Palace" went under; had left him cash poor. A contract dispute ruined a close relationship with his brother and former manager, Delroy.[5]

In 2006 Ruddock invented a non-electrical garbage compacter called The Boxer which he hoped would become a success. Ruddock marketed the device he designed one day after becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of waste his family was creating.[6] The Boxer was sold on his website, Razorruddock.com, however as of January 2010, the site is no longer up and running.

Professional boxing record

38 Wins (29 knockouts, 8 decisions), 5 Losses (3 knockouts, 2 decisions), 1 Draw [1]
Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
Win 38-5-1 Canada Egerton Marcus TKO 10 (12) 12/10/2001 United States Civic Center, Niagara Falls, New York, United States Won vacant Canada Heavyweight title.
Win 37-5-1 United States Harold Sconiers SD 10 27/04/2001 United States Civic Center, Niagara Falls, New York, United States
Win 36-5-1 Cuba Jose Ribalta KO 1 (10) 08/10/1999 United States Turning Stone Casino, Verona, New York, United States Ribalta was knocked down twice.
Win 35-5-1 Mexico Mike Sedillo TKO 8 (10) 20/07/1999 Canada Caesars Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Win 34-5-1 United States Derek Amos TKO 1 (10) 27/05/1999 United States Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort, Chester, West Virginia, United States
Win 33-5-1 United States Anthony Willis TKO 6 (10) 19/02/1999 United States Turning Stone Casino, Verona, New York, United States
Win 32-5-1 United States Tony LaRosa TKO 3 (10) 21/01/1999 United States Marksville, Louisiana, United States Stopped on cuts.
Win 31-5-1 Puerto Rico Rodolfo Marin TKO 8 (10) 11/08/1998 United States Miccosukee Indian Gaming Resort, Miami, Florida, United States
Win 30-5-1 United States Tony Bradham KO 2 (10) 26/06/1998 United States DePaul Alumni Hall, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 29-5-1 United States Brian Yates TKO 4 (10) 16/04/1998 United States North Vernon, Indiana, United States
Loss 28-5-1 United States Tommy Morrison TKO 6 (12) 10/06/1995 United States Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, United States For vacant IBC Heavyweight title. Morrison down in the 1st round by right uppercut. Ruddock down in the 6th round by left hook.
Win 28-4-1 United States Anthony Wade UD 10 29/01/1994 United States MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 27-4-1 United Kingdom Lennox Lewis TKO 2 (12) 31/10/1992 United Kingdom Earls Court Exhibition Hall, Kensington, London, England, United Kingdom For Commonwealth (former British Empire) Heavyweight title. WBC Heavyweight title eliminator. Ruddock down once in 1st, twice in 2nd. Shortly after this fight, Lewis was proclaimed the WBC Heavyweight Champion as Riddick Bowe refused to face him.
Win 27-3-1 United States Phil Jackson KO 4 (12) 26/06/1992 United States CSU Convention Centre, Cleveland, Ohio, United States Won IBC Heavyweight title. Jackson was knocked down once in the 3rd, and once in the 4th rounds.
Win 26-3-1 United States Greg Page RTD 8 (10) 15/02/1992 United States Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 25-3-1 United States Mike Tyson UD 12 28/06/1991 United States Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Ruddock down in 2nd and 4th rounds. Tyson had one point deducted in the 4th, 9th, and 10th for fouls. Ruddock lost a point in the 8th for hitting after the bell.
Loss 25-2-1 United States Mike Tyson TKO 7 (12) 18/03/1991 United States Mirage Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Ruddock was knocked down in the 2nd and 3rd rounds.
Win 25-1-1 United States Mike Rouse KO 1 (10) 08/12/1990 United States Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 24-1-1 United States Kimmuel Odum KO 3 (10) 18/08/1990 United States Harrah's Marina Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 23-1-1 United States Michael Dokes TKO 4 (12) 04/04/1990 United States Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States Won WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title.
Win 22-1-1 United States James Smith KO 7 (10) 02/07/1989 United States Cumberland Co. Memorial Arena, Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States
Win 21-1-1 United States James Broad TKO 1 (10) 06/12/1988 Canada Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Win 20-1-1 United States Reggie Gross TKO 2 (10) 27/06/1988 United States Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 19-1-1 Canada Ken Lakusta KO 1 (12) 28/05/1988 Canada Saskatchewan Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Won vacant Canada Heavyweight title. Title had become vacant upon the retirement of Willie de Wit.
Win 18-1-1 United States Larry Alexander KO 2 (10) 26/04/1988 United States The Showplace, Camden, New Jersey, United States Count waived.
Win 17-1-1 United States Eddie Richardson KO 4 (10) 24/11/1987 Canada The Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Win 16-1-1 United States Juan Quintana TKO 2 (10) 09/08/1987 United States State Theatre, Easton, Pennsylvania, United States Quintana down once in each round.
Win 15-1-1 Cuba Carlos Hernandez DQ 2 (10) 15/06/1987 United States Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 14-1-1 United States Robert Evans TKO 5 (10) 16/05/1987 United States State Theatre, Easton, Pennsylvania, United States
Win 13-1-1 United States Mike Weaver SD 10 23/08/1986 United States Cumberland County Auditorium, Fayetteville, North Carolina, United States
Win 12-1-1 United States Al Houck TKO 5 (10) 08/07/1986 Canada Halifax Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Nova Scotia Boxing Authority suspended Houck indefinitely.
Win 11-1-1 United Kingdom John Westgarth KO 7 (8) 28/05/1986 United Kingdom Alexandra Pavilion, Muswell Hill, London, England, United Kingdom
Win 10-1-1 United States Carlton Jones KO 1 (6) 26/02/1986 Canada St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Loss 9-1-1 United States David Jaco TKO 8 (10) 30/04/1985 Canada Dartmouth Sportsplex, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Win 9-0-1 United States Oscar Holman UD 8 20/10/1984 Canada Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Win 8-0-1 United States Ricardo Peterson UD 8 31/07/1984 Canada Dartmouth Sportsplex, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Win 7-0-1 Canada Cedric Parsons TKO 1 (6) 28/02/1984 Canada Dartmouth Sportsplex, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Win 6-0-1 Canada Conroy Nelson UD 10 25/09/1983 Canada C.N.E. Coliseum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Draw 5-0-1 United States Phil Brown SD 6 26/04/1983 Canada Paul Sauve Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Win 5–0 United States Bill Hollis UD 6 08/04/1983 Canada St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Win 4–0 United States Al Williams KO 1 (6) 13/08/1982 Canada Welland Arena, Welland, Ontario, Canada
Win 3–0 United States Arthur Hall MD 4 01/06/1982 United States Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 2–0 United States Garland Tipton KO 2 (6) 24/04/1982 Canada Columbus Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Win 1–0 Canada Wes Rowe TKO 4 (6) 20/03/1982 Canada Columbus Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Pro debut for Ruddock.

References

External links


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Donovan Ruddock — Daten Geburtsname Donovan Ruddock Gewichtsklasse Schwergewicht Nationalität Kanadisch Geburtstag …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Donovan Ruddock — Fiche d’identité Nom complet Donovan Ruddock Surnom Razor Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ruddock — ist der Familienname von: Donovan Ruddock (* 1963), kanadischer Schwergewichtsboxer jamaikanischer Herkunft Joan Mary Ruddock (* 1943), walisische Politikerin (Labour Party) Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Untersch …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Ruddock —  Cette page d’homonymie répertorie des personnes (réelles ou fictives) partageant un même patronyme. Ruddock est un patronyme porté notamment par : Donovan Ruddock (né en 1963), boxeur canadien ; Mike Ruddock (né en 1959), joueur… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ruddock — is an archaic name for the European Robin.Ruddock as a surname:* Albert Billings Ruddock, namesake of Caltech s Ruddock House * Donovan Razor Ruddock, the professional boxer * Joan Ruddock, the Welsh politician * Margot Ruddock, the actress and… …   Wikipedia

  • Donovan — bezeichnet Donovan (Musiker), den Künstlernamen des britischen Musikers Donovan Phillips Leitch (* 1946) Donovan (Illinois), einen Ort in den USA den Familiennamen folgender Personen: Anne Donovan (* 1961), US amerikanische Basketballspielerin… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Neil Ruddock — Personal information Full name Neil Ruddock Date of birth 9 May 1968 (1968 05 …   Wikipedia

  • Razor Ruddock — The nickname Razor Ruddock has been shared by two sportsmen: * Donovan Ruddock, Canadian ex boxer * Neil Ruddock, English ex footballer …   Wikipedia

  • Mike Tyson — en septembre 2006 Fiche d’identité Nom complet Michael Gerard Tyson Surnom Iron Mike Tyson Kid Dynamite The Baddest Man On The Planet Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mike Tyson — For the baseball player, see Mike Tyson (baseball). Mike Tyson Tyson at SXSW 2011 …   Wikipedia

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