Christopher Cornelius Byrd(born August 15, 1970) is an American formerprofessional boxerwho competed from 1993 to 2009. He is a two-time worldheavyweightchampion, having first won theWBOtitle in 2000 after an upsetcorner stoppageover then-undefeatedVitali Klitschko.In his first title defense later that year, he lost to Vitali's brotherWladimir Klitschko.In 2002, Byrd defeatedEvander Holyfieldto win theIBFheavyweight title for his second reign as world champion. He made four successful defenses until losing his title again to Wladimir Klitschko in a 2006 rematch. He was ranked byBoxRecin the world's top 10 heavyweight from 1998 to 2004, reaching his highest ranking of No.3 in 2000.[1]
Chris Byrd | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Christopher Cornelius Byrd August 15, 1970 Flint, Michigan,U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Other names | Rapid Fire | ||||||||||||||
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||||||||||||||
| Reach | 74 in (188 cm) | ||||||||||||||
| Stance | Southpaw | ||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 47 | ||||||||||||||
| Wins | 41 | ||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 22 | ||||||||||||||
| Losses | 5 | ||||||||||||||
| Draws | 1 | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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As anamateur,Byrd represented the United States at the1992 Summer Olympicsand won a silver medal in themiddleweightdivision. He is also a three-timenational amateur champion,winning thelight middleweighttitle in 1989, and the middleweight title in 1991 and 1992.
Early life
editChris Byrd was the youngest of eight children growing up inFlint, Michigan.He began boxing at age 5, training in his father's (Joe Sr.) Joe Byrd Boxing Academy. His father continued to train and manage Byrd as a professional. Byrd attendedFlint Northwestern High School.
Amateur career
editByrd began competing in the ring at age 10, since then he had 285 amateur fights in various weight classes, compiled an impressive record of 275 wins, 10 losses. He was a three-time U.S. amateur champion (1989, 1991, and 1992). He was on the 1991 U.S. National boxing Team that became the first (and only) U.S. team to score a tie against the heralded Cuban team. Byrd won the silver medal in the 1992BarcelonasummerOlympicsas amiddleweight,losing toCuba'sAriel Hernándezin the final.
Amateur highlights
edit- Lost in the 1988 Olympic Trials at Light Welterweight, losing to eventual United States representativeTodd Foster.
- 1989 United States Amateur Light Middleweight Champion
- 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, lost toTorsten Schmitz(East Germany) on points, in Light Middleweight competition.
- 1991 United States Amateur Middleweight Champion
- 1991 World Championships, lost at Middlweight toRamon Garbey(Cuba)
- 1992 United States Amateur Middleweight Champion
- 1992 Middleweight Gold Medalist at Canada Cup. Results were:
- Justin Crawford(Australia) won on points
- Joe Laryea(Ghana) won on points
- Igor Anashkin(Russia) won on points
- 1992 Qualified as a Middleweight at the Olympic Trials in Worcester, MA. Results were:
- Derrick Jameswon on points
- William Joppywon on points
- Mike DeMosswon on points
- Eric Carrwon on points, this bout was at the Olympic Box-Offs in Phoenix, AZ*
- Captured the Middleweight Silver Medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Results were:
- Mark Edwards(Great Britain) 21-3
- Alexander Lebziak(Russia/Unified Team) 16-7
- Ahmed Dine(Algeria) 21-2
- Chris Johnson(Canada) 17-3
- Ariel Hernandez(Cuba) 7-12
Professional career
edit1993–1998: early career
editByrd turned professional on January 28, 1993, knocking out 10 of his first 13 opponents. Byrd moved up toheavyweightthree fights into his professional career.
Byrd remained undefeated for his first 26 fights, knocking off then-notable opponents likePhil Jackson,Lionel Butler,Uriah Grant,Bert Cooper,Craig Peterson,Frankie Swindell,Jimmy Thunder,undefeatedEliecer CastilloandRoss Puritty.
1999: Byrd vs. Ibeabuchi, comeback victories
editHowever, in 1999, Byrd's undefeated record came to a dead end when he fought undefeatedIke Ibeabuchi.With 48 seconds left in the fifth round, a left-handedbolo punchfollowed with a right hook sent Byrd to the canvas, face first.
2000: first world title, facing the Klitschkos
editDuring the last week of March 2000, Byrd was offered the chance to be the replacement (forDonovan Ruddock) against undefeated championVitali KlitschkoinBerlin,Germany(Klitschko's adopted home country) for theWBOHeavyweight Title. He therefore had only seven days to prepare for the fight (not the customary 6–12 weeks). Byrd was trailing after nine rounds by scores of 88–83 (on two cards) and 89–82 (on one card), i.e. losing seven or eight of those rounds. However, Byrd was arguably Vitali's most difficult opponent as he landed clean shots and made him miss regularly, resulting Klitschko severely injured his shoulder and being unable to continue after the ninth round. The injury that Klitschko suffered was a torn shoulder rotator cuff, which required major surgery and a 7-month lay-off. Despite trailing on all three of the judges' scorecards, Byrd walked away the winner by atechnical knockoutdue to the injury to Klitschko. While most consider this a fluke win for Byrd, nobody (including Lennox Lewis) gave Vitali a more difficult fight before that and since. Vitali landed at a much lower percentage and while he threw more, Byrd almost landed as many punches as him.
Six months later, Byrd was back in Germany to defend the title againstWladimir Klitschko,Vitali's younger, more agile brother. Twelve rounds later, Byrd had lost a lopsided unanimous decision and the WBO belt after being knocked down twice.
2001–2002: comeback victories, second world title
editByrd returned to the U.S., signed withDon Kingand beatMaurice Harristo win the United States Boxing Association heavyweight belt in Madison Square Garden. He was now a top-five contender for the IBF title. After winning his next match (a title defense against New Zealand's top contenderDavid Tua) Byrd eventually received his mandatory shot at the vacant IBF world Heavyweight Championship againstEvander HolyfieldinAtlantic City.On December 14, 2002, Byrd won a unanimous decision and the IBF title.
2003–2005: four successful title defenses
editByrd has unsuccessfully defended the IBF belt against:Fres Oquendoin 2003, a highly entertaining draw withAndrew Golotaand a decision win over friendJameel McClinein 2004, andDaVarryl Williamsonin 2005. In 2023, Mauricio Sulaiman and the WBC, after 20 years after fighting and being robbed on HBO against Chris Byrd,(Which he acknowledged subsequently) Oquendo was awarded THE WBC HEAVYWEIGHT BELT and officially is now a World Champion. Byrd's fight with Golota did 75,000 buys onpay-per-view.[2]
2006: Klitschko rematch
editOn April 22, 2006, Byrd facedWladimir Klitschkofor the second time. Byrd was making his fifth defense of his IBF title and the fight was also sanctioned by theInternational Boxing Organizationfor its title, which had been vacated upon the retirement ofLennox Lewis.The fight took place atSAP ArenainMannheim,Germany.Byrd was heavily dominated throughout the fight, was down in the fifth, and again in the seventh. Referee Wayne Kelly stopped the fight after the second knockdown when Byrd had an open cut near his eyes. Klitschko won in a TKO.
2007–2010: Povetkin bout, move to light heavyweight, and retirement
editAfter losing toAlexander Povetkin,Byrd would drop about 40 pounds to return to the light heavyweight division. He foughtShaun Georgeon May 16, 2008, at theThomas and Mack Centerin Las Vegas. Byrd was dropped by George in round one and rocked again in round two. George then hammered Byrd with his right hand at will, finally flooring Byrd twice in the ninth round. Byrd beat the count after the first knockdown, but was then battered down again and the bout was waved off by the referee.[3]
In 2010, Byrd officially announced his retirement from boxing.[4]
Life outside boxing
editByrd hosts a weekly video podcast, entitled "Byrd's Eye View", which showcases former boxers as well as current professional and champion-level fighters.[5]
Additional information
edit- Byrd's hometown isFlint, Michigan,where he trained along with his brother Patrick Byrd and sisterTracy Byrd.Byrd's other sister,Laurie Byrd,is a professional basketball coach. Byrd is also a first cousin ofLamon Brewster,himself a former world heavyweight champion and two-time Klitschko opponent.
- Byrd'scornerconsisted entirely of family members.
- Byrd made an appearance in the 2008 documentaryBeyond the Ropes.[6]
- Byrd also makes an appearance in the 2011 documentaryKlitschko,in which he discusses his trio of title bouts with the brothers.[7]
Professional boxing record
edit| 47 fights | 41 wins | 5 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 22 | 4 |
| By decision | 19 | 1 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | Win | 41–5–1 | Matthias Sandow | TKO | 4 (8),1:30 | Mar 21, 2009 | Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle,Stuttgart,Germany | |
| 46 | Loss | 40–5–1 | Shaun George | TKO | 9 (10),2:42 | May 16, 2008 | Thomas & Mack Center,Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 45 | Loss | 40–4–1 | Alexander Povetkin | TKO | 11 (12),1:52 | Oct 27, 2007 | Messe,Erfurt,Germany | |
| 44 | Win | 40–3–1 | Paul Marinaccio | RTD | 7 (10),0:01 | Apr 18, 2007 | Clifford Park,Nassau,Bahamas | |
| 43 | Loss | 39–3–1 | Wladimir Klitschko | TKO | 7 (12),0:41 | Apr 22, 2006 | SAP Arena,Mannheim,Germany | Lost IBF heavyweight title; For vacantIBO heavyweight title |
| 42 | Win | 39–2–1 | DaVarryl Williamson | UD | 12 | Oct 1, 2005 | Events Center,Reno, Nevada,U.S. | Retained IBF heavyweight title |
| 41 | Win | 38–2–1 | Jameel McCline | SD | 12 | Nov 13, 2004 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained IBF heavyweight title |
| 40 | Draw | 37–2–1 | Andrew Golota | SD | 12 | Apr 17, 2004 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. | Retained IBF heavyweight title |
| 39 | Win | 37–2 | Fres Oquendo | UD | 12 | Sep 20, 2003 | Mohegan Sun Arena,Montville, Connecticut,U.S. | Retained IBF heavyweight title |
| 38 | Win | 36–2 | Evander Holyfield | UD | 12 | Dec 14, 2002 | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | Won vacantIBF heavyweight title |
| 37 | Win | 35–2 | Jeff Pegues | TKO | 3 (10),2:43 | Jun 8, 2002 | Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 36 | Win | 34–2 | David Tua | UD | 12 | Aug 18, 2001 | Cox Pavilion,Paradise, Nevada,U.S. | Retained IBF–USBA heavyweight title |
| 35 | Win | 33–2 | Maurice Harris | UD | 12 | May 12, 2001 | Madison Square Garden,New York City, New York,U.S. | Won vacantIBF–USBAheavyweight title |
| 34 | Win | 32–2 | David Vedder | UD | 10 | Jan 19, 2001 | Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 33 | Loss | 31–2 | Wladimir Klitschko | UD | 12 | Oct 14, 2000 | Kölnarena,Cologne,Germany | Lost WBO heavyweight title |
| 32 | Win | 31–1 | Vitali Klitschko | RTD | 9 (12),3:00 | Apr 1, 2000 | Estrel Hotel,Berlin,Germany | WonWBO heavyweight title |
| 31 | Win | 30–1 | David Washington | TKO | 10 (10) | Jan 19, 2000 | Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 29–1 | Val Smith | KO | 2 (10),2:39 | Oct 22, 1999 | Joe Louis Arena,Detroit,Michigan, U.S. | |
| 29 | Win | 28–1 | Jose Ribalta | RTD | 3 (10),3:00 | Jun 3, 1999 | Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort,Mount Pleasant, Michigan,U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 27–1 | John Sargent | TKO | 2 (10),2:03 | May 8, 1999 | Silver Star Casino,Philadelphia, Mississippi,U.S. | |
| 27 | Loss | 26–1 | Ike Ibeabuchi | TKO | 5 (10),2:59 | Mar 20, 1999 | Emerald Queen Casino,Tacoma, Washington,U.S. | |
| 26 | Win | 26–0 | Ross Puritty | UD | 10 | Jul 14, 1998 | Casino Magic,Bay St. Louis, Mississippi,U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 25–0 | Eliecer Castillo | UD | 10 | May 30, 1998 | Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Derek Amos | TKO | 6 (10) | Mar 28, 1998 | Boardwalk Hall,Atlantic City, New Jersey,U.S. | |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Jimmy Thunder | TKO | 9 (10),1:07 | Dec 13, 1997 | Foxwoods Resort Casino,Ledyard, Connecticut,U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Frankie Swindell | UD | 10 | Jun 20, 1997 | Bally's Park Place,Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Bert Cooper | UD | 10 | Mar 18, 1997 | IMA Sports Arena, Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Craig Petersen | TKO | 6 (10),2:22 | Jan 28, 1997 | The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Levi Billups | UD | 10 | Oct 8, 1996 | IMA Sports Arena, Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Uriah Grant | UD | 10 | Aug 6, 1996 | IMA Sports Arena, Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Biko Botowamungu | UD | 10 | May 17, 1996 | Stock Arena,Monroe, Michigan,U.S. | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Lionel Butler | TKO | 8 (10),0:57 | Apr 23, 1996 | The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Jeff Wooden | UD | 10 | Jan 30, 1996 | The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Phil Jackson | UD | 12 | Nov 21, 1996 | The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Nathaniel Fitch | KO | 7 (10) | Oct 3, 1995 | IMA Sports Arena, Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Tim Puller | TKO | 5 (10),2:55 | Jul 18, 1995 | IMA Sports Arena, Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Arthur Williams | SD | 10 | May 23, 1995 | The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Joel Humm | RTD | 4 (8) | Apr 26, 1995 | The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Mike Rouse | TKO | 6 (12),1:56 | Mar 28, 1995 | IMA Sports Arena, Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Frankie Hines | TKO | 2,0:59 | Jan 1, 1995 | Virginia Beach, Virginia,U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Ron Gullette | TKO | 5 | Nov 1, 1994 | Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Waxxen Fikes | TKO | 4 (8),2:49 | Oct 4, 1994 | The Palace,Auburn Hills, Michigan,U.S. | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Max Key | KO | 1 | Aug 30, 1994 | Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Gerard O'Neal | TKO | 2 (6) | Jun 7, 1994 | Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Exum Speight | UD | 6 | Mar 22, 1994 | Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Mike Sullivan | TKO | 1 | May 15, 1993 | Flint, Michigan, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Gary Smith | UD | 6 | Jan 28, 1993 | IMA Sports Arena,Flint, Michigan,U.S. |
Television viewership
editGermany
edit| Date | Fight | Viewership (avg.) | Network | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
April 1, 2000
|
Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Byrd | 9,790,000
|
Sat.1 | [8] |
October 14, 2000
|
Chris Byrd vs. Wladimir Klitschko | 9,390,000
|
Sat.1 | [9] |
April 24, 2006
|
Chris Byrd vs. Wladimir Klitschko II | 10,170,000
|
Das Erste | [10] |
October 27, 2007
|
Chris Byrd vs.Alexander Povetkin | 4,570,000
|
Das Erste | [11] |
| Total viewership | 33,920,000 |
US pay-per-view bouts
edit| Date | Fight | Pay-per-viewbuys | Network | Source(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 17, 2004 | Chris Byrd vs. Andrew Golota | 75,000
|
Spike TV/King Vision | [12][13] |
| December 11, 2004 | Chris Byrd vs.Jameel McCline | 120,000
|
HBO PPV | [14][12][15] |
| Total sales | 195,000 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"BoxRec's Annual Ratings: Heavyweight Annuals".BoxRec.Retrieved16 December2023.
- ^Rafael, Dan (2004-05-12)."Where are the new heavyweights?".USA Today.Retrieved2022-08-02.
- ^"Archived copy".www.fightnews.com.Archived fromthe originalon 20 May 2008.Retrieved17 January2022.
{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^"Chris Byrd: Nobody beats Wladimir Klitschko right now".eastsideboxing.com.4 June 2010.RetrievedDecember 28,2016.
- ^"Chris Byrd".YouTube.Retrieved26 February2015.
- ^"Beyond the Ropes (Video 2008)".IMDb.14 October 2008.Retrieved26 February2015.
- ^Munch MaQuchi (21 October 2011)."Klitschko (2011)".IMDb.Retrieved26 February2015.
- ^9,79 Millionen sahen WM-Kampf von Vitali Klitschko: Beste SAT.1-Quote seit fast zwei Jahren(ger.)
- ^Wladimir Klitschko is the new world champion (German)
- ^More than 10 million viewers saw Klitschko fight (German)
- ^Das Ertse and RTL show strong numbersArchived2020-03-03 at theWayback Machine(ger.)
- ^abWhere are the new heavyweights? By Dan Rafael, USA TODAY
- ^2004-04-17 Chris Byrd vs Andrew Golota - IBF World Heavyweight Title
- ^Chris Byrd vs Jameel Mccline HBO Pay Per View November 13, 2004
- ^"Chicago Tribune".Chicago Tribune.7 January 2005.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-24.
External links
edit- Official website
- Boxing record for Chris ByrdfromBoxRec(registration required)