Jeff Fenech(born 28 May 1964) is anAustralianformerprofessional boxerwho competed between 1984 and 2008. Hewon world titles in three weight divisions,having held theIBFbantamweighttitle from 1985 to 1987, theWBCsuper-bantamweighttitle from 1987 to 1988, the WBCfeatherweighttitle from 1988 to 1990. He retroactively won a fourth weight division title, the WBCsuper-featherweighttitle in 1991, after the WBC recounted his first bout againstAzumah Nelsonwhich had been a controversial decision draw. Fenech was trained by renownedSydney-based trainerJohnny Lewis.
Jeff Fenech | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Jeff Fenech 28 May 1964 Sydney,New South Wales,Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other names | Marrickville Mauler Brick Top | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight(s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reach | 66+1⁄2in (169 cm)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bo xing record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 28 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 21 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draws | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Jeff Fenech was inducted into theInternational Bo xing Hall of Famein 2002 and theAustralian National Bo xing Hall of FameModerns category in 2003, and became the 4th person to be elevated to Legend status in 2013.
Bo xing career
editFenech was born inSt Peters,Sydneyand is ofMalteseparentage.[2]After playing juniorrugby leagueand getting into trouble with the police as a child, Fenech was turned onto bo xing when he attended the Newtown Police Boys Club in Sydney where he metJohnny Lewis.From there Fenech had a stellar amateur career, which led to him representing his country at the1984 Summer OlympicsinLos Angeleswhere he was selected as the bo xing team captain. At the Olympics, Fenech lost a controversial quarter-final bout toYugoslavianRedžep Redžepovski.Fenech was initially given the decision, but after intervention by the Olympic Bo xing Committee and a total recount, the decision was reversed with Redžepovski being awarded the win. Many of the other boxers and those in the press felt that Fenech had been robbed of a chance to win an Olympic medal and most bo xing writers noted how political amateur bo xing was, especially at theOlympic Games.
It was that decision that led Fenech to turn professional later in 1984, and in his first professional fight he defeated Bobby Williams by aknockoutin round two. Fenech quickly gained a reputation as a fast starter: he won his first eleven bouts by knockout, and held his first fight abroad in only his fourth fight, when he beat Iliesa Manila by a knockout in two rounds inFiji.[3]
He beat fringe contenders Wayne Mulholland and Rolando Navarro, both by a knockout in the fifth round, to start 1985. After those two wins, he was placed number one among the world's bantamweights by theInternational Bo xing Federation.However, his early wins by KO had some of the press wondering if he could last the full 15 round distance.
Bantamweight champion
editFenech took only six professional fights to become the number one contender. He became the eighth-fastest boxer to fight for a world title after beginning his career when he challengedSatoshi Shingakifor the IBF Bantamweight title in only his seventh bout, displacing the secondDavey Moore,and trailing Shingaki himself,Leon Spinks,Saensak Muangsurin,Pete Rademacher,Joves De La Puz,Joko ArterandRafael Lovera.Fenech was the third fastest boxer to become a world champion, behind Muangsuring and Spinks, when he knocked out Shingaki in nine rounds in front of a packed house at the Horden Pavilion in Sydney. After two non-title knockout wins, he gave Shingaki a rematch at theState Sports Centrein Sydney and retained the crown with a knockout in three rounds. After one more non-title knockout win, Fenech had to go the distance for the first time, when he faced AmericanJerome Coffeeat theSydney Entertainment Centre,retaining the title by a 15-round unanimous decision.[3]
In 1986, Fenech had only two bouts, but they were both major fights: He won a 10-round, non-title fight decision over formerWBCbantamweight and future super bantamweight world championDaniel Zaragoza,and he retained his IBF world championship with a TKO in round 14 over AmericanSteve McCrory[3]in a bout dubbed "Olympic Revenge" by Fenech's then promoter Bill Mordy. McCrory, like Fenech, had competed in the flyweight division at the Los Angeles Olympics, winning theGold Medalby defeating Redžep Redžepovski in the final. After the bout at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, McCrory graciously allowed the Australian to wear his Olympic Gold Medal to show off to the crowd. During the fight with McCrory, Fenech wore green and red trunks, the colours of theSouth Sydney Rabbitohsrugby league team with their tough forwardMario Fenech(no relation) in his corner. McCrory was trained out of theKronk GyminDetroit.
Super bantamweight champion
edit1987 was a big year for Fenech. He went up in weight, and in his first fight as asuper bantamweight,he defeated Tony Miller by a decision. Then theWBCsuper bantamweight champion,Samart Payakaroon,travelled to Australia to defend his belt against Fenech. Fenech became a two-weight world champion by knocking Payakaroon out in four rounds. For his next defense, he met future world bantamweight championGreg Richardsonand knocked him out in five. Next it was former WBC bantamweight championCarlos Zarate's turn to challenge Fenech. Fenech retained his crown by a technical decision win in four rounds at thePerth Entertainment Centre,and then finished his year by knocking out Osmar Avila in one round in a non-title affair.
Featherweight champion
editBy 1988, Fenech had grown into afeatherweight,and the WBC matched him withPuerto Rico's former world super bantamweight championVictor Luvi Callejasfor their vacant featherweight title, once again, in Sydney. Fenech joined bo xing 's exclusive group of fighters who have been world champs in three or more divisions, by knocking Callejas out in the 11th round.[4]He retained that title twice before the year was over, knocking outTyrone Downesand Georgie "Go Go" Navarro, both in the fifth round.[3]
In 1989, he beat Marcos Villasana and formerJulio César ChávezchallengerMario Martinez,both by decision.[3]
Super featherweight title challenges
editAfter that, Fenech took one year off and came back in 1991 as asuper featherweight.After beating Johnny Calhoun by a knockout in four, he tried to become a four division world champion when he metAzumah Nelson.The fight was fought on the undercard to theMike TysonvsRazor Ruddockrematch atCaesars PalaceinLas Vegas.After 12 ferocious rounds the bout was controversially declared a draw with many of the bo xing press who were present (as well as Tyson) claiming that Fenech had been robbed of a clear win.[5][6]Fenech has accused Nelson's promoterDon Kingoffi xingthe fight: "Him being Azumah Nelson and being under the Don King banner helped him because I believe the referee (Joe Cortez) didn’t let me do what I wanted to do, breaking up the fight, let Azumah hit me after the bell. People want to say I’m a dirty fighter but I only retaliate when someone does something to me. I’ve got no need to do something dirty at the start because I’m busy trying to cut the ring off and put pressure on. Like I said, although I won the fight, nobody tried to help me like that. The judging, the referring, everything was against me. "[7]On Monday 7 November 2022, a review of the fight by WBC Bo xing retrospectively declared Fenech the winner, thus giving him a fourth world title.[8][9][10]
Fenech returned to Australia and after beating Miguel Francia, Nelson travelled toMelbourneto offer Fenech a second title try. This time in front of over 30,000 fans at thePrinces Parkfootball stadium, Fenech suffered his first loss, when he was knocked out in the eighth round for Nelson to retain the world title. Fenech's TKO loss was recognized as theRing MagazineUpset of the Year.[7]
After that fight, he fought sporadically. In 1993, he was beaten in seven rounds by knockout byAmericanformer IBF featherweight championCalvin Groveat theRod Laver Arenain Melbourne, and in 1995, he beat Tialano Tovar, by a knockout in eight inNew Jersey.
Lightweight title challenge
editIn 1996, in what was thought to have been his last fight (he fought Nelson a third time 12 years later), he lost to IBFlightweightchampionPhillip HolidayofSouth Africaby a knockout in the second round. He retired after the bout.
Fenech retired with a record of 28 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw, with 21 wins by knockout.
Post-retirement career
editFenech was inducted into theSport Australia Hall of Famein 1986.[11]
In retirement, Fenech has kept busy, and now he is the owner of a sports clothing brand that carries his name in Australia. In addition, he was inducted in 2002 into theInternational Bo xing Hall of FameinCanastota, New York.Fenech has become a trainer training fighters such asDanny Green,Nedal Hussein,Hussein Hussein,Sakio Bika,and formerIBFflyweight championVic Darchinyan.[12]
On 5 January 2004, Fenech was attacked and stabbed by four men in Sydney, receiving facial cuts that required plastic surgery.
In June of the same year, the Fenech family home was attacked by shooters; seven bullets were recovered but no one was injured. Australian police believed the two attacks against Fenech are connected, ranging from a bar fight that Fenech had with a gang-member in 2003.The Australiannewspaper quoted someone related to a Lebanese gang stating that "they will get him", but Fenech does not believe that the violent events are related.
In March 2005, Fenech became the trainer for former heavyweight championMike Tyson,in an effort to relaunch Tyson's career.[13]
During the year 2020, Fenech trained Mike Tyson once again in preparation for Tyson's exhibition bout againstRoy Jones Jr.
Despite repeated denials made in the popular press and on his website, Fenech pleaded guilty to his role in the 2005 theft of 3 gold watches worth a total of $327 from aGold Coast, Queenslandboutique store. There was clear evidence of his involvement from in-store security cameras, revealing that Fenech actively participated in the incident.[14]
Bo xing comeback against Nelson
editIn March 2008, Fenech – at age 43 – announced a comeback to professional bo xing and lost 22 kilos in preparation for the fight. He was to fightAzumah Nelson(who was 49 years old by this time) in what was later built up as the grudge match of the century. The two were to do battle on 24 June 2008 in Melbourne, Australia. A reality series/documentary on Fenech's life aired on Channel 9 and Fox Sports in the weeks leading up to the fight. On 24 June 2008, Fenech won the grudge match against Azumah Nelson by a majority decision, one judge scoring the fight a draw and the last two judges scoring it in favour of Fenech.[15]
In June 2008, Fenech won theShane Warne888 Poker World Series of Poker Celebrity Bounty Event at Crown Casino. Fenech now appears at poker events around the world including theAussie Millionsand theWorld Series of Poker.
Amateur career
edit- 1983 Oceanic Flyweight champion
- 1983 3rd place at Flyweight in World Championships in Rome, Italy. Results were:
- Defeated Marcelino Diaz (Colombia) points
- Lost toHuh Yong-Mo(South Korea) points
- 1983 3rd place as a Flyweight at Commonwealth Titles in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- 1984 Oceanic Flyweight champion
- 1984 represented Australia as a Flyweight at Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Results were
- Round of 32: DefeatedRene Centellas(Bolivia) KO 3
- Round of 16: DefeatedDavid Mwaba(Tanzania) points
- Quarterfinal: Lost toRedzep Redzepovski(Yugoslavia) points
Professional bo xing record
edit| 33 fights | 29 wins | 3 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 21 | 3 |
| By decision | 8 | 0 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Win | 29–3–1 | Azumah Nelson | MD | 10 | 24 Jun 2008 | Hisense Arena,Melbourne,Australia | |
| 32 | Loss | 28–3–1 | Phillip Holiday | TKO | 2 (12),2:18 | 18 May 1996 | The Glass House,Melbourne,Australia | ForIBF lightweight title |
| 31 | Win | 28–2–1 | Mike Juarez | TKO | 2 (10),2:06 | 9 Mar 1996 | Melbourne Park,Melbourne,Australia | |
| 30 | Win | 27–2–1 | Tialano Tovar | TKO | 8 (10),2:31 | 18 Nov 1995 | Convention Center,Atlantic City,New Jersey,U.S. | |
| 29 | Loss | 26–2–1 | Calvin Grove | TKO | 7 (10),0:59 | 7 Jun 1993 | International Tennis Centre,Melbourne,Australia | |
| 28 | Loss | 26–1–1 | Azumah Nelson | TKO | 8 (12),2:20 | 11 Mar 1992 | Princes Park Football Ground,Melbourne,Australia | For WBC super-featherweight title |
| 27 | Win | 26–0–1 | Miguel Angel Francia | UD | 10 | 13 Sep 1991 | International Tennis Centre,Melbourne,Australia | |
| 26 | Draw | 25–0–1 | Azumah Nelson | SD | 12 | 28 Jun 1991 | Mirage Hotel & Casino,Las Vegas,Nevada, U.S. | ForWBC super-featherweight title; WBC Retrospectively awarded title to Fenech 7 Nov 2022, after a recount |
| 25 | Win | 25–0 | John Kalbhenn | TKO | 4 (10),1:20 | 19 Jan 1991 | Memorial Drive Tennis Centre,Adelaide,Australia | |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Mario Martinez | UD | 12 | 24 Nov 1989 | International Tennis Centre,Melbourne,Australia | |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Marcos Villasana | UD | 12 | 8 Apr 1989 | National Tennis Centre,Melbourne,Australia | Retained WBC featherweight title |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Georgie Navarro | TKO | 5 (12),1:41 | 11 Nov 1988 | National Tennis Centre,Melbourne,Australia | Retained WBC featherweight title |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Tyrone Downes | TKO | 5 (12),1:07 | 12 Aug 1988 | National Tennis Centre,Melbourne,Australia | Retained WBC featherweight title |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Victor Callejas | TKO | 10 (12),1:21 | 7 Mar 1988 | Entertainment Centre,Sydney,Australia | Won vacantWBC featherweight title |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | Osmar Alfredo Avila | KO | 1 (10),0:56 | 11 Dec 1987 | Entertainment Centre,Sydney,Australia | |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Carlos Zarate | TD | 4 (12),3:00 | 16 Oct 1987 | Hordern Pavilion,Sydney,Australia | Retained WBC super-bantamweight title |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Greg Richardson | KO | 5 (12),1:29 | 10 Jul 1987 | Entertainment Centre,Sydney,Australia | Retained WBC super-bantamweight title |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Samart Payakaroon | KO | 4 (12),2:42 | 8 Jun 1987 | Entertainment Centre,Sydney,Australia | WonWBC super-bantamweight title |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Tony Miller | UD | 12 | 3 Apr 1987 | Sports & Entertainment Centre,Melbourne,Australia | Won Australianfeatherweighttitle |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Steve McCrory | TKO | 14 (15),1:41 | 18 Jul 1986 | Entertainment Centre,Sydney,Australia | Retained IBF bantamweight title |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Daniel Zaragoza | UD | 10 | 11 Apr 1986 | Entertainment Centre,Perth,Australia | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Jerome Coffee | UD | 15 | 2 Dec 1985 | Entertainment Centre,Sydney,Australia | Retained IBF bantamweight title |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Kenny Butts | KO | 2 (10) | 4 Nov 1985 | Festival Hall,Brisbane,Australia | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Satoshi Shingaki | TKO | 4 (15) | 23 Aug 1985 | State Sports Centre,Sydney,Australia | Retained IBF bantamweight title |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | John Farrell | TKO | 9 (10),0:40 | 26 Jul 1985 | Festival Hall,Brisbane,Australia | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | John Matienza | TKO | 6 (10),2:41 | 14 Jun 1985 | Hordern Pavilion,Sydney,Australia | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Satoshi Shingaki | TKO | 9 (15),2:43 | 26 Apr 1985 | Hordern Pavilion,Sydney,Australia | WonIBF bantamweight title |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Rolando Navarro | TKO | 4 (12) | 4 Mar 1985 | Hordern Pavilion,Sydney,Australia | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Wayne Mulholland | TKO | 5 (12) | 1 Feb 1985 | Dapto Rugby League Club,Dapto,Australia | Won vacant South Pacific & South Seasbantamweighttitle |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Iliesa Manila | KO | 2 (10) | 15 Dec 1984 | National Indoor Stadium,Suva,Fiji | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Junior Thompson | TKO | 4 (10),2:15 | 30 Nov 1984 | Marrickville RSL Club,Sydney,Australia | Won vacant Australiansuper-flyweighttitle |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Percy Israel | TKO | 7 (10),1:38 | 26 Oct 1984 | Marrickville RSL Club,Sydney,Australia | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Bobby Williams | TKO | 2 (10),2:06 | 12 Oct 1984 | Marrickville RSL Club,Sydney,Australia |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^abShowtime Championship Bo xingtale of the tape prior to the firstAzumah Nelsonfight.
- ^Attard, Monica (27 June 2008)."Jeff Fenech".Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on 23 January 2015.Retrieved23 January2015.
- ^abcde"I luv youse all says Jeff".Mildura Weekly.Vol. 4, no. 16. 26 February 2010. p. 21.
- ^"Jeff Fenech of Australia stopped Victor Callejas of Puerto..."United Press International.7 March 1988.Retrieved23 January2015.
- ^Goldstein, Alan (28 June 1991)."Nelson fights to draw, retains WBC super-featherweight title".The Baltimore Sun.Archivedfrom the original on 22 June 2021.Retrieved12 November2022.
- ^Hasen, Jeff (28 June 1991)."Nelson, Fenech fight to draw".United Press International.Retrieved12 November2022.
- ^abWainwright, Anson (6 January 2017)."Best I Faced: Jeff Fenech".Archivedfrom the original on 9 January 2017.Retrieved9 January2017.
- ^Healy, Jon (8 November 2022)."Jeff Fenech wins super featherweight world title 31 years after controversial draw with Azumah Nelson".Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on 9 November 2022.Retrieved12 November2022.
- ^McMurtry, Andrew (9 November 2022)."Bo xing fans stunned after controversial 1991 Jeff Fenech fight overturned".news.au.Archivedfrom the original on 9 November 2022.Retrieved12 November2022.
- ^"Fenech awarded fourth world title 31 years on".ESPN.8 November 2022.Archivedfrom the original on 8 November 2022.Retrieved12 November2022.
- ^"Jeff Fenech".Sport Australia Hall of Fame.Retrieved26 September2020.
- ^Warren, Adrian (16 April 2020)."Feisty Jeff Fenech makes a compelling case".The Canberra Times.Retrieved12 November2022.
- ^"Tyson Signs with Fenech" -Sydney Morning Herald
- ^"Stealing was stupid: Fenech" -The Australian
- ^Vester, Mark (24 June 2008)."Jeff Fenech Decisions Azumah Nelson in Trilogy Bout".Bo xing Scene.Retrieved12 November2022.
- Fenech, the official biography/ Grantlee Kieza and Peter Muszkat (1988,ISBN0-949853-15-1)
- Jeff Fenech: I love youse all/ with Terry Smith (1993,ISBN1-875481-37-0)
- Caricature portrait of Jeff Fenech,1988 / Spooner
- Jeff Fenech during a training session,1991 / David Mahony
- Jeff Fenech in tears...,1984 / Bruce Howard
External links
edit- Bo xing record for Jeff FenechfromBoxRec(registration required)
- Jeff FenechatIMDb
| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World bo xing titles | ||||
| Preceded by Satoshi Shingaki
|
IBF bantamweight champion 26 April 1985 – 10 February 1987 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Kelvin Seabrooks
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| Preceded by | WBC super-bantamweight champion 8 May 1987 – 27 January 1988 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Daniel Zaragoza
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| Vacant Title last held by Azumah Nelson
|
WBC featherweight champion 7 March 1988 – 18 April 1990 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Marcos Villasana
| ||
| Awards | ||||
| Preceded by | WBC super-featherweight champion 28 June 1991 WBC retroactively awarded title on 7 November 2022 after WBC's recount |
N/A | ||