Dick Tiger


Dick Tiger was a Nigerian-born professional boxer who held the World Middleweight and World Light Heavyweight Championships.
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.
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 named him Fighter of the Year in 1962 and 1966. In 2002, Tiger was voted by The Ring magazine as the 31st greatest fighter of the last 80 years.

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 world middleweight title when he beat Gene Fullmer in 1962 and the light heavyweight title in 1966 when he dethroned José Torres of Puerto Rico.
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, Dick 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. 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.
A. J. Liebling, impressed in witnessing Tiger's 1962 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..."
Joey Giardello: "I thank Dick Tiger because Dick Tiger was a man and Dick Tiger gave to me. He didn't have to give it to me. He could have give it to somebody else."
An additional comment from Giardello, in the form of a sarcastic bon mot, showed contemporary respect for Tiger as a fellow battler. The pair fought four times in all, the last two of these in swapping the middleweight title. Every fight went the distance, meaning that in terms of time, Dick Tiger and Joey Giardello contended face to face for two and a half hours. Prior to one of these latter encounters, when asked by the press if Giardello, a classic boxer, planned to trade punches with Tiger, Giardello squelched this with, "I wouldn't trade stamps with him."
Numerous accounts of Tiger as both man and fighting man, describe a solid, decent, un-nuanced person. Unsurprisingly, a very Western gimmick, the literal "power of the press", or perhaps of Madison Avenue, appears lost on him. Contender Joey Archer, a scientific middleweight of uncommon speed, launched a small space ad campaign directed at Tiger. The ads, using copy such as "I'm a middleweight, and I've licked every man I ever fought, including you", were employed to create a sensation and perhaps a groundswell toward securing Archer a title fight. Tiger had already signed to fight Emile Griffith, and an Archer ad admonished, "The Middleweight Champion should meet the best middleweight." Archer carried his cause to talk shows, even to the New York Daily News, was photographed taunting an angry, caged tiger at the Bronx Zoo. Whether this bombast registered in any negative way, or even impacted Dick Tiger's pride, history never discovered after Emile Griffith won Tiger's middleweight belt from him, making Tiger a non-player in the drama. Joey Archer shifted his attentions and, from 1966, Tiger campaigned as a full light heavyweight.
After decisioning Jose Torres to win title honors, Tiger then defended his crown against Torres and Montanan Roger Rouse, before coming up short against veteran Bob Foster of Washington, DC. The left hook Foster used to dethrone Tiger in an instant, was rated among "The 10 Deadliest Punches of the Last 25 Years" in 1975. The power in the one-punch K.O. made such an impact upon Garden promoters, it was felt that a rematch would do poor business. This attitude forced Tiger to contend for the right to regain his crown, and saw him matched against up-and-comer Frankie DePaula, who was coming off five consecutive knockouts. The fight to qualify against Foster was, for its first four rounds, a war which saw both men go down twice, and was selected by Ring magazine as "Fight of the Year". Though Dick Tiger took the decision, having proved his mettle, ill treatment on the American side seemed to cling, as Frankie DePaula, the man he had defeated, was inexplicably given the chance at Bob Foster.

Retirement and death

After retiring from boxing, Tiger worked as a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. One day, he felt a strong pain in his back. Tested by doctors, he was diagnosed with liver cancer.
He had been banned by the Nigerian government in his country because of his involvement in the Biafran movement; however, the ban was lifted immediately after news about his condition arrived in Nigeria. He died of liver cancer on 14 December 1971, aged 42.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
82Loss60–19–3 Emile GriffithUD10Jul 15, 1970 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
81Win60–18–3 Andy KendallUD10Nov 14, 1969 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
80Win59–18–3 Nino BenvenutiUD10May 26, 1969 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
79Win58–18–3 Frank DePaulaUD10Oct 25, 1968 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year"
78Loss57–18–3 Bob FosterKO4, 2:05May 24, 1968 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Lost WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal light heavyweight titles
77Win57–17–3 Roger RouseTKO12, 0:12Nov 17, 1967 Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal light heavyweight titles
76Win56–17–3 José TorresSD15May 16, 1967 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal light heavyweight titles
75Win55–17–3 Abraham TomicaTKO5 Feb 05, 1967 Mile One Park, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
74Win54–17–3 José TorresUD15Dec 16, 1966 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Won WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal light heavyweight titles
73Loss53–17–3 Emile GriffithUD15Apr 25, 1966 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Lost WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal middleweight titles
72Win53–16–3 Peter MuellerKO3, 0:57Feb 18, 1966 Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
71Win52–16–3 Joey GiardelloUD15Oct 21, 1965 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Won WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal middleweight titles
70Win51–16–3 Rubin CarterUD10May 20, 1965 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
69Win50–16–3 Juan Carlos RiveroTKO6 Mar 12, 1965 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
68Loss49–16–3 Joey ArcherSD10Oct 16, 1964 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
67Win49–15–3 Don FullmerUD10Sep 11, 1964 Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
66Win48–15–3 Jose Monon GonzalezTKO6 Jul 31, 1964 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
65Loss47–15–3 Joey GiardelloPTS15Dec 07, 1963 Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Lost WBA, WBC, The Ring, and lineal middleweight titles
64Win47–14–3 Gene FullmerRTD7, 3:00Aug 10, 1963 Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, NigeriaRetained WBA and The Ring middleweight titles
Won inaugural WBC and vacant lineal middleweight titles
63Draw46–14–3 Gene FullmerPTS15Feb 23, 1963 Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBA middleweight title
62Win46–14–2 Gene FullmerUD15Oct 23, 1962 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, U.S.Won WBA middleweight title
61Win45–14–2 Henry HankUD10Mar 31, 1962 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
60Win44–14–2 Florentino FernándezTKO6 Jan 20, 1962 Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
59Win43–14–2 William PickettUD10Dec 16, 1961 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
58Win42–14–2 Hank CaseySD10May 15, 1961 Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
57Win41–14–2 Spider WebbKO6, 2:41Apr 15, 1961 St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
56Win40–14–2 Gene ArmstrongTKO9, 1:21Feb 18, 1961 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
55Win39–14–2 Wilf GreavesTKO9, 1:20Nov 30, 1960 Edmonton Gardens, Edmonton, CanadaWon Commonwealth Middleweight title
54Loss38–14–2 Wilf GreavesSD15Jun 22, 1960 Edmonton Gardens, Edmonton, CanadaLost Commonwealth Middleweight title
53Win38–13–2 Víctor ZalazarMD10Apr 01, 1960 Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
52Win37–13–2 Gene ArmstrongUD10Feb 24, 1960 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
51Win36–13–2 Holly MimsMD10Dec 30, 1959 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
50Loss35–13–2 Joey GiardelloUD10Nov 04, 1959 Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
49Win35–12–2 Joey GiardelloUD10Sep 30, 1959 Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
48Win34–12–2 Gene ArmstrongPTS10Sep 02, 1959 Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
47Loss33–12–2 Rory CalhounSD10Jul 17, 1959 War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
46Draw33–11–2 Rory CalhounPTS10Jun 05, 1959 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
45Win33–11–1 Randy SandyPTS10May 12, 1959 Empire Pool, Wembley, England
44Loss32–11–1 Randy SandyPTS10March 19,1959 The Stadium, Liverpool, England
43Win32–10–1 Yolande PompeyPTS10Oct 14, 1958 Empire Pool, London, England
42Loss31–10–1 Spider WebbPTS10Jun 24, 1958 Earls Court Empress Hall, London, England
41Win31–9–1 Billy EllawayKO2 May 01, 1958 The Stadium, Liverpool, England
40Win30–9–1 Pat McAteerKO9 Mar 27, 1958 The Stadium, Liverpool, EnglandWon Commonwealth Middleweight title
39Win29–9–1 Johnny ReadKO6 Feb 25, 1958 Harringay Arena, London, England
38Win28–9–1 Jimmy LynasKO7 Feb 03, 1958 King's Hall, Manchester, England
37Win27–9–1 Jean RuelletPTS8Jan 13, 1958 City Hall, Hull, England
36Win26–9–1 Paddy DelargyKO6 Nov 28, 1957 Embassy Sportsdrome, Birmingham, England
35Draw25–9–1 Pat McAteerPTS10Nov 11, 1957 Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff, Wales
34Win25–9 Jean Claude PoissonPTS10Oct 21, 1957 Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff, Wales
33Win24–9 Phil EdwardsPTS10Sep 09, 1957 Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff, Wales
32Win23–9 Alan DeanPTS8Jun 25, 1957 The Stadium, Liverpool, England
31Loss22–9 Willie ArmstrongPTS8Jul 15, 1957 Engineer's Club, Hartlepool, England
30Win22–8 Marius DoriTKO7 Jun 04, 1957 Harringay Arena, London, England
29Win21–8 Terry DownesTKO5 May 14, 1957 Town Hall, London, EnglandCut eye stoppage. Matchup of future world champions.
28Win20–8 Johnny ReadTKO2 Apr 29, 1957 National Sporting Club, London, England
27Win19–8 Alan DeanPTS8Nov 09, 1956 Tower Circus, Blackpool, England
26Loss18–8 Alan DeanPTS6Oct 18, 1956 The Stadium, Liverpool, England
25Win18–7 Jimmy LynasPTS8Jul 02, 1956 Tower Circus, Blackpool, England
24Win17–7 Wally ScottTKO4 May 28, 1956 Engineer's Club, Hartlepool, England
23Win16–7 Alan DeanPTS8May 10, 1956 The Stadium, Liverpool, England
22Win15–7 Dennis RowleyKO1 May 03, 1956 The Stadium, Liverpool, England
21Loss14–7 George RoePTS8Mar 22, 1956 The Stadium, Liverpool, England
20Loss14–6 Jimmy LynasPTS8Mar 01, 1956 Tower Circus, Blackpool, England
19Loss14–5 Gerry McNallyPTS8Jan 27, 1956 Tower Circus, Blackpool, England
18Loss14–4 Alan DeanPTS6Dec 08, 1955 The Stadium, Liverpool, England
17Win14–3 Bolaji JohnsonPTS8Aug 31, 1955 Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
16Win13–3 John AmaKO2May 01, 1955 Lagos, Nigeria
15Win12–3 Raheem FagbemiPTS8Jan 31, 1955 Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
14Win11–3 Koko KidKO6Jan 01, 1955 Amaigbo, Nigeria
13Win10–3 Peter OkptraKO8Nov 01, 1954 Lagos, Nigeria
12Win9–3 Super Human PowerPTS8Jul 18, 1954 Rex Cinema Hall, Aba, Nigeria
11Win8–3 Mighty JoePTS6Jun 12, 1954 Rex Cinema Hall, Aba, Nigeria
10Win7–3 Robert NwanneKO2Feb 01, 1954 Lagos, Nigeria
9Loss6–3 Tommy WestPTS6Jan 29, 1954 Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
8Loss6–2 Tommy WestRTD7May 20, 1953 African Tennis Club, Lagos, Nigeria
7Win6–1 Simon EmePTS8Feb 01, 1953 Lagos, Nigeria
6Win5–1 Blackie PowerPTS6Jan 30, 1953 Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
5Win4–1 Lion RingTKO6Jan 01, 1953 Lagos
4Loss3–1 Tommy WestPTS10Dec 13, 1952 Rex Cinema Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
3Win3–0 Easy DynamiteKO1Oct 01, 1952 Port Harcourt, Nigeria
2Win2–0 Koko KidPTS8Sep 01, 1952 Port Harcour, Nigeria
1Win1–0 Simon EmeKO2Jan 01, 1952 Aba, Nigeria

Fiction