Rocky Lockridge


Rick "Rocky" Lockridge was an American professional boxer. He is perhaps best known for having handed Roger Mayweather his first defeat—a first-round knockout in just 98 seconds—earning him the WBA and lineal super featherweight titles. He later won the IBF super featherweight title. He is also known from his 2010 appearance on the A&E television series Intervention.

Amateur career

Lockridge started boxing as an amateur out of the Tacoma Boys Club. Being one of four world champions to originate from Tacoma, his highlights as an amateur include:
For the last two decades of his life, Lockridge had drug problems. He became homeless and suffered a stroke which forced him to walk with a cane. He was featured on A&E's Intervention TV series, on which he claimed that the intervention and the help of his sons saved his life. His appearance on the show is noted for a moment where his son Lamar says, "Because I know, somewhere deep down in my heart, I still love you," which caused Lockridge to break down crying hard enough to the point where he was almost yelling. This spawned the internet meme "Best Cry Ever". He was also caught on video defending himself by knocking out a bully with a single one-two jab-cross combination near a convenience store. In interviews, he expressed a desire to be drug-free, having stated that he had never been this clean, even in his fighting days. "I feel so good today that if I hadn't suffered the stroke I would go for a title shot," he stated. He was also interested in becoming a boxing trainer.
Lockridge died on February 7, 2019 at the age of 60, after being placed on home hospice care following another series of strokes. He was removed from life support about one week prior to his death. Lockridge is survived by his three sons Lamar Lockridge, Raymond Dixon, and Ricky Lockridge Jr.