8. Dick Tiger (59-19-3, 26 KO)

Born: Aug. 14, 1929

Died: Dec. 14, 1971

 

He was born Richard Ihetu in Nigeria and turned pro in 1952.  Tiger campaigned in Nigeria and England and won the British Commonwealth middleweight title before debuting in the United States in 1959.

 

Tiger was an aggressive counterpuncher.  He would move forward and try to draw his opponent into an exchange.  Tiger would then try to counter his opponents punches with bombs of his own.  The African was an extremely hard puncher, relying on a devastating left hook to render foes unconscious.

 

In 1962, Tiger exploded onto the American boxing scene by knocking out Florentino Fernandez and decisioning Henry Hank.  Those wins earned him a title fight against WBA middleweight champion Gene Fullmer, whom he would meet in three consecutive grueling fights.

 

Dick Tiger was unbrawlable.  I don’t care which fighter you name, if he weighs 160 lbs. or under and tries to brawl with this guy, he would lose.  So singular was the perfect storm of his considerable talents that he is rendered unbreakable in that kind of fight and he proved it, just as he proved his phenomenal strength (he once threw the terrifying Gene Fullmer, who sought to test him in this area, straight to the canvas) and punch resistance as well as an indomitable spirit that just made it extremely likely that the opponent rather than he would be the one to quit—almost regardless of who the opponent was.

 

Tiger decisioned Fullmer in October 1962 to win the WBA title, drew with him in February of 1963 and earned recognition as undisputed champion with a TKO of Fullmer in August of 1963.  That fight, staged in Nigeria, was Fullmer's last.

 

Tiger dropped a decision to Joey Giardello in his first defense.  But in a 1965 rematch with Giardello, he regained the crown with a points win.  However, two fights later he lost the crown to welterweight champ Emile Griffith.  Losing his middleweight title to a former welterweight is hurtful to his overall standing, but Tiger responded by stepping up to 175 lbs. and adding a second title, past his prime in a division which, at 5’ 8", he wasn’t really built for.  Certainly his stoppage loss to the 7” taller, 8” rangier murderous punching Bob Foster is difficult to hold against him.  It was the only time Tiger was stopped in his career.  Tiger beat Jose Torres, Roger Rouse, Frank DePaula, Nino Benvenuti and Andy Kendall during his time above 160 lbs, all whilst past his prime and likely whilst working on the liver cancer that was shortly to kill him.

 

Tiger won three straight bouts -- beating Frankie DePaula, Nino Benvenuti and Andy Kendall -- before losing a rematch with Griffith in 1970. It was his last fight.

 

He died of liver cancer on December 14, 1971; he was 42 years old.