Tony Craig Tucker was born on December 27,1958 and is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1998.
21 Facts About Tony Tucker
1.
2.
Tony Tucker won the IBF heavyweight title in 1987, and was the shortest-reigning world heavyweight champion at just 64 days.
3.
Tony Tucker is best known for giving Mike Tyson in his prime a relatively close fight, in which he, in the words of Larry Merchant, "rocked Tyson" in the first round.
4.
Tony Tucker became a boxer under influence of his father Bob Tucker, a former amateur boxer, who became his trainer and manager, put all his wealth into the development of his son's boxing career.
5.
Since 1979 Tony Tucker anticipated participating in the Moscow Olympics.
6.
Several people, including Tony Tucker, missed the flight and stayed in the United States due to various reasons, in Tucker's case an injury sustained just prior to the accident.
7.
At that point Tony Tucker became religious, believing that God spared his life for a purpose, in order for him to become the heavyweight champion of the world.
8.
Tony Tucker was injury prone, and he changed managers and trainers several times.
9.
Spinks refused to face Tony Tucker, opting instead for a more lucrative bout with Gerry Cooney.
10.
Tony Tucker won the bout, and the vacant IBF crown, via 10th-round technical knockout.
11.
Tony Tucker, as the winner of the IBF title, was obliged to immediately defend his title in a unification bout with WBA and WBC champion Mike Tyson, in what would be the tournament final, where Tony Tucker was a 10-to-1 underdog.
12.
Tony Tucker did what a lot of us thought he couldn't do, and that's why I respect him so much, because he boxed, he clinched, he was very strategic, very tactical, very intelligent fighter.
13.
Tony Tucker returned to boxing in 1989, and by 1992 was back in Don King's stable.
14.
Tony Tucker won the NABF belt with a 12-round split decision over the highly ranked Orlin Norris, and successfully defended it against future world champion Oliver McCall, winning another 12-round split decision.
15.
Tony Tucker finished 1992 with a 6th-round TKO of Frankie Swindell and set himself up for another world title shot.
16.
In 1995, George Foreman, who beat Michael Moorer in November 1994 to become the oldest heavyweight champion in history, refused to defend his WBA world heavyweight title against Tony Tucker, choosing to fight German Axel Schulz.
17.
Seldon won by TKO after 7 rounds when doctors stopped the fight due to Tony Tucker's eye closing shut.
18.
Tony Tucker lost his shot at a rematch when later that year he was outpointed by a newly signed Don King heavyweight, British-Nigerian boxer Henry Akinwande, over ten rounds.
19.
Tony Tucker scored two low-key wins in California, and in 1997 traveled to the UK to challenge Herbie Hide for the vacant WBO title.
20.
Tony Tucker was dropped three times and knocked out in round 2.
21.
In 1998 Tony Tucker challenged John Ruiz for his NABF belt.