Tony Tucker is a professional boxer, born December 27, 1958 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The weight category in which Tony performed was heavy (over 90 kg). The working hand is right, height is 196 cm, nickname is TNT.
At the time of 2017, Tucker was 59 years old.
Amateur career
Tony Tucker began his amateur career in 1979, in the same year he won the US Championship in the weight category up to 81 kg. Further, having won against European champion Albert Nicolan, Tucker was recognized as the winner of the Pan American Games and the World Cup, while receiving two gold medals.
At the Olympic Games, which were held in Moscow in 1980 , the boxer did not appear due to the difficult relations between the countries.
During the year of his amateur career, Tucker spent 121 fights, of which 115 could win, only 6 fights ended in defeat.
Professional career
Tony Tucker held his first fight in professional boxing on November 1, 1980, it was a fight against Chuck Gadner, it all ended in a third round knockout in favor of Tucker.
After such a debut, the boxer changed trainers and managers many times, as a result of which both his posts were taken by his father Bob. Most of the fights of the 80s with Tony's participation were off-TV.
After there were a number of victories against fighters such as Eddie Lopez, Jimi Young, James Broad.
So Tony Tucker got the right to the championship fight against Douglas James for the IBF title. At the end of the tenth round of this fight, Tony managed to press his opponent to the ropes and started boxing, the judge stopped the fight, the victory was given to the boxer under the nickname TNT.
The fight for the absolute world heavyweight championship took place in August 1987, the rival Tony was the eminent and titled Mike Tyson. There is a version that during the fight on Tucker, a past injury of the right hand affected that started to bother him in the third round, but in this fight Tyson injured his working hand and was forced to box like a jambist with his left hand. At the end of the battle, the judges unanimously gave victory to Tyson.
After the defeat, Tucker postponed all his boxing competitions, until 1991 he did not perform anywhere.
Returning, Tony fought against Leonel Washington and won the championship of California, twice fought against Orlin Norris, in one of them he won the NABF belt, he lost the second battle.
The championship match against Lennox Lewis, in May 1993, Tony Tucker started well, but after a couple of knockdowns, which were not in the boxer's career before, the judges unanimously gave Lewis a victory.
Decline in professional career
A recession began in his career after a heavy defeat against Lewis, Tony was no longer so hardy and agile. Its weight reached 110 kg.
The fight with Bruce Seldom ended in failure, Tony received many cuts and injured his eye.
Tucker lost his last WBO title fight against Herbie Hyde in the second round, in such a short time he fell into the ring three times.
The boxer held the final fight in his professional career against John Ruiz, who ended in Tucker's defeat.
The planned battle against Billy Wright did not take place due to the suspicion of doctors about Tony's vision.
May 7, 1998 Tony Tucker left professional sports.
Tucker set a record that is inscribed in the Guinness Book of Records - the shortest time in the champion boxing rank, 64 days.