Chris Byrd

Chris Byrd
Statistics
Real name	Chris Cornelius Byrd
Nickname(s)	Rapid Fire
Rated at	Light heavyweight Cruiserweight Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	(1970-08-15) 15 August 1970 Flint, Michigan, U.S.
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	47
Wins	41
Wins by KO	22
Losses	5
Draws	1
Medal record Representing United States Men's boxing Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona Middleweight

Chris Cornelius Byrd (born August 15, 1970) is an American former professional boxer. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBO and IBF titles, as well as scoring notable wins over former champions Vitali Klitschko and Evander Holyfield.

Early life

Chris Byrd was the youngest of eight children growing up in Flint, Michigan. He began boxing at age 5, training in his father (Joe Sr.)'s Joe Byrd Boxing Academy. His father continued to train and manage Byrd as a professional. Byrd attended Flint Northwestern High School.

Amateur career

Byrd began competing in the ring at age 10, and compiled an impressive 275 wins in the amateur ranks. He was a three-time U.S. amateur champion (1989, 1991, and 1992). He was on the 1991 U.S. National boxing Team that became the first (and only) U.S. team to score a tie against the heralded Cuban team. Byrd won the silver medal in the 1992 Barcelona summer Olympics as a middleweight, losing to Cuba's Ariel Hernández in the final.

Amateur highlights

• Lost in the 1988 Olympic Trials at Light Welterweight, losing to eventual United States representative Todd Foster.
• 1989 United States Amateur Light Middleweight Champion
• 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, lost to Torsten Schmitz (East Germany) on points, in Light Middleweight competition.
• 1991 United States Amateur Middleweight Champion
• 1991 World Championships, lost at Middlweight to Ramon Garbey (Cuba)
• 1992 United States Amateur Middleweight Champion
• 1992 Middleweight Gold Medalist at Canada Cup. Results were:
  • Justin Crawford (Australia) won on points
  • Joe Laryea (Ghana) won on points
  • Igor Anashkin (Russia) won on points
• 1992 Qualified as a Middleweight at the Olympic Trials in Worcester, MA. Results were:
  • Derrick James won on points
  • William Joppy won on points
  • Mike DeMoss won on points
  • Eric Carr won on points, this bout was at the Olympic Box-Offs in Phoenix, AZ*
• Captured the Middleweight Silver Medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Results were:
  • Mark Edwards (Great Britain) 21-3
  • Alexander Lebziak (Russia/Unified Team) 16-7
  • Ahmed Dine (Algeria) 21-2
  • Chris Johnson (Canada) 17-3
  • Ariel Hernandez (Cuba) 7-12

Professional career

1993-1998: early career

Main article: Chris Byrd vs. Evander Holyfield

Byrd turned professional on January 28, 1993, knocking out 10 of his first 13 opponents. Byrd moved up to heavyweight three fights into his professional career.

Byrd remained undefeated for his first 26 fights, knocking off then-notable opponents like Phil Jackson, Lionel Butler, Uriah Grant, Bert Cooper, Craig Peterson, Frankie Swindell, Jimmy Thunder, undefeated Eliecer Castillo and Ross Puritty.

1999: Ibeabuchi Bout, comeback victories

However, in 1999, Byrd's undefeated record came to a dead end when he fought undefeated Ike Ibeabuchi. With 48 seconds left in the fifth round, a left-handed bolo punch followed with a right hook sent Byrd to the canvas, face first.

2000: first world title, facing the Klitschkos

During the last week of March 2000, Byrd was offered the chance to be the replacement (for Donovan Ruddock) against undefeated champion Vitali Klitschko in Berlin, Germany (Klitschko's adopted home country) for the WBO Heavyweight Title. He therefore had only seven days to prepare for the fight (not the customary 6–12 weeks). Byrd struggled greatly in the fight, trailing after nine rounds by scores of 88–83 (on two cards) and 89–82 (on one card), i.e. losing seven or eight of those rounds. However, Klitschko severely injured his shoulder and was unable to continue after the ninth round. The injury that Klitschko suffered was a torn shoulder rotator cuff, which required major surgery and a 7-month lay-off. Despite trailing on all three of the judges' scorecards, Byrd walked away the winner by a technical knockout due to the injury to Klitschko.

Six months later, Byrd was back in Germany to defend the title against Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali's younger, more agile brother. Twelve rounds later, Byrd had lost a lopsided unanimous decision and the WBO belt after being knocked down twice.

2001–02: comeback victories, second world title

Byrd returned to the U.S., signed with Don King and beat Maurice Harris to win the United States Boxing Association heavyweight belt in Madison Square Garden. He was now a top-five contender for the IBF title. After winning his next match (a title defense against New Zealand's top contender David Tua) Byrd eventually received his mandatory shot at the vacant IBF world Heavyweight Championship against Evander Holyfield in Atlantic City. On December 14, 2002, Byrd won a unanimous decision and the IBF title.

2003–05: four successful title defenses

Byrd has successfully defended the IBF belt against: Fres Oquendo in 2003 (match ended in a controversial win for Byrd in which most people felt Oquendo won), a highly entertaining draw with "Andrew" Golota and a decision win over friend Jameel McCline in 2004, and DaVarryl Williamson in 2005.

2006: Klitschko rematch

On April 22, 2006, Byrd faced Wladimir Klitschko for the second time. Byrd was making his fifth defense of his IBF title and the fight was also sanctioned by the International Boxing Organization for its title, which had been vacated upon the retirement of Lennox Lewis. The fight took place at SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany. Byrd was heavily dominated throughout the fight, was down in the fifth, and again in the seventh. Referee Wayne Kelly stopped the fight after the second knockdown when Byrd had an open cut near his eyes. Klitschko won in a TKO

2007–09: Povetkin bout, move to cruiserweight

After losing to Alexander Povetkin, Byrd would drop about 40 pounds to return to the light heavyweight division. He fought Shaun George on May 16, 2008, at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas. Byrd was dropped by George in round one and rocked again in round two. George then hammered Byrd with his right hand at will, finally flooring Byrd twice in the ninth round. Byrd beat the count after the first knockdown, but was then battered down again and the bout was waved off by the referee.

Retirement

Chris Byrd has officially announced that he will not be fighting anymore and therefore he confirmed his retirement.

Outside of the ring

Byrd hosts a weekly video podcast, entitled "Byrd's Eye View", which showcases former boxers as well as current professional and champion-level fighters.

Additional information

• Byrd's hometown is Flint, Michigan, where he trained along with his brother Patrick Byrd and sister Tracy Byrd. Byrd's other sister, Laurie Byrd, is a professional basketball coach. Byrd is also a first cousin of Lamon Brewster, himself a former world heavyweight champion and two-time Klitschko opponent.
• Byrd's corner consisted entirely of family members
• Byrd made an appearance in the 2008 documentary Beyond the Ropes.
• Byrd also makes an appearance in the 2011 documentary Klitschko, in which he discusses his trio of title bouts with the brothers.

Professional boxing record

47 fights, 41 wins (22 knockouts), 5 losses, 1 draw
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Win	41-5-1	Matthias Sandow	TKO	4 (8)	21/03/2009	Hanns-Martin-Schleyer Halle, Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Loss	40-5-1	Shaun George	TKO	9 (10)	16/05/2008	Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss	40-4-1	Alexander Povetkin	TKO	11 (12)	27/10/2007	Messehalle, Erfurt, Thuringia, Germany	IBF heavyweight eliminator
Win	40-3-1	Paul Marinaccio	RTD	7 (10)	18/04/2007	Clifford Park, Nassau, Bahamas
Loss	39-3-1	Wladimir Klitschko	TKO	7 (12)	22/04/2006	SAP-Arena, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany	For vacant IBO Heavyweight title Lost IBF heavyweight title
Win	39-2-1	DaVarryl Williamson	UD	12	01/10/2005	Events Center, Reno, Nevada, United States	Retained IBF heavyweight title
Win	38-2-1	Jameel McCline	SD	12	13/11/2004	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Retained IBF heavyweight title Byrd down in round 2
Draw	37-2-1	Andrew Golota	SD	12	17/04/2004	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Retained IBF heavyweight title
Win	37–2	Fres Oquendo	UD	12	20/09/2003	Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut, United States	Retained IBF heavyweight title
Win	36–2	Evander Holyfield	UD	12	14/12/2002	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States	Won vacant IBF heavyweight title
Win	35–2	Jeff Pegues	TKO	3 (10)	08/06/2002	Soaring Eagle Casino, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States
Win	34–2	David Tua	UD	12	18/08/2001	Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Retained USBA heavyweight title Final eliminator for IBF heavyweight title
Win	33–2	Maurice Harris	UD	12	12/05/2001	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, United States	Won vacant USBA heavyweight title
Win	32–2	David Vedder	UD	10	19/01/2001	Soaring Eagle Casino, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States
Loss	31–2	Wladimir Klitschko	UD	12	14/10/2000	Kolnarena, Cologne, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany	Lost WBO heavyweight title Byrd down in rounds 9 and 11
Win	31–1	Vitali Klitschko	RTD	9 (12)	01/04/2000	Estrel Convention Center, Neukoelln, Berlin, Germany	Won WBO heavyweight title Fight stopped due to a shoulder injury sustained by Klitschko
Win	30–1	David Washington	TKO	10 (10)	19/01/2000	Soaring Eagle Casino, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States
Win	29–1	Val Smith	KO	2 (10)	22/10/1999	Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan, United States
Win	28–1	Jose Ribalta	TKO	4 (10)	03/06/1999	Soaring Eagle Casino, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States
Win	27–1	John Sargent	TKO	2 (10)	08/05/1999	Silver Star Casino, Philadelphia, Mississippi, United States
Loss	26–1	Ike Ibeabuchi	TKO	5 (10)	20/03/1999	Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, Washington, United States
Win	26–0	Ross Puritty	UD	10	14/07/1998	Casino Magic, Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi, United States
Win	25–0	Eliecer Castillo	UD	10	30/05/1998	Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	24–0	Derek Amos	TKO	6 (10)	28/03/1998	Boardwalk Convention Center, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	23–0	Jimmy Thunder	TKO	9 (10)	13/12/1997	Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut, United States
Win	22–0	Frankie Swindell	UD	10	20/06/1997	Bally's Park Place Hotel Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win	21–0	Bert Cooper	UD	10	18/03/1997	IMA Center, Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	20–0	Craig Petersen	TKO	6 (10)	28/01/1997	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States
Win	19–0	Levi Billups	UD	10	08/10/1996	IMA Center, Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	18–0	Uriah Grant	UD	10	06/08/1996	IMA Center, Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	17–0	Biko Botowamungu	UD	10	17/05/1996	Glen Stock Arena, Monroe, Michigan, United States
Win	16–0	Lionel Butler	TKO	8 (10)	23/04/1996	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States	Butler down in the 7th and 8th rounds.
Win	15–0	Jeff Wooden	UD	10	30/01/1996	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States
Win	14–0	Phil Jackson	UD	12	21/11/1996	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States
Win	13–0	Nathaniel Fitch	KO	7 (10)	03/10/1995	IMA Center, Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	12–0	Tim Puller	TKO	5 (10)	18/07/1995	IMA Center, Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	11–0	Arthur Williams	SD	10	23/05/1995	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States	Byrd down in round 1; first professional knockdown
Win	10–0	Joel Humm	RTD	4 (8)	26/04/1995	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States
Win	9–0	Mike Rouse	TKO	6 (12)	28/03/1995	IMA Center, Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	8–0	Frankie Hines	TKO	2 (?)	06/01/1995	Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
Win	7–0	Ron Gullette	TKO	5 (?)	01/11/1994	Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	6–0	Waxxen Fikes	TKO	4 (?)	04/10/1994	The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, United States
Win	5–0	Max Key	KO	1 (?)	30/08/1994	Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	4–0	Gerard O'Neal	TKO	2 (6)	07/06/1994	Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	3–0	Exum Speight	UD	6	22/03/1994	Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	2–0	Mike Sullivan	TKO	1 (?)	15/05/1993	Flint, Michigan, United States
Win	1–0	Gary Smith	UD	6	28/01/1993	IMA Center, Flint, Michigan, United States	Professional debut

See also

• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of left-handed boxers

External links

• Professional boxing record for Chris Byrd from BoxRec
• Official website

Preceded by Vitali Klitschko	WBO heavyweight champion April 1, 2000 – October 14, 2000	Succeeded by Wladimir Klitschko
Preceded by Lennox Lewis	IBF heavyweight champion December 14, 2002 – April 22, 2006	Succeeded by Wladimir Klitschko