Chris Byrd

Chris Cornelius "Rapidfire" Byrd, (born August 15 1970), is a 6 ft. / 182.9 cm. tall southpaw boxer who won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) world Heavyweight Championship from Evander Holyfield on December 14, 2002 in Atlantic City, New Jersey (U.S.A.). They were fighting for a portion of the Undisputed (i.e., WBC+WBA+IBF) World Heavyweight Championship that Lennox Lewis had reliquished in exchange for one million dollars (U.S.) from promoter Don King.

Related Topics:
August 15 - 1970 - Southpaw - Boxer - International Boxing Federation - IBF - Evander Holyfield - December 14 - 2002 - Atlantic City, New Jersey - World Heavyweight Championship - Lennox Lewis - Don King

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Chris Byrd won the silver medal in the 1992 Barcelona summer Olympics as a middleweight, losing to Cuba's Ariel Hernández in the final. He moved up in weight to heavyweight 3 fights into his professional career.

Related Topics:
1992 - Barcelona - Olympics - Middleweight - Cuba - Ariel Hernández - Heavyweight

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As a result of his not being a "natural heavyweight" (i.e., well over 6 ft. tall and at least 230 lbs. / 104.3 kg.) -- the same supposed flaw alleged by Holyfield's critics -- he lacks great punching power. This has led many to deem his highly technical style of boxing (jabs, sporadic combination-punching, and evasive body movement) too boring for the heavyweight division. Regardless, as of mid-2005, he has managed to retain the IBF Title after 3 defenses.

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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; he is still trained and managed by his father. Byrd began competing in the ring at age 10, and compiled a staggering 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. team that became the first and only U.S. team to score a tie against the heralded Cuban team.

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He turned professional on Jan 28, 1993, and established his punching power by knocking out 10 of his first 13 opponents. Byrd remained undefeated for 26 fights, knocking off notable opponents like Uriah Grant, Bert Cooper, Frankie Swindell, Jimmy Thunder and Ross Puritty.

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Byrd kept fighting and winning until he received a phone call that all boxers dream of, the last week of March 2000. If he could come to Berlin, he would vie for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Heavyweight Title as a last-minute replacement (for Donovan "Razor" Ruddock) against undefeated champion, and adopted German national celebrity, Vitali Klitschko. He would get the title shot that the top champions had been afraid to or uninterested in giving him...but with just 7 days notice (not the customary several weeks needed to train for a known opponent).

Related Topics:
World Boxing Organization - WBO - Donovan "Razor" Ruddock - Vitali Klitschko

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Byrd took on this huge challenge (if the fight goes the distance, outsider opponents of ?hometown? fighters almost always lose decisions they deserve to win, due to biased local judges and crowd pressure). Byrd struggled greatly in the fight until Round 5, when he began to back up the 6-foot-7-inch (200.7 cm.) giant -- much to the Ukrainian's dismay. Byrd now tried even harder to ?press the action? (i.e., land the preponderance of power punches), and started "turning the tide" against the champion. Klitschko finished Round 9, complaining to his corner of shoulder pain. He and his corner decided he could not continue; ironically, he was ahead on all 3 judges' scorecards (89-82, and 88-83 twice). Chris Byrd walked away with a TKO win and the fulfillment of a dream: a heavyweight championship. Vitali underwent surgery for a torn rotator cuff, the shoulder?s major joint. He rehabilitated his shoulder easily, but his new reputation (as a quitter) would stick with him for over 3 more years. Six months after the fight, Byrd was back in Germany to defend the title (promoted by Universum, a German company) against Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali's younger, more agile and powerful brother. Twelve rounds later, Byrd had lost a lopsided (and he still maintains, "hometown") unanimous decision and the WBO belt.

Related Topics:
Universum - Wladimir Klitschko

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?Rapidfire? would not give up on his top goal -- winning a World heavyweight title -- though; two fights later, Byrd won the USBA heavyweight belt in Madison Square Garden. Although it was a minor title at best, the USBA is associated with one of the 3 ?real? world title organizations, the IBF. He was now a top-five contender. The winner of his next match (a title defense against New Zealand knockout artist David Tua) would get a mandatory shot at the vacant IBF world Heavyweight Championship, against the legendary Evander Holyfield, in Atlantic City.

Related Topics:
David Tua - Evander Holyfield

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December 14, 2002: His day to fight for a true world championship had finally come. Previous titleholder Lennox Lewis had opted not to fight number-one contender Byrd; instead, he gave up that belt in exchange for a buyout from the IBF?s promoter for the match. Byrd had to fight the biggest-name contender available to the IBF (and the man Lewis had beaten for the Undisputed Championship in 1999): four-time former World Heavyweight Champion, Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield.

Related Topics:
Lennox Lewis - Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield

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Byrd's technical skills were simply too much for the suddenly slipping Holyfield; Byrd won a lopsided unanimous decision and the IBF Title in an impressive performance against one of the best fighters in history. Byrd has successfully defended the IBF belt against Fres Oquendo (in 2003), the 6?4? / 237-lb. (192 cm. / 107.5 kg.) Andrzej Go?ota, and a 270-lb. / 122.5 kg. (and 6?6? / 198.1 cm.) Jameel McCline (in 2004)/ and DaVarryl Williamson in 2005.

Related Topics:
Fres Oquendo - Andrzej Go?ota - Jameel McCline - DaVarryl Williamson

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After defending his title 4 times his professional ring record of 2005 is 39 wins (20 knockouts), 2 losses, and 1 draw in 42 contests. His hometown is Flint, MI, but he fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Related Topics:
Flint, MI - Las Vegas, Nevada

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