Dick Tiger


Richard Ihetu GCOI, professionally known as Dick Tiger was a Nigerian professional boxer who held the undisputed middleweight and light-heavyweight championships.
Tiger emigrated to Liverpool, England to pursue his boxing career and later to the United States. Tiger was Igbo and served as a Lieutenant in the Biafran army during the Nigerian Civil War, primarily training soldiers in hand-to-hand combat.
Tiger was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1962 and 1965, while the Boxing Writers Association of America named him Fighter of the Year in 1962 and 1966. In 1996, Tiger was voted as one of the best boxers of the 1960s, The later in 1998, Tiger was put in the book of "Best boxers of the 20th Century". In 2002, Tiger was voted by The Ring magazine as the 31st greatest fighter of the last 80 years. His first world title win in 1962 was ranked the 15th most memorable moment in Nigerian sports history since 1960 by Premium Times in 2020, the highest ranked combat sports-related moment.

Professional career

Tiger became a two-time undisputed world middleweight champion and helped keep boxing alive during the 1950s boxing industry recession. Tiger won the WBA middleweight title when he beat Gene Fullmer on October 23, 1962, and the light heavyweight title in 1966 when he dethroned José Torres of Puerto Rico.
Prior to these accomplishments, however, Tiger seemed condemned to poor management and a resulting lack of exposure. In 1957, using Liverpool as his fighting base, Tiger was fighting on undercards for small purses, when by fortune, facing off against popular favorite Terry Downes at Shoreditch Town Hall, he walked away with a TKO after six heats. New management saw to it certain "errors in his style" were corrected, and in another year, Tiger had taken 17 of 19 fights and won the British Middleweight title. In 1959, handled by the independent Jersey Jones, Tiger came to America, to face adversity in a whole, new way. Jersey Jones, resisting the influences of Madison Square Garden, brokered deals for Tiger by himself, which in the short run, cost them both. In an independent promotion at Edmonton, Alberta, Tiger's Empire belt was lost in a more-than questionable 15 round nod to local challenger Wilf Greaves. The decision as rendered, had first been called a draw; appalled, Jones demanded a recount of the cards, which boomeranged, showing the fight, dominated by Tiger, as a win for Greaves. Tiger, sincere and honorable in his dealings, often found this virtuous approach not reciprocated, particularly in North America.
A. J. Liebling, impressed in witnessing Tiger's 1962 performance versus Henry Hank of Detroit, described the fighter's appearance thus, "... a chest like an old-fashioned black office safe, dropping away to a slender waist, big thighs, and slender legs; he boxed classically, his arms tight against his sides at the beginning of a punch, his savagely methodical blows moving in short arcs and straight lines."
Such a description was similarly evoked, albeit in simpler terms, by Tiger's contemporaries.
Gene Fullmer: "Tiger was a rough guy....I went to Nigeria to fight him, and, of course, I don't know what happened over there....He beat me. He beat me bad. My mother and father could have been judge and referee, and I couldn't have won a round..."
Joey Giardello: "I thank Dick Tiger because Dick Tiger was a man and Dick Tiger gave to me. He didn't have to give it to me. He could have give it to somebody else."
Giardello and Tiger fought four times, with each bout going the full distance. They exchanged the middleweight title during their last two encounters. In total, they spent approximately two and a half hours in the ring together. Prior to one of their later fights, when asked whether he planned to trade punches with the hard-hitting Tiger, Giardello responded, "I wouldn't trade stamps with him."
Numerous accounts of Tiger, both as a person and a fighter, describe him as solid, disciplined, and principled. He generally avoided promotional theatrics, a contrast to Western marketing tactics of the time. In an effort to secure a title shot, contender Joey Archer, a technically skilled middleweight known for his speed, launched a small-scale advertising campaign aimed at Tiger. One ad stated, "I'm a middleweight, and I've licked every man I ever fought, including you," referencing a previous victory over Tiger. However, Tiger had already signed to defend his title against Emile Griffith, prompting another ad from Archer that read, "The Middleweight Champion should meet the best middleweight." Archer also promoted his campaign through television appearances and in the New York Daily News, and was even photographed taunting a caged tiger at the Bronx Zoo. Despite his efforts, Tiger went on to lose the middleweight title to Griffith, and a bout with Archer never materialized. Following the loss, Archer shifted focus elsewhere, and in 1966, Tiger moved up to campaign as a full-time light heavyweight.
After defeating José Torres by decision to win the light heavyweight title, Tiger successfully defended the crown against Torres in a rematch and against Montana native Roger Rouse. He then lost the title to Bob Foster of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Although Foster was sometimes described as a veteran, he was only 26 years old with 33 fights, while Tiger, nearly 40, was approaching the end of his career. The left hook Foster used to knock out Tiger was later ranked among "The 10 Deadliest Punches of the Last 25 Years" by Big Book of Boxing in 1975.
Due to the emphatic nature of the knockout, promoters at Madison Square Garden reportedly felt a rematch would not draw sufficient public interest. As a result, Tiger had to requalify for a title shot and was matched against rising contender Frankie DePaula, who had recorded five consecutive knockouts. Their bout was highly competitive, with both fighters being knocked down twice in the first four rounds. It was later named "Fight of the Year" by Ring magazine. Although Tiger won the decision, it was DePaula—despite the loss—who received the next title shot against Foster.

Retirement and death

In the later part of his career, Tiger traveled from his home in Nigeria to Liverpool, in northwestern England, and eventually to the United States, continuing to make a significant contribution to boxing.
After retiring, he worked as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. One day, he experienced severe back pain and was later diagnosed with liver cancer.
Tiger had previously been banned by the Nigerian government due to his involvement with the Biafran movement. However, the ban was lifted after news of his illness reached Nigeria. He died of liver cancer on 14 December 1971 in Aba, Nigeria, at the age of 42.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
82LossEmile GriffithUD10Jul 15, 1970Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
81Win60–18–3Andy KendallUD10Nov 14, 1969Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
80Win59–18–3Nino BenvenutiUD10May 26, 1969Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
79Win58–18–3Frank DePaulaUD10Oct 25, 1968Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
78Loss57–18–3Bob FosterKO4, 2:05May 24, 1968Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Lost WBA, WBC, and The Ring light-heavyweight titles
77Win57–17–3Roger RouseTKO12, 0:12Nov 17, 1967Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring light-heavyweight titles
76Win56–17–3José TorresSD15May 16, 1967Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Retained WBA, WBC, and The Ring light-heavyweight titles
75Win55–17–3Abraham TomicaTKO5 Feb 5, 1967Mile One Park, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
74Win54–17–3José TorresUD15Dec 16, 1966Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Won WBA, WBC, and The Ring light-heavyweight titles
73Loss53–17–3Emile GriffithUD15Apr 25, 1966Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Lost WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles
72Win53–16–3Peter MuellerKO3, 0:57Feb 18, 1966Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
71Win52–16–3Joey GiardelloUD15Oct 21, 1965Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Won WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles
70Win51–16–3Rubin CarterUD10May 20, 1965Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
69Win50–16–3Juan Carlos RiveroTKO6 Mar 12, 1965Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
68Loss49–16–3Joey ArcherSD10Oct 16, 1964Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
67Win49–15–3Don FullmerUD10Sep 11, 1964Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
66Win48–15–3Jose Monon GonzalezTKO6 Jul 31, 1964Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
65Loss47–15–3Joey GiardelloPTS15Dec 7, 1963Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Lost WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles
64Win47–14–3Gene FullmerRTD7, 3:00Aug 10, 1963Liberty Stadium, Ibadan, NigeriaRetained WBA and The Ring middleweight titles;
Won inaugural WBC middleweight title
63Draw46–14–3Gene FullmerSD15Feb 23, 1963Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, U.S.Retained NYSAC and WBA middleweight title
62Win46–14–2Gene FullmerUD15Oct 23, 1962Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California, U.S.Won WBA middleweight title
61Win45–14–2Henry HankUD10Mar 31, 1962Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
60Win44–14–2Florentino FernándezTKO6 Jan 20, 1962Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S.
59Win43–14–2William PickettUD10Dec 16, 1961Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
58Win42–14–2Hank CaseySD10May 15, 1961Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
57Win41–14–2Ellsworth WebbKO6, 2:41Apr 15, 1961St. Nicholas Arena, New York City, New York, U.S.
56Win40–14–2Gene ArmstrongTKO9, 1:21Feb 18, 1961Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
55Win39–14–2Wilf GreavesTKO9, 1:20Nov 30, 1960Edmonton Gardens, Edmonton, CanadaWon Commonwealth middleweight title
54Loss38–14–2Wilf GreavesSD15Jun 22, 1960Edmonton Gardens, Edmonton, CanadaLost Commonwealth middleweight title
53Win38–13–2Víctor ZalazarMD10Apr 1, 1960Arena, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
52Win37–13–2Gene ArmstrongUD10Feb 24, 1960Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
51Win36–13–2Holly MimsMD10Dec 30, 1959Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
50Loss35–13–2Joey GiardelloUD10Nov 4, 1959Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
49Win35–12–2Joey GiardelloUD10Sep 30, 1959Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
48Win34–12–2Gene ArmstrongPTS10Sep 2, 1959Convention Hall, Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
47Loss33–12–2Rory CalhounSD10Jul 17, 1959War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, New York, U.S.
46Draw33–11–2Rory CalhounPTS10Jun 5, 1959Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
45Win33–11–1Randy SandyPTS10May 12, 1959Empire Pool, Wembley, England
44Loss32–11–1Randy SandyPTS10March 19, 1959The Stadium, Liverpool, England
43Win32–10–1Yolande PompeyPTS10Oct 14, 1958Empire Pool, London, England
42Loss31–10–1Ellsworth WebbPTS10Jun 24, 1958Earls Court Empress Hall, London, England
41Win31–9–1Billy EllawayKO2 May 1, 1958The Stadium, Liverpool, England
40Win30–9–1Pat McAteerKO9 Mar 27, 1958The Stadium, Liverpool, EnglandWon Commonwealth middleweight title
39Win29–9–1Johnny ReadKO6 Feb 25, 1958Harringay Arena, London, England
38Win28–9–1Jimmy LynasKO7 Feb 3, 1958King's Hall, Manchester, England
37Win27–9–1Jean RuelletPTA8Jan 13, 1958City Hall, Hull, England
36Win26–9–1Paddy DelargyKO6 Nov 28, 1957Embassy Sportsdrome, Birmingham, England
35Draw25–9–1Pat McAteerPTS10Nov 11, 1957Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff, Wales
34Win25–9Jean Claude PoissonPTS10Oct 21, 1957Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff, Wales
33Win24–9Phil EdwardsPTS10Sep 9, 1957Sophia Gardens Pavilion, Cardiff, Wales
32Win23–9Alan DeanPTS8Jun 25, 1957The Stadium, Liverpool, England
31Loss22–9Willie ArmstrongPTS8Jul 15, 1957Engineer's Club, Hartlepool, England
30Win22–8Marius DoriTKO7 Jun 4, 1957Harringay Arena, London, England
29Win21–8Terry DownesTKO5 May 14, 1957Town Hall, London, England
28Win20–8Johnny ReadTKO2 Apr 29, 1957National Sporting Club, London, England
27Win19–8Alan DeanPTS8Nov 9, 1956Tower Circus, Blackpool, England
26Loss18–8Alan DeanPTS6Oct 18, 1956The Stadium, Liverpool, England
25Win18–7Jimmy LynasPTS8Jul 2, 1956Tower Circus, Blackpool, England
24Win17–7Wally ScottTKO4 May 28, 1956Engineer's Club, Hartlepool, England
23Win16–7Alan DeanPTS8May 10, 1956The Stadium, Liverpool, England
22Win15–7Dennis RowleyKO1 May 3, 1956The Stadium, Liverpool, England
21Loss14–7George RoePTS8Mar 22, 1956The Stadium, Liverpool, England
20Loss14–6Jimmy LynasPTS8Mar 1, 1956Tower Circus, Blackpool, England
19Loss14–5Gerry McNallyPTS8Jan 27, 1956Tower Circus, Blackpool, England
18Loss14–4Alan DeanPTS6Dec 08, 1955The Stadium, Liverpool, England
17Win14–3Bolaji JohnsonPTS8Aug 31, 1955Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
16Win13–3John AmaKO2May 1, 1955Lagos, Nigeria
15Win12–3Raheem FagbemiPTS8Jan 31, 1955Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
14Win11–3Koko KidKO6Jan 1, 1955Amaigbo, Nigeria
13Win10–3Peter OkptraKO8Nov 1, 1954Lagos, Nigeria
12Win9–3Super Human PowerPTS8Jul 18, 1954Rex Cinema Hall, Aba, Nigeria
11Win8–3Mighty JoePTS6Jun 12, 1954Rex Cinema Hall, Aba, Nigeria
10Win7–3Robert NwanneKO2Feb 1, 1954Lagos, Nigeria
9Loss6–3Tommy WestPTS6Jan 29, 1954Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
8Loss6–2Tommy WestRTD7May 20, 1953African Tennis Club, Lagos, Nigeria
7Win6–1Simon EmePTS8Feb 1, 1953Lagos, Nigeria
6Win5–1Blackie PowerPTS6Jan 30, 1953Glover Memorial Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
5Win4–1Lion RingTKO6Jan 1, 1953Lagos
4Loss3–1Tommy WestPTS10Dec 13, 1952Rex Cinema Hall, Lagos, Nigeria
3Win3–0Easy DynamiteKO1Oct 1, 1952Port Harcourt, Nigeria
2Win2–0Koko KidPTS8Sep 1, 1952Port Harcourt, Nigeria
1Win1–0Simon EmeKO2Jan 1, 1952Aba, Nigeria