Donovan Ruddock


Donovan "Razor" Ruddock is a Jamaican-born Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 2001 and in 2015. He is known for his two fights against Mike Tyson in 1991, a fight against Lennox Lewis in 1992, and a fight with Tommy Morrison in 1995.
Ruddock is also known for his exceptionally heavy punching. Some of the best examples of his left hand and overall power were his knockouts of former WBA heavyweight champions James Smith in 1989, Michael Dokes in 1990, and Greg Page in 1992. His favoured weapon at the ring proved to be a highly versatile half-hook, half-uppercut left-handed punch he called "The Smash" which accounted for the majority of his knockout wins. It also happened to be his major downside throughout his career. Being a left-handed puncher fighting out of the orthodox stance, Ruddock didn't throw right handed punches during most knockout flurries.

Early life

Ruddock was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica. At age 11, he left Jamaica with his family and moved to Toronto, settling in the city's Weston neighbourhood. Ruddock attended Emery Collegiate Institute and Westview Centennial Secondary School, when he was a teenager.

Amateur career

As an amateur boxer, Ruddock had a win over Lennox Lewis in March 1980, in Toronto at the Ontario Junior Boxing Championship, winning via a split decision in the 75 kg weight class.

Professional career

Early career

Ruddock turned pro in 1982, but his career started slowly, having only 11 fights between 1982 and 1985. He won eight of his first nine fights, but drew his fifth. More controversy followed in April 1985 when he lost to journeyman David Jaco, who would be KO'd by a young Mike Tyson the next year. After eight rounds Ruddock's corner threw in the towel when he complained of breathing problems. Jaco was awarded a TKO victory. It was discovered Ruddock had a rare respiratory illness and doctors told him his career would be over.

Return to the ring

To his doctors' surprise, Ruddock made a full recovery within 10 months and resumed his boxing career by winning nine straight fights. Eight were by KO, with the ninth a win by decision over former WBA heavyweight title-holder Mike Weaver. Ruddock would win the Canadian heavyweight championship in 1988 on a first-round knockout of Ken Lakusta.
In 1989, after two more wins by KO, a fight was arranged with another former WBA heavyweight champion -- James "Bonecrusher" Smith. Ruddock was knocked down in round two but got up, regrouped and stopped Smith in the seventh round.
This victory placed him in line for a title bout against undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, scheduled for November 1989 in Edmonton, Alberta. Tyson, claiming illness, canceled and opted instead to fight James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo in February 1990. Tyson would go on to lose, in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.

Ruddock vs. Dokes

In 1990, Ruddock fought former heavyweight champion Michael Dokes. Ruddock went into the fight as underdog but put on one of the best performances of his career knocking out Dokes in the 4th round. Dokes appeared to be seriously stunned on the ropes after taking Ruddock's famous "Smash" left hook. A right hand followed, which appeared to put Dokes out, but Ruddock threw another two hooks to knock Dokes out cold for several minutes.
After another KO win over Kimmuel Odum in 1990, Ruddock had difficulty finding a marquee opponent. Ruddock hoped to fight Evander Holyfield. Instead, Holyfield opted to fight 42-year-old George Foreman.

Ruddock vs. Tyson

With no big name opponent, Ruddock took a warm up fight against Mike Rouse in December 1990, winning by first round knockout. In January 1991, Mike Tyson accepted Ruddock's challenge and a fight was scheduled for March 18. It would pit Tyson, the number one contender, against Ruddock, who was number two, for the right to fight the winner of Holyfield-Foreman. Ruddock was dropped in round three but fought back until referee Richard Steele stopped the fight in Tyson's favour during round seven. Some fans were unhappy with the decision, and fights erupted in the stadium. Steele had to be escorted out of the ring after the angry protests.

Ruddock vs. Tyson II

A rematch was held June 28, 1991 and lasted a full 12 rounds. Tyson knocked Ruddock down twice during the bout, and won by unanimous decision. Both fighters were injured; Ruddock had a broken jaw and Tyson suffered a perforated eardrum. Sports Illustrated reported that Ruddock's jaw may have been broken as early as the fourth round. Tyson was magnanimous after his triumph, praising Ruddock as a great heavyweight: "Man this guy is tough, he'll be champion of the world one day if he stays dedicated and doesn't slip up."

Ruddock vs. Lewis

After losing to Tyson for the second time, Ruddock picked up victories over former heavyweight champion Greg Page and got a win over undefeated hope Phil Jackson; both fights again were won by KO. Those victories set up a bout with Lennox Lewis in London on Halloween 1992. The bout was an official WBC Final Eliminator and seen as an elimination bout for the opportunity to face the winner of the upcoming Bowe - Holyfield match. Ruddock was knocked out in the second round.

Ruddock vs. Morrison

More than two years after the Lewis defeat Ruddock came back in 1994 with a points win over Anthony Wade, which led to a fight with Tommy Morrison in 1995. In the first round he put Morrison down, but let the opportunity for an early stoppage slip, and was given a count himself in the second round after grabbing the ropes after being caught by a Morrison uppercut. Again, like the first Tyson fight, Ruddock was controversially stopped on his feet in the 6th round. He had been knocked down by a left hook in the same round.

Retirement

After the loss to Morrison, Ruddock disappeared for three years before returning once again in 1998. Ruddock was scheduled to challenge Vitali Klitschko for the WBO heavyweight world title in April 2000, yet was forced to withdraw at late notice due to injury. After building up a winning streak against journeymen opponents, Ruddock won the Canadian heavyweight title for a second time with a tenth round win over Egerton Marcus in October 2001, then retired with a record of 38 wins, 5 losses and 1 draw.

Comeback and second retirement

On March 28, 2015, Ruddock, aged 51, returned to the ring with a fifth round knockout win over Raymond Olubowale and scored a six round majority points decision over Eric Barrak two months later. Ruddock, in his third and final comeback bout, was defeated by a third round knockout by Dillon Carman on September 11, 2015 in a bid for the Canadian heavyweight title.

Exhibition bout

Ruddock made a comeback to the ring at age 59 on November 11, 2023, when he fought 55-year-old James Toney, a former three-division world champion and hall of famer, in Kingston, Jamaica. The fight went all six rounds and was scored a draw, with the first two rounds being a standard three minutes, while the later four were shortened to two minutes. Both men were criticized for their lousy athletic appearance and sluggish pace, as both were clearly showing their advanced age. Nevertheless, the fight went the distance.

Legacy

Ruddock was ranked 70th on The Ring magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time".

Life after boxing

In the late 1990s Ruddock filed for bankruptcy after a number of failed investments — including a $1 million loss when his Fort Lauderdale nightclub "Razor's Palace" went under — had left him cash poor. A contract dispute ruined a close relationship with his brother and former manager, Delroy.
In 2006 Ruddock invented a non-electrical garbage compactor called The Boxer, which he hoped would become a success. Ruddock marketed the device he designed after becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of waste his family was collecting, and sold it from his website RazorRuddock.com. As of November 2013, the site is no longer online and the product is listed on Amazon as unavailable with no indication for future availability.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
47LossDillon CarmanKO3, 2:05Sep 11, 2015Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaFor Canada heavyweight title
46Win40–5–1Eric BarrakMD6May 22, 2015Colisée Isabelle-Brasseur, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
45Win39–5–1Raymond OlubowaleTKO5, 1:00Mar 28, 2015Hershey Centre, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
44Win38–5–1Egerton MarcusTKO10, 2:48Oct 12, 2001Convention and Civic Center, Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.Won vacant Canada heavyweight title
43Win37–5–1Harold SconiersSD10Apr 27, 2001Convention and Civic Center, Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.
42Win36–5–1José RibaltaKO1, 1:40Oct 8, 1999Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York, U.S.
41Win35–5–1Mike SedilloTKO8, 1:19Jul 20, 1999Casino Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
40Win34–5–1Derek AmosTKO1 May 27, 1999Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort, Chester, West Virginia, U.S.
39Win33–5–1Anthony WillisTKO6, 2:40Feb 19, 1999Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York, U.S.
38Win32–5–1Tony LaRosaTKO3 Jan 21, 1999Grand Casino Avoyelles, Marksville, Louisiana, U.S.
37Win31–5–1Rodolfo MarinTKO8 Aug 11, 1998Miccosukee Resort & Gaming, Miami, Florida, U.S.
36Win30–5–1Tony BradhamKO2, 2:31Jun 26, 1998DePaul Alumni Hall, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
35Win29–5–1Brian YatesTKO4 Apr 16, 1998North Vernon, Indiana, U.S.
34Loss28–5–1Tommy MorrisonTKO6, 2:55Jun 10, 1995Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.For vacant IBC heavyweight title
33Win28–4–1Anthony WadeUD10Jan 29, 1994MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
32Loss27–4–1Lennox LewisTKO2, 0:46Oct 31, 1992Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, EnglandFor Commonwealth heavyweight title
31Win27–3–1Phil JacksonKO4, 2:12Jun 26, 1992CSU Convocation Center, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.Won vacant IBC heavyweight title
30Win26–3–1Greg PageRTD8, 3:00Feb 15, 1992The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
29Loss25–3–1Mike TysonUD12Jun 28, 1991The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
28Loss25–2–1Mike TysonTKO7, 2:22Mar 18, 1991The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
27Win25–1–1Mike RouseKO1, 2:37Dec 8, 1990Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
26Win24–1–1Kimmuel OdumKO3, 2:58Aug 18, 1990Broadway by the Bay Theater, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
25Win23–1–1Michael DokesTKO4, 0:53Apr 4, 1990Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.Won WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title
24Win22–1–1James SmithKO7, 2:18Jul 2, 1989Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium, Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
23Win21–1–1James BroadTKO1, 2:58Dec 6, 1988Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
22Win20–1–1Reggie GrossTKO2, 1:36Jun 27, 1988Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
21Win19–1–1Ken LakustaKO1 May 28, 1988Saskatchewan Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CanadaWon vacant Canada heavyweight title
20Win18–1–1Larry AlexanderKO2, 2:08Apr 26, 1988The Showplace, Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
19Win17–1–1Eddie RichardsonKO4, 1:42Nov 24, 1987Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
18Win16–1–1Juan QuintanaTKO2, 0:51Aug 9, 1987State Theatre, Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
17Win15–1–1Carlos Hernandez7, 0:27Jun 15, 1987Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.Hernandez disqualified for attempting to punch the referee
16Win14–1–1Robert EvansTKO5, 0:58May 16, 1987State Theatre, Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
15Win13–1–1Mike Weaver10Aug 23, 1986Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium, Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
14Win12–1–1Al HouckTKO1, 1:30Jul 8, 1986Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
13Win11–1–1John WestgarthKO7 May 28, 1986Alexandra Palace, London, England
12Win10–1–1Carlton JonesKO1, 2:04Feb 26, 1986St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
11Loss9–1–1David Jaco8, 3:00Apr 30, 1985Sportsplex, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
10Win9–0–1Oscar HolmanUD8Oct 20, 1984Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
9Win8–0–1Ricardo PetersonUD8Jul 31, 1984Sportsplex, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
8Win7–0–1Cedric ParsonsTKO7 Feb 28, 1984Sportsplex, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
7Win6–0–1Conroy NelsonUD10Sep 25, 1983CNE Coliseum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
6Draw5–0–1Phil Brown6Apr 26, 1983Paul Sauvé Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
5Win5–0Bill Hollis6Apr 8, 1983St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4Win4–0Al WilliamsKO1, 1:53Aug 13, 1982Welland Arena, Welland, Ontario, Canada
3Win3–0Arthur Hall4Jun 1, 1982Tropicana, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
2Win2–0Garland Tipton2 Apr 24, 1982Columbus Event Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1Win1–0Wes Rowe4 Mar 20, 1982Columbus Event Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada