Chris Byrd

Chris Cornelius Byrd ( born August 15, 1970 in Flint, Michigan ) is an American boxer.

Amateur

As an amateur, Byrd was three times U.S. Champion: 1989 in the light middleweight and middleweight in 1991 and 1992. In 1990 he participated in the Goodwill Games in Seattle in part, but was defeated in the first battle against Torsten Schmitz on points. Even at the amateur world championships in 1991 in Sydney, he had already failed in the first round, this time at Cuban Ramón Garbey. This he can beat in a country fighting in the same year.

In 1992, he was able to qualify in the middleweight division for the Barcelona Olympics and won the silver medal. In the second round he succeeded in doing a victory over Alexander Lebsiak, the final he lost then, however, against Ariel Hernandez.

Professional career

1993 Byrd turned professional. He is a southpaw, this rather small and light for a heavyweight. Thus, it is surprising that he did not, such as Henry Maske, also successful, in the light heavyweight of professionals remained in the middleweight division of the amateurs, but 1995 moved to the heavyweight division, where he regularly fights against opponents who weigh 10 to 20 kg more.

In its start up phase him get wins against Phil Jackson, Bert Cooper and Ross Puritty.

His first loss as a pro, he suffered in March 1999 against the strong Nigerian Ike Ibeabuchi, the k hit him in the fifth round o. A year later, on 1 April 2000, however, he surprisingly won the title of WBO against Vitali Klitschko, who gave up the fight after the ninth round with a shoulder injury. At this time, however, Klitschko was all three judges clearly in the lead. Byrd had ordered as a replacement for Donovan Ruddock, who was indisposed.

The very next fight, on 14 October 2000 Byrd lost the title again, against Vitali 's younger brother Wladimir, who beat him up on points and had twice on the ground. Later, Byrd suggested on several occasions that in this fight, something was wrong with the gloves.

He then wrote to Don King and got promptly attending an elimination tournament offered, in which he and the highly assessed David Tua defeated Maurice Harris. On December 14, 2002, he won the vacant IBF world title with a points victory against Evander Holyfield, who was, however, already has 40 years as outdated.

He defended the title in the next few years several times successfully, but the "victory" against Fres Oquendo was despite the unanimous judges' decision over controversial. Also the draw with Andrzej Gołota is considered more flattering.

On 22 April 2006, he lost the title in front of 14,000 visitors in Mannheim SAP Arena again Wladimir Klitschko by technical knockout in the seventh round. As in the first fight, he could hardly be dangerous Klitschko.

After a year of inactivity, he won by demolition in round seven against the construction opponent Paul Marinaccio.

On 27 October 2007, he joined in an IBF elimination bout against Russian Alexander Povetkin, the 2004 was Olympic champion in super heavyweight. He lost in the round of 11 by technical knockout when his father and trainer Joe Byrd surprisingly threw about a minute before the end of the eleventh round in the towel.

After this defeat, Byrd, decided to leave the heavyweight division. He took over the next six months from over 30 pounds in order to compete in the light heavyweight henceforth can.

His first fight at light heavyweight denied Byrd on 16 May 2008 against Shaun George. In this fight, Byrd was clearly inferior to his opponent, however, and was already in the first round for the first time to the ground. After he suffered two more rainfall in the ninth round, the referee finally stopped the fight.

In his last professional fight on March 21, 2009 at the Hanns -Martin -Schleyer Halle, he defeated Matthias Sandow by TKO in the 4th round.

Clout

As part of a comparative test with regard to the impact of various athletes Byrd reached on a sandbag with pressure sensors using regular boxing gloves a maximum force of 5800N.

188221
de