Rocky Lockridge
Rick "Rocky" Lockridge ( born January 10, 1959 in Tacoma, Washington ) is a former American professional boxer and former world champion of the WBA and IBF super featherweight. His first fight against Tony Lopez in 1988, was chosen by the Ring Magazine's Fight of the Year.
Amateur career
Rocky Lockridge boxed as an amateur for the Tacoma Boys Club and in 1977 American bantamweight champion, and 1978 U.S. runner- bantamweight. He also won in 1978 and the silver medal at the National Golden Gloves in Albuquerque.
He boxed in the National Cadre countries fighting, beating, among others, Teodor Dinu of Romania, Mirosław Wawrzyniak from Poland, Adolfo Horta of Cuba and Stefan Förster from the GDR. In May 1978, he took part in the bantamweight at the second World Championships in Belgrade; there he defeated in the preliminary rounds József Jakab from Hungary 5-0 and Claude Capelle from France 5-0, but retired in the quarterfinals scarce and not without controversy against the Yugoslavs Fazlija Sacirovic 2:3.
Professional career
Still in 1978, he became a professional and came under the wing of coach and manager Lou Duva and George Benton legends, both of which were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. In his eleventh pro fight on February 19, 1980 in New Jersey, he was a TKO win against Fel Clemente, new American featherweight champion.
On October 4, 1980 Lockridge received after 16 won fights ( of which 14 Ko) in New Jersey for the first time the chance to win the world title of the WBA featherweight and punched it against the title holder Eusebio Pedroza of Panama. The fight ended after the full 15 rounds with a controversial 2-1 judge decision for Pedroza. The correspondent Joe Carnicelli of UPI about had the fight a draw counted, the two commentators Tim Ryan and Gil Clancy of CBS, even had Rocky Lockridge stand on their point labels as the winner. The support team of Lockridge then filed a complaint with the WBA, since Lou Duva to have seen also how Pedrozas Manager Santiago Del Rio administered his protégé something. Pedroza turned thereupon voluntarily a urine test, which was negative and the fight ruling confirmed.
In August 1981, he suffered another bitter defeat when he lost the U.S. Championship title by a knockout loss in the second round by the later WBC champion Juan Laporte. However, it remained the only premature loss of his career.
He then won his next nine fights, seven by knockout. Among the defeated opponents included Robert Mullins ( 26-5 ) and José Nieto ( 19-2 ). Thus he received on 24 April 1983 at the Italian Sanremo once again the chance to win the WBA title against Eusebio Pedroza, but this was subject to more than 15 rounds again on points. He then moved to the next higher weight class, the super featherweight. There he struck in September 1983 the former WBC champion Cornelius Boza -Edwards.
On February 26, 1984, he boxed in Beaumont for the world title WBA super featherweight, against the undefeated Roger Mayweather ( 17-0 ), uncle of the later boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. This Lockridge won sensationally knocked out by in the first round, the fight lasted only one and a half minutes. In June of the same year, he defended the title against the South Koreans still Tae -Jin Moon (23-1 ) by TKO in the eleventh round. In January 1985, he won early against the eventual WBO champion Kamel Bou- Ali (17-1 ) after his corner threw in the towel.
On 19 May 1985, he turned a title defense against Wilfredo Gómez in his home country of Puerto Rico, but lost again by controversial majority decision over 15 rounds on points. Ferdie Pacheco of NBC, was added to the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame, was standing on his score sheet Lockridge as the winner. However, since it did not come to a rematch to Lockridge attempted to secure the world title of the WBC on August 3, 1986, but failed again by majority decision on undefeated Mexican Julio César Chávez.
Due to a points victory against Felipe Orozco ( 21-3 ) and a knockout win against Dennis Cruz ( 23-2 ), he could still fight for the world title of the IBF super featherweight on August 9, 1987 in Windsor. This Lockridge won by TKO early after title holder Barry Michael did not come out of his corner after the eighth round. The title defended in October 1987 Lockridge prematurely against Johnny De La Rosa ( 34-2 ) from the Dominican Republic and in April 1988 on points against the undefeated U.S. champion Harold Knight ( 19-0 ).
On July 23, 1988, he lost the title in a hard-hitting duel by points defeat to Tony Lopez ( 29-1 ) had the Californians, however. In the eighth round at the bottom The Ring Magazine chose the fight to the " Fight of the Year 1988 '. In the rematch against Lopez in March 1989, he was beaten on points. In January 1992, he defeated the Mexicans Rafael Ruelas (28-1 ) and in April of the same year Sharmba Mitchell ( 27-0 ).
After the pit
Rocky Lockridge ended after losing to Mitchell his boxing career. His other life was marked by a steep social decline. He has been drug-and alcohol- dependent, divorced his wife and was sentenced to a prison term because of multiple property crimes, which he served until July 1999. After that, he lived as a homeless person on the streets of Camden, New Jersey.
On 5 April 2010 he was to be helped in the A & E television series Intervention guest where it could convince his twin sons thereof and to complete a detoxification. A scene that breaks out at the Lockridge with a cry in tears, became an Internet meme.