(2) While the exotic locale stacked up well with other Ali fight sites, everything else connected with the venture was anything but paradise. Audience Relations, CBC P.O. She was the second . He's one of just two boxers to fight both Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, the other being Larry Holmes, and was a big part of an often-overlooked era in the sport in the early 1980s. Former world and Canadian heavyweight boxing champion Trevor Berbick was found dead Saturday morning in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, with chop wounds to his head in an apparent homicide, police said. They had been around the world with Ali, and I kind of felt like I didnt deserve what I was getting, which was, of course, would turn out to be a memory of a lifetime. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. In retrospect, all of us had done our mourning after the Holmes fight. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. This is a carousel with slides. Read Chapel of Flowers obituaries, find service information, send sympathy gifts, or plan and price a funeral in San Jose, CA. Hes one of just two boxers to fight both Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, the other being Larry Holmes, and was a big part of an often-overlooked era in the sport in the early 1980s. On April 11, 1981, Berbick became the first title challenger to last the distance against Holmes, but that was as much credit as he could wrangle from the loss. Such would also be the case with Ali, and just as it had been with the others, the fears of boxings impending extinction proved unfounded. Berbick vaulted to world prominence with a stunning ninth-round KO of former WBA titlist John Tate on the Roberto Duran-Sugar Ray Leonard I Brawl in Montreal card in June 1980, and since then he had gone 4-1 with four early-round knockouts, the most recent of which was a two-rounder against Conroy Nelson in July. Family members linked to this person will appear here. At the time involved in a land dispute with his nephew, Berbicks body was found in a church courtyard. On November 26, 1986, Berbick squared off against Tyson at the Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas. Rounds five, six and seven delivered a sobering and punishing message to Ali while allowing Berbick to separate himself on the scorecards and the statistics. A 2-inch-thick metal pipe found at the scene is believed to be the murder weapon, police said. The Brooklyn was coming out in me. On November 22, in his first title defense, the fight was stopped in the second round after he was knocked down three times by 20-year-old Mike Tyson. In retrospect, all of it was wishful thinking. He tried convincing U.S. commissions that Ali was still fit to fight, but none gave their consent. Just as he had against Weaver a few months earlier, Tate opened a wide lead before imploding late. Berbicks body blasts and hurtful hooks broke the spell that had ensnared so many others. Based on the expectations game, Ali fared much better in the first nine minutes against Berbick than at any time during the Holmes fight, and, at least for an instant, thoughts about a potential Ali-Weaver fight danced in some heads. In his very first title defense exactly eight months later, he was viciously knocked out in the second round by 20-year-old Mike Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. It was awkward because this guy just won the fight and he might as well have been a kid filling the soda machine. His future, like that of so many of his contemporaries, would include drugs, prison, privation, early death. Something went wrong, please try again later. Eventually, Berbick spent 15 months in prison. I dont know that we necessarily knew at that point, as Ali was retiring, that it was going to be as great a period as it was, but in fact, the era was in very good hands and didnt need Ali at that point. In that round Berbick out-threw Ali 89-28 overall (including 72-9 power) and out-landed him 41-8 overall and 39-1 power. Berbick (left) stood up to Larry Holmes rocket left jab for 15 rounds. While Berbick never seriously threatened Holmes, he underscored his ruggedness and raised his profile enough to qualify for another significant payday. He was a heavyweight world champion. Chop wounds to the head gave police a clear indication that this was a homicide and his 20-year-old nephew, Harold Berbick, and 18-year-old Kenton Gordon were picked up the next day. A man has been arrested. Trying to intimidate Tyson, 20 years old and permanently in search of bad intentions the same way a Buddhist pursues nirvana, was bound to backfire. Tyson bombarded Berbick throughout the round, and with only a handful of seconds left, he landed a right hand that sent Berbick lurching. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. The press conference was actually on my floor where I was staying. Thanks for your help! Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. HALIFAX, Nova Scotia (AP) _ Trevor Berbick, the former heavyweight champion who beat Muhammad Ali in the boxing great's final fight, faces deportation and was ordered to return to his native Jamaica. Of course, Ali finally walks in, a little bit late, and one of the first things I remember hearing was Ed Schuyler, this great old tough reporter from the AP who had been around the world with Ali in places he probably never even heard of before he went there, and he just looked at Ali and said, thanks, champ, for a helluva ride. It was an emotional moment for the hard-core guys, and they didnt cry in their beer too often. The REAL " Trevor Berbick" Story- His Life,Career,Conviction and Murder! Ali landed just 51 power punches in his losses to Berbick and Holmes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Nearly a minute into round four, Berbick showed what 27 could do and Ali showed what 39 wouldnt allow him to do. Finally, and most disturbingly, Berbick was accused of raping his babysitter in Miami. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. He briefly held the World Boxing Council heavyweight title before losing it to Mike Tyson in 1986. Two minutes into the round, Tyson opened up with a combination as Berbick tried to crowd him in centre ring. However, Berbick's title reign was brief. Verify and try again. But he insists the best of him is still to come, writes Declan Taylor. As excited as I was (to be there), I felt like I didnt belong because I looked around me and I saw all these writers like Michael Katz, Eddie Schuyler, Dick Young, all these writers who I had grown up reading. That realization hit hard and the emotions enveloping the room were raw and real. Berbick, 52, won the WBC crown in 1986 by beating Pinklon Thomas before losing it to Mike Tyson eight months later. In December, he was arrested in an alleged plot to commit mortgage fraud. Berbick did his best to bull Ali and while he got in some heavy blows Ali shook them off and got back on the bicycle. While he couldnt duplicate his success in round one, Ali still fought with conviction but it was evident to all that conviction alone wasnt going to be enough. He won thrice in London (KO 5, KO 6 versus Henry Cooper, KO 3 Brian London), four times elsewhere in Europe (KO 12 Karl Mildenberger, KO 7 Juergen Blin, KO 11 Al Blue Lewis, KO 5 Richard Dunn), four times in Asia (W 15 Mac Foster, W 12 Rudi Lubbers, W 15 Joe Bugner II, KO 14 Joe Frazier III), three times elsewhere in North America (W 15, W 12 George Chuvalo II, KO 5 Jean-Pierre Coopman) and once in Africa (KO 8 George Foreman) before losing to Berbick in the Bahamas. Tyson took control of the fight from the start and levelled Berbick in the second with a vicious right hand,knocking the champion down. Recognizing his depleted state, Ali set a modest goal for himself. Not only was Alis speech slurred and gravelly, his movement and general coordination had decayed and, without the aid of the Thyrolar that helped him shed more than 30 pounds in less than two months before the Holmes fight, his physique had the thickness and softness expected of someone five weeks short of 40. cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Ive just got to win six rounds on the cards of the three officials; so Ill have to fight for six rounds, Ali told the Associated Press the day before the fight. Thanks to the rise of pay-cable outlets and pay-per-view platforms, the purses these fighters generated dwarfed those generated by Ali and they, too, became household names worldwide. I came out all right for an old man. But then he got tired and he just couldnt (keep going). Inspired by Ali, a plethora of stars spanning dozens of pounds built on the foundation Ali assembled. But I learned a little martial arts from the Special Forces and handled him pretty well. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Berbick was arrested several times and served 15 months for sexually assaulting the family babysitter in 1992. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. In a stroke of dubious luck, a warped Muhammad Ali chose Berbick for his comeback opponent. or redistributed. Photo by The Ring Magazine/ Getty Images. Try again later. A press conference was conducted at a makeshift pressroom on the second floor of a Holiday Inn undergoing renovation at Paradise Island at 10:30 a.m. the day after the fight. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Not only did Berbicks legs stand up to Holmes bombs for 15 rounds, he stood up to Holmes himself by spewing taunts throughout the early rounds before The Easton Assassin pulled away in the championship rounds. While Ali historically had done well against aggressors, Berbicks persistent smashmouth style was not what Ali needed at this stage of his life. Harold Berbick had been involved in a land dispute with his uncle. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) A nephew of the former heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick was convicted along with another man of killing Berbick. Name: Trevor Berbick Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Birthplace: Port Antonio, Jamaica Died: 2006-10-28 (Age:52) Stance: Orthodox Height: 188cm Reach: 198cm Pro Boxer: Record Amateur Boxer: Record Trainers: Sam Solomon, Eddie Futch, Angelo Dundee Trevor Berbick Gallery Contents 1 Career Review 2 Personal Life 3 Legal Troubles & Death Try again. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Im finished. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Sure, Ali could never dethrone Holmes, but he might have a chance against Weaver, who was out-boxed by Tate for nearly the entire fight before a miraculous hook flattened Tate with 45 seconds left in the final round, they might have said to themselves. Trevor Berbick. Now, as the nearly 40-year-old Ali announced his departure from The Sweet Science, it was evident he had set the stage for another Golden Era whose star power wasnt isolated to only the heavyweights. Try again later. Berbick was convicted in 1991 of misdemeanour assault for attacking his former business manager, who testified in court that the fighter held a gun to her head and accused her of stealing money from him. Inactive for nearly a year after winning the WBC title, Thomas decided that he would not only be a manager and a trainer but also an R&B singer. Berbick had said before the fight that if Ali was hurt, he would let up on him. Police have arrested a man and. After Holmes left to conduct a TV interview, Berbick (who'd lost to Holmes by unanimous decision in a WBC title fight 10 years prior), claimed to the media that the boxer had been involved in the break-up of his marriage. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. All rights reserved. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. He had a gaping wound to his head. Berbick entered the fight as the Canadian and Commonwealth heavyweight champion, as well as the WBA's fourth-ranked heavyweight contender. These grim footnotes are hardly surprising when one considers that Berbick was an entrenched member of The Lost Generation of heavyweights, a motley, miserable, and morose collection of overweight and undermotivated malcontents who would eventually disintegrate in various blowouts of marijuana, cocaine, Colt 45, late-night revels, Twinkies and Whoppers. His work has appeared in Inside HBO Boxing, Undisputed Champion Network, Remezcla, and Boxing Digest Magazine. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. Berbick, who claimed that the incident was consensual, was sentenced to five years in prison but served just 15 months.
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