David Reid (boxer)
Encyclopedia
David Terrell Reid (born September 17, 1973) is a former boxer
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
.
in Atlanta, Georgia
. This followed Reid's title victory a year earlier at the 1995 Pan American Games
in Mar del Plata
. Because he was, like Oscar De La Hoya
four years before, the only Olympic
gold medalist in boxing for the United States, comparisons by writers and critics to de la Hoya were practically inevitable. De la Hoya's nickname is "The Golden Boy"; Reid was dubbed as "The American Dream". It could be said that Reid's professional career, however, resembled that of the second Davey Moore instead of de la Hoya's.
.
He followed his debut victory with four knockout
wins in a row, before meeting former world Welterweight champion Jorge Vaca
, on October 3 of the same year, also at Atlantic City. He knocked Vaca out in the first round.
His next bout, against Dan Conolly, was showcased on HBO Boxing
, and it was also covered, round by round, by The Ring
. Reid earned his sixth victory in a row, knocking out Conolly (who was described by The Ring magazine as a "game opponent") in five rounds.
On January 31, 1998, he dropped Robert Frazier
in the first round. Despite losing a point in round six due to what the fight's referee thought was dirty tactics, Reid went on to beat Frazier by an eight round unanimous decision.
After two more wins, he faced former world champion Simon Brown
, knocking him out in four rounds on June 27, at Reid's hometown. On October 24, he claimed his first belt, defeating James Cocker by a twelve round unanimous decision, to win the WBC
's continental Americas Jr. Middleweight title.
After that victory, he was deemed as ready for a world title try by his management team, and so, on March 6, 1999, Reid became a world champion in only his tenth professional bout (making him one of the boxers to win a world title in the fastest time, also like the second Davey Moore), by beating WBA
world junior middleweight champion Laurent Boudouani
by a twelve round unanimous decision in Atlantic City.
Reid would defend his title successfully twice, one of them, a twelve round unanimous decision over Keith Mullings
in Las Vegas
.
By then, Reid had already made Las Vegas his new home. There was much talk about facing him against a number of opponents, including Roy Jones Jr.
, Bernard Hopkins
, De La Hoya and Félix Trinidad
.
The only fight out of those four possible match-ups came on March 3, 2000, when he defended his crown against Trinidad in Las Vegas. Reid enjoyed some advantage during the first six rounds, having dropped Trinidad in the third, and with the fight being close on all three judges' scorecards. He was dropped in round seven, however, and subsequently suffered a detached retina
and three more knockdowns in round eleven, before losing the world title by a twelve round unanimous decision.
Many fans then questioned his management's judgment by letting Reid defend his title against a veteran like Trinidad in only his fifteenth professional bout, a fact that reminded many of the case of the second Davey Moore 17 years before, when he defended the same WBA Jr, Middleweight title, in only his thirteenth bout, against the far more experienced, boxing hall of famer Roberto Durán
. Many critics say that the reason for Reid's falldown after his defeat to Trinidad could be due to a psychological
break-down, but the fact is that his detached retina affected him for the rest of his short career.
. His retina was causing him more trouble, and he retired before losing his eyesight.
Reid had a professional record of 17 wins and two losses, with 7 wins by knockout.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
.
Amateur career
Reid had a stellar amateur boxing career, culminating with a come-from-behind, one-punch knock out win to secure a gold medal at the 1996 summer Olympics1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. This followed Reid's title victory a year earlier at the 1995 Pan American Games
Boxing at the 1995 Pan American Games
The Men's Boxing Tournament at the 1995 Pan American Games was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina from March 11 to March 27. It served as a qualification tournament for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia...
in Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata
Mar del Plata is an Argentine city located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, south of Buenos Aires. Mar del Plata is the second largest city of Buenos Aires Province. The name "Mar del Plata" had apparently the sense of "sea of the Río de la Plata region" or "adjoining sea to the Río de la Plata"...
. Because he was, like Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
four years before, the only Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist in boxing for the United States, comparisons by writers and critics to de la Hoya were practically inevitable. De la Hoya's nickname is "The Golden Boy"; Reid was dubbed as "The American Dream". It could be said that Reid's professional career, however, resembled that of the second Davey Moore instead of de la Hoya's.
Amateur Highlights
- 1993 National Golden Gloves Welterweight champion
- 1994 United States Amateur Welterweight champion
- 1996 United States Amateur Light middleweight champion
- Won the Light Middleweight gold medal for the United States at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, United States. His results were:
- Defeated Wan-Kyun Lee (South Korea) 20-4
- Defeated Pavel PolakovičPavel PolakovicPavel Polakovič is a retired amateur boxer, who was born in Slovakia but represented the Czech Republic during his career. He gained the bronze medal in the men's light middleweight division at the 1996 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Vejle, Denmark, alongside Hungary's György...
(Czech Republic) 12-5 - Defeated Mohamed MarmouriMohamed MarmouriMohamed Salah Marmouri is a retired amateur boxer from Tunisia. He represented his native North African country twice at the Summer Olympics: in 1996 and 2000. He won a bronze medal at the 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tunis, Tunisia....
(Tunisia) 13-8 - Defeated Karim TulaganovKarim TulaganovKarim Tulaganov is an Uzbek boxer. At the 1996 Summer Olympics he won a bronze medal in the men's Light Middleweight category, together with Yermakhan Ibraimov of Kazakhstan.-Amateur career:...
(Uzbekistan) 12-4 - Defeated Alfredo DuvergelAlfredo DuvergelAlfredo Duvergel is a Cuban boxer. He won the silver medal in the men's light middleweight category at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.-Career:...
(Cuba) KO 3 (0:36)
Pro career
Reid began his professional career, with much attention from boxing magazines, when he defeated Sam Calderon on March 21, 1997, by a unanimous four round decision, in Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
.
He followed his debut victory with four knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
wins in a row, before meeting former world Welterweight champion Jorge Vaca
Jorge Vaca
Jorge Vaca Jorge Vaca Jorge Vaca (born December 14, 1959 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, was a professional boxer in the welterweight (147lb) division.Vaca turned pro in 1978 and captured the WBC Welterweight Title by beating Lloyd Honeyghan via 8th round technical decision in 1987, but lost the...
, on October 3 of the same year, also at Atlantic City. He knocked Vaca out in the first round.
His next bout, against Dan Conolly, was showcased on HBO Boxing
HBO Boxing
HBO World Championship Boxing is a sports television series, premiering in January 1973 that has shown a number of significant boxing events in the last three decades....
, and it was also covered, round by round, by The Ring
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
. Reid earned his sixth victory in a row, knocking out Conolly (who was described by The Ring magazine as a "game opponent") in five rounds.
On January 31, 1998, he dropped Robert Frazier
Robert Frazier
Robert Alexander Frazier is an American writer of speculative poetry and fiction, as well as an impressionist painter on Nantucket Island....
in the first round. Despite losing a point in round six due to what the fight's referee thought was dirty tactics, Reid went on to beat Frazier by an eight round unanimous decision.
After two more wins, he faced former world champion Simon Brown
Simon Brown (boxer)
Simon Brown is a former professional boxer. Known as "Mantequilla", a name given to him by his famous trainer Jose 'Pepe' Correa, Brown was an welterweight fighter who held titles at multiple weight classes and at one point was considered one of the best pound for pound fighters in boxing.Brown...
, knocking him out in four rounds on June 27, at Reid's hometown. On October 24, he claimed his first belt, defeating James Cocker by a twelve round unanimous decision, to win the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
's continental Americas Jr. Middleweight title.
After that victory, he was deemed as ready for a world title try by his management team, and so, on March 6, 1999, Reid became a world champion in only his tenth professional bout (making him one of the boxers to win a world title in the fastest time, also like the second Davey Moore), by beating WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
world junior middleweight champion Laurent Boudouani
Laurent Boudouani
Laurent Boudouani is retired professional boxer. He is a former WBA world light middleweight champion and a welterweight silver medal winner at the 1988 Olympics.-Olympic results:*1st round bye...
by a twelve round unanimous decision in Atlantic City.
Reid would defend his title successfully twice, one of them, a twelve round unanimous decision over Keith Mullings
Keith Mullings
Keith Mullings , was a professional boxer in the super welterweight division.Mullings turned pro in 1993 and challenged Raúl Márquez for the IBF Light Middleweight Title in 1997, but lost a split decision. Later that year, Mullings shocked the world with a 9th round TKO over WBC Light Middleweight...
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
By then, Reid had already made Las Vegas his new home. There was much talk about facing him against a number of opponents, including Roy Jones Jr.
Roy Jones Jr.
Roy Jones, Jr. is an American boxer. As a professional he has captured numerous world titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions...
, Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion...
, De La Hoya and Félix Trinidad
Félix Trinidad
Félix 'Tito' Trinidad, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional boxer, considered one of the best in Puerto Rico's history. After winning five National Amateur Championships in Puerto Rico, he debuted as a professional when he was 17. He won his first world championship when he defeated Maurice Blocker...
.
The only fight out of those four possible match-ups came on March 3, 2000, when he defended his crown against Trinidad in Las Vegas. Reid enjoyed some advantage during the first six rounds, having dropped Trinidad in the third, and with the fight being close on all three judges' scorecards. He was dropped in round seven, however, and subsequently suffered a detached retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
and three more knockdowns in round eleven, before losing the world title by a twelve round unanimous decision.
Many fans then questioned his management's judgment by letting Reid defend his title against a veteran like Trinidad in only his fifteenth professional bout, a fact that reminded many of the case of the second Davey Moore 17 years before, when he defended the same WBA Jr, Middleweight title, in only his thirteenth bout, against the far more experienced, boxing hall of famer Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán Samaniego is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
. Many critics say that the reason for Reid's falldown after his defeat to Trinidad could be due to a psychological
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
break-down, but the fact is that his detached retina affected him for the rest of his short career.
Retirement
He returned to the boxing ring for four bouts. He won three fights against insignificant opposition, then lost to Sam Hill by a knockout in nine rounds, in what would turn out to be his last bout, on November 11, 2001, at Elizabeth, IndianaElizabeth, Indiana
Elizabeth is a town in Posey Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States. The population was 162 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1812 and named for Elizabeth Veach, wife of the landowner who donated the land for the town.-History:...
. His retina was causing him more trouble, and he retired before losing his eyesight.
Reid had a professional record of 17 wins and two losses, with 7 wins by knockout.