Donovan Ruddock

Donovan "Razor" Ruddock (born December 21, 1963) is a Jamaican-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, and a fight against Lennox Lewis in 1992. Ruddock was also known for his exceptional punching power: one of the best examples of his left hand power was his knockout of former WBA heavyweight champion Michael Dokes in 1990. 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, and also happened to be his major downside during his entire career, as he didn't throw a single right hand during most of knockout flurries, being a left-handed puncher fighting out of the orthodox stance.[1]

Donovan Ruddock
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Razor
Weight(s)	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Reach	82 in (208 cm)
Nationality	Jamaican Canadian
Born	December 21, 1963 St. Catherine, Jamaica
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	47
Wins	40
Wins by KO	30
Losses	6
Draws	1

Professional career

Early years

Ruddock was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica.[2] At age 11, he left Jamaica with his family and moved to Toronto, settling in the city's Weston neighbourhood.[3] Ruddock attended Emery Collegiate Institute and Westview Centennial Secondary School, when he was a teenager.[4]

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 (3:2) in the 75 kg weight class (165 lbs).[5] He 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 would follow 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

After taking 10 months off after rehabilitation Ruddock made a full recovery to the doctors' surprise and resumed his boxing career winning 9 straight fights, 8 of them by KO also picking up an impressive decision win over former WBA heavyweight title-holder Mike Weaver before winning the Canadian heavyweight championship by a first-round knockout against Ken Lakusta in 1988.

In 1989, after two more wins by KO, a fight with another former WBA heavyweight title-holder was made, against the hard-hitting James "Bonecrusher" Smith. In the round 2, Ruddock was floored heavily by Smith but showed his heart by getting up, coming back in the round, and impressively knocking out Smith in round 7.

A title bout was made with undisputed heavyweight champion Mike Tyson, scheduled for November 1989 in Edmonton, Alberta.[6] Tyson, claiming illness, cancelled and opted instead to fight James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo. 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.

Difficulty finding opponents

After another KO win over Kimmuel Odum in 1990, Ruddock had difficulty finding a marquee opponent.[7] Ruddock hoped to fight Evander Holyfield (fresh from a KO win over James "Buster" Douglas for the heavyweight championship). Instead, Holyfield opted to fight 42-year-old George Foreman.[8]

Mike Tyson

With no big name opponent, Ruddock took a warm up fight against Mike Rouse in December 1990 winning by 1st round knockout. In January 1991, Mike Tyson accepted Ruddock's challenge and fight was scheduled for March 18. It would pit Tyson, the number #1 contender, against Ruddock who was number #2, 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 favor during round 7. 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. 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.[9] 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."

After Tyson

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.[10] Ruddock was knocked out in the second round.

After more than two years out 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.

Comeback

After the loss to Morrison, Ruddock disappeared for 3 years until he returned once again in 1998. Ruddock was scheduled to challenge Vitali Klitschko for the WBO heavyweight title in April 2000, yet was forced to withdraw at late notice due to injury.[11] 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 (28 KOs), 5 losses and 1 draw.

On March 28, 2015, Ruddock returned to the ring with a fifth round knockout win over Raymond Olubowale.[12]

Legacy

Ruddock was ranked 70th on The Ring magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time".[13]

Life after boxing

In the late 1990s, Ruddock had filed for bankruptcy as a number of failed investments, including $1 million that he lost 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.[14]

In 2006, Ruddock invented a non-electrical garbage collector called The Razor which he hoped would become a success. Ruddock marketed the device he designed one day after becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of waste his family was collecting,[15] 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.[16]

Professional boxing record

Professional record summary

47 fights	40 wins	6 losses
By knockout	30	5
By decision	9	1
By disqualification	1	0
Draws	1

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
47	Loss	40–6–1	Dillon Carman	KO	3 (8), 2:05	Sep 11, 2015	Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	For Canada heavyweight title
46	Win	40–5–1	Eric Barrak	MD	6	May 22, 2015	Colisée Isabelle-Brasseur, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, Canada
45	Win	39–5–1	Raymond Olubowale	TKO	5 (6), 1:00	Mar 28, 2015	Hershey Centre, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
44	Win	38–5–1	Egerton Marcus	TKO	10 (12), 2:48	Oct 12, 2001	Convention and Civic Center, Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.	Won vacant Canada heavyweight title
43	Win	37–5–1	Harold Sconiers	SD	10	Apr 27, 2001	Convention and Civic Center, Niagara Falls, New York, U.S.
42	Win	36–5–1	Jose Ribalta	KO	1 (10), 1:40	Oct 8, 1999	Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York, U.S.
41	Win	35–5–1	Mike Sedillo	TKO	8 (10), 1:19	Jul 20, 1999	Casino Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
40	Win	34–5–1	Derek Amos	TKO	1 (10)	May 27, 1999	Mountaineer Casino Racetrack and Resort, Chester, West Virginia, U.S.
39	Win	33–5–1	Anthony Willis	TKO	6 (10), 2:40	Feb 19, 1999	Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, New York, U.S.
38	Win	32–5–1	Tony LaRosa	TKO	3 (10)	Jan 21, 1999	Grand Casino Avoyelles, Marksville, Louisiana, U.S.
37	Win	31–5–1	Rodolfo Marin	TKO	8 (10)	Aug 11, 1998	Miccosukee Resort & Gaming, Miami, Florida, U.S.
36	Win	30–5–1	Tony Bradham	KO	2 (10), 2:31	Jun 26, 1998	DePaul Alumni Hall, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
35	Win	29–5–1	Brian Yates	TKO	4 (10)	Apr 16, 1998	North Vernon, Indiana, U.S.
34	Loss	28–5–1	Tommy Morrison	TKO	6 (12), 2:55	Jun 10, 1995	Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.	For vacant IBC heavyweight title
33	Win	28–4–1	Anthony Wade	UD	10	Jan 29, 1994	MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
32	Loss	27–4–1	Lennox Lewis	TKO	2 (12), 0:46	Oct 31, 1992	Earls Court Exhibition Centre, London, England	WBC heavyweight title eliminator, For Commonwealth heavyweight title
31	Win	27–3–1	Phil Jackson	KO	4 (12), 2:12	Jun 26, 1992	CSU Convocation Center, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.	Won vacant IBC heavyweight title
30	Win	26–3–1	Greg Page	RTD	8 (10), 3:00	Feb 15, 1992	The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
29	Loss	25–3–1	Mike Tyson	UD	12	Jun 28, 1991	The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
28	Loss	25–2–1	Mike Tyson	TKO	7 (12), 2:22	Mar 18, 1991	The Mirage, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
27	Win	25–1–1	Mike Rouse	KO	1 (10), 2:37	Dec 8, 1990	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
26	Win	24–1–1	Kimmuel Odum	KO	3 (10), 2:58	Aug 18, 1990	Broadway by the Bay Theater, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
25	Win	23–1–1	Michael Dokes	TKO	4 (12), 0:53	Apr 4, 1990	Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.	Won WBA Inter-Continental heavyweight title
24	Win	22–1–1	James Smith	KO	7 (10), 2:18	Jul 2, 1989	Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium, Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
23	Win	21–1–1	James Broad	TKO	1 (10), 2:58	Dec 6, 1988	Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
22	Win	20–1–1	Reggie Gross	TKO	2 (10), 1:36	Jun 27, 1988	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
21	Win	19–1–1	Ken Lakusta	KO	1 (12)	May 28, 1988	Saskatchewan Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada	Won vacant Canada heavyweight title
20	Win	18–1–1	Larry Alexander	KO	2 (10), 2:08	Apr 26, 1988	The Showplace, Camden, New Jersey, U.S.
19	Win	17–1–1	Eddie Richardson	KO	4 (10), 1:42	Nov 24, 1987	Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
18	Win	16–1–1	Juan Quintana	TKO	2 (10), 0:51	Aug 9, 1987	State Theatre, Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
17	Win	15–1–1	Carlos Hernandez	DQ	7 (10), 0:27	Jun 15, 1987	Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.	Hernandez disqualified for attempting to punch the referee
16	Win	14–1–1	Robert Evans	TKO	5 (10), 0:58	May 16, 1987	State Theatre, Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
15	Win	13–1–1	Mike Weaver	SD	10	Aug 23, 1986	Cumberland County Memorial Auditorium, Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
14	Win	12–1–1	Al Houck	TKO	1 (8), 1:30	Jul 8, 1986	Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
13	Win	11–1–1	John Westgarth	KO	7 (8)	May 28, 1986	Alexandra Palace, London, England
12	Win	10–1–1	Carlton Jones	KO	1 (6), 2:04	Feb 26, 1986	St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
11	Loss	9–1–1	David Jaco	RTD	8 (10), 3:00	Apr 30, 1985	Sportsplex, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
10	Win	9–0–1	Oscar Holman	UD	8	Oct 20, 1984	Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
9	Win	8–0–1	Ricardo Peterson	UD	8	Jul 31, 1984	Sportsplex, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
8	Win	7–0–1	Cedric Parsons	TKO	7 (8)	Feb 28, 1984	Sportsplex, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
7	Win	6–0–1	Conroy Nelson	UD	10	Sep 25, 1983	CNE Coliseum, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
6	Draw	5–0–1	Phil Brown	SD	6	Apr 26, 1983	Paul Sauvé Arena, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
5	Win	5–0	Bill Hollis	UD	6	Apr 8, 1983	St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
4	Win	4–0	Al Williams	KO	1 (6), 1:53	Aug 13, 1982	Welland Arena, Welland, Ontario, Canada
3	Win	3–0	Arthur Hall	MD	4	Jun 1, 1982	Tropicana, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
2	Win	2–0	Garland Tipton	KO	2 (6)	Apr 24, 1982	Columbus Event Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1	Win	1–0	Wes Rowe	TKO	4 (6)	Mar 20, 1982	Columbus Event Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

References

1. As noted, for instance, by Bert Sugar, covering the Ruddock fight versus the former NABF Champion Larry Alexander: .
2. Brown, Leroy (8 August 2015). "Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock Returns To Ring At Age 51". Jamaica Gleaner. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
3. Gray, Jeff (20 November 2015). "RAZOR BURN: A former champ weaves his way back into the ring". Globe & Mail Newspaper. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
4. "The Warriors of Emery Village". Emery Village Voice. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
5. Nack, William (1993-02-01). "The Great Brit Hope". Sports Illustrated. Time Warner. Retrieved 2007-03-22.
6. Fernandez, Bernard (1991-01-27). "Rugged `Razor' Ruddock Aims For World Title". Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
7. Starkman, Randy. 1990, August 17. Good foes hard to get for Razor, The Toronto Star, F5.
8. Starkman, Randy. 1990, October 31. Holyfield doesn't faze Razor: Toronto boxer unimpressed by third-round KO of Douglas, The Toronto Star, D8.
9. "Smash Dance". CNN. 1991-07-08. Retrieved 2010-05-01.
10. J. Golden. "Lewis - Ruddock, Lennox's Big Gamble". Retrieved 2010-04-08.
11. "Long read: Invisible while standing still: Chris Byrd interview". boxingmonthly.com. 9 February 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
12. "Razor Ruddock survives knockdown to win comeback at the age of 51", Boxing News, March 30, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2015
13. "The 100 Greatest Punchers of All-Time!". boxrec.com.
14. "For Razor Ruddock, boxing's wounds won't heal". LasVegasSun.com.
15. "Gelf Magazine Razor Ruddock, Inventor". gelfmagazine.com.
16. "Amazon.com: BOXER COMPACTOR: Appliances". amazon.com.

External links

• Boxing record for Donovan Ruddock from BoxRec
• Donovan "Razor" Ruddock – A Comeback Without a Conclusion
• TV Commercial for "The Boxer"