Ricky Womack

Ricky Womack (May 7, 1961 in Detroit, Michigan – January 19, 2002 at St. John Oakland Hospital, Madison Heights, Michigan) was a professional boxer from the United States. Known primarily for his amateur career, during which he already earned his nickname "Wonderful," coming to attention of Howard Cosell, who predicted his bright future as a most likely U.S. Olympic Team light heavyweight for the 1984 Olympics, and a successful professional career afterwards, but both predictions proved unfulfilled, as Womack lost the Olympic qualifiers to Evander Holyfield, and his up-and-coming professional career crumbled after a criminal conviction.

Ricky Womack
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Wonderful
Weight(s)	Light heavyweight Heavyweight
Height	5 ft 11.5 in (182 cm)
Reach	74.5 in (189 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	Rick R. Womack May 7, 1961 Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died	January 19, 2002 (aged 40) Madison Heights, Michigan, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	14
Wins	13
Wins by KO	6
Losses	0
Draws	1
Medal record Men’s amateur boxing Representing the  United States North American Championships 1983 Houston Light heavyweight World Cup 1983 Rome Light heavyweight

Early years

Womack had a physically abusive father, and neglecting mother. Eventually social services took Ricky along with his seven brothers and sisters away from his mother to a foster care. He started boxing at the age of thirteen with the Kronk Gym, being trained by Emanuel Steward. But troubled childhood deeply affected his personality, he became a staunch kleptomaniac and had frequent brushes with the law enforcement authorities. At that time his teammate, another Kronk's young talent Mark Breland came under Womack's destructive influence. Womack's criminal habits eventually led him to a long term prison sentence.[1]

Amateur career

Womack had a remarkable amateur career, defeating future legend Evander Holyfield several times (one by walkover,) with two of the losses being avenged by Evander at the Olympic Box-offs, and cutting Ricky's way to the 1984 Summer Olympics.[2][3]

Holyfield rivalry

Womack jumped into heavyweight already in 1982, winning the AAU Nationals, and proving he's comfortable in that weight class, but he soon came back into light heavyweight, reportedly to prove to his long-lasting nemesis, Holyfield, that he was the better man. As Holyfield later recalled:

— I fought Ricky Womack six times. Ricky Womack was current amateur heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, and he whooped the Cuban, knocked out the Russian, and he was the one that supposed to make the Olympic team. And just so happened I fought him when he was ranked number one as a heavyweight, but he came down to light heavy because he wanted to prove to somebody from Georgia that ain't nobody from Georgia can whoop him. So that mean that he had to fight me. When he came back fought me, I beat him four times, and before he beat me twice, but I beat him four.

— Did you guys ever become friends after that?
— We never had no problem it's just the fact of the matter is that after amateur he ended up going to jail. Then he came out, then he eventually killed himself. He was one of them guys that came up in a bad neighborhood, but he could be warm and bright at times, and sometimes he could just be vicious.
— He was talented though.

— Definitely. Each and every time you fought him, you can probably take a coin to flip it up and say who won it because that's how close it would each and every time. It's not like he stopped me, and not like I stopped him. We had six fights that we went the distance and I remember the last two times to make an Olympic team, in the last fifteen second of the fight he took a breath and I hit him six or seven unanswered punches and I win.

— Evander Holyfield on his amateur fights with Womack[4]

Highlights

Boxing at the Ohio State Fair (178 lbs), Columbus, Ohio, August 1982: Finals: Defeated Jeff Goff by decision (awarded Gold and Outstanding Fighter) United States National Championships (201 lbs), Indianapolis, Indiana, December 1982: 1/16: Defeated Bill Soaki RET 3 (Soaki did not answer the 3rd bell) 1/8: Defeated Patrick Slade by unanimous decision, 5–0 1/4: Defeated Poncho Carter KO 1 (2:59) 1/2: Defeated Terry Anderson by majority decision, 4–1 (Anderson was given a standing eight count twice in the 1st rd, and once in the 2nd rd; Womack was given a standing eight count once in the 2nd rd, and twice in the 3rd rd) Finals: Defeated Richard Johnson by unanimous decision, 5–0 USA–USSR Duals (178 lbs), Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, February 1983: Defeated Vitaliy Kachanovskiy (Soviet Union) RSC 1 National Golden Gloves (178 lbs), Albuquerque, New Mexico, March 1983: 1/4: Defeated ? Larson 1/2: Defeated Sherman Griffin by decision Finals: Defeated Johnny Williams by decision AIBA International World Championships Challenge (178 lbs), Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan, May 1983: Lost to Pablo Romero (Cuba) by majority decision, 1–4 National Sports Festival (178 lbs), Colorado Springs, Colorado, June 1983: 1/2: Defeated Ronnie North by unanimous decision, 5–0 Finals (Pan Am Trials): Lost to Evander Holyfield by split decision, 2–3 Pan Am Box-Offs (178 lbs), St. Louis, Missouri, August 1983: Finals: Lost to Evander Holyfield by decision North American Championships (178 lbs), Houston, Texas, September 1983: 1/2: Defeated Danny Lindstrom (Canada) DQ 2 Finals: Defeated Pablo Romero (Cuba) by majority decision, 4–1

World Cup (178 lbs), Palazzo dello Sport, Rome, Italy, October 1983: 1/4: Defeated Lee Hoo Soo (South Korea) by unanimous decision, 5–0 1/2: Defeated Paweł Skrzecz (Poland) by walkover Finals: Lost to Vitaliy Kachanovskiy (Soviet Union) by majority decision, 1–4 United States National Championships (178 lbs), Colorado Springs, Colorado, November 1983: 1/8: Defeated Sherman Griffin KO 1 1/4: Defeated David Lester KO 1 1/2: Defeated Evander Holyfield by walkover Finals: Defeated Bennie Heard by unanimous decision, 5–0 USA–GDR Duals (178 lbs), Biloxi, Mississippi, November 1983: Defeated Andreas Schroth (East Germany) by majority decision, 2–1 USA–Combined Team of GBR & Canada Duals (178 lbs), Reno, Nevada, November 1983: Defeated Ken Johnson (Canada) KO 1 (0:50) AIBA International World Championships Challenge (178 lbs), Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California, April 1984: Defeated Pablo Romero (Cuba) RSC 1 (2:49) National Olympic Trials (178 lbs), Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas, June 1984: 1/4: Defeated Orbit Pough RSC 2 1/2: Defeated Evander Holyfield by split decision, 3–2 (one point deducted from Womack in the 3rd rd for leading with his head) Finals: Defeated Bennie Heard by unanimous decision, 5–0 Olympic Box-offs (178 lbs), Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, July 1984: Day 1: Lost to Evander Holyfield by majority decision, 1–4 Day 2: Lost to Evander Holyfield by majority decision, 1–4 (Womack suffered a broken nose in the 2nd rd)

Afterwards Womack signed a contract with the Kronk boxing team when he turned professional.[5]

Womack finished his amateur career with an estimated record of 54 wins, 14 losses.

Professional career

Womack turned pro in 1984 and began his career with a promising string of victories, including a victory over future champion Uriah Grant, and was undefeated in his first nine bouts until troubles outside of the ring derailed his career.

Troubles outside the ring

Womack was sentenced to 25 years for armed robbery.[6] After serving 15 years, Womack was released in November 2000.[7]

Comeback

After his release, Womack returned to the ring in 2001 and won all four bouts.

Professional boxing record

Death

On January 19, 2002, Womack committed suicide, two months after his last fight.[8]

References

1. Becoming Holyfield: A Fighter's Journey, 2008, pp. 41-42.
2. Katz, Michael (November 15, 1984). "Holyfield Future Is In His Hands". The New York Times. p. 19. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
3. Litsky, Frank (July 8, 1984). "Final Six Boxers Qualify". The New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 2019-06-13.
4. Evander Holyfield talks about fighting Ricky Wolmack in the amateurs (11 April 2011).
5. Katz, Michael (October 20, 1984). "McCrory Wins Debut". The New York Times. p. 21. Retrieved 2019-06-13.

External links

• Boxing record for Ricky Womack from BoxRec (history)