Derrick Jefferson
Derrick Jefferson | |
---|---|
Born | Derrick Lavon Jefferson March 10, 1968 |
Nationality | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 33 |
Wins | 28 |
Wins by KO | 21 |
Losses | 4 |
Draws | 1 |
Derrick Lavon Jefferson (born March 10, 1968) is an American former
Early life
Jefferson grew up in
Amateur career
Jefferson took up boxing in 1994, after a coach of the local boxing gym, Claude Strickland, spotted him shooting hoops at YMCA.[2] That same year, Jefferson won the National Golden Gloves super heavyweight championship, defeating Michael Grant on points (and handling Grant his only amateur loss) in semifinals, and DaVarryl Williamson by TKO in the final.[3] Overall, Jefferson spent 1.5 years at amateur level, before turning professional in 1995.[3]
Professional career
Jefferson made his professional boxing debut on 19 June 1995 against Ismail Muhammad, knocking him out in the first round.[4] Within three years Jefferson had won 16 fights, winning all but two of them by knockout inside three rounds.[4] Jefferson, at 6'6" and generally weighing 240 pounds, quickly rose to prominence by combining explosive power with furious combinations. In 1998, he faced his first formidable opponent Marion Wilson. With 11–27–3 record, Wilson was known for his durability and toughness, having never lost inside the distance and occasionally pulling upsets, such as wins over Corey Sanders and Paea Wolfgramm or split draw against Ray Mercer.[5][6] Jefferson won the fight by unanimous decision, with two judges scoring the bout 79–73 and one judge having a score 77–75.[4][7]
Having been described as a brawler and a fan friendly attraction, Jefferson became a frequently featured fighter on HBO.[8] Jefferson then stepped up in competition, knocking out former world heavyweight title challenger Bert Cooper in the second round.[4] Within two months, Jefferson faced once-highly regarded prospect Obed Sullivan.[9] This was the first twelve-round fight in Jefferson's professional career.[4] He won the fight by split decision, with the scorecards being 117–112, 117–113 in favor of Jefferson and 115–114 in favor of Sullivan.[4][10]
Six months later, Jefferson was scheduled to face
The fight took place at the
The fight was widely praised for being a slugfest.[8] HBO commentator Larry Merchant called the second round "the best in heavyweight boxing since Bowe vs. Holyfield".[8] The KO was voted by The Ring as "Knockout of the Year". At the conclusion of 1999, Jefferson was ranked No.9 in heavyweight rankings by The Ring.[14]
This win lined up a shot against
Four months later, Jefferson was scheduled to fight highly ranked contender Oleg Maskaev. In the first round, Maskaev dropped Jefferson with the right hand. During the fall, Jefferson broke his ankle and was limping for the rest of the fight, struggling to put weight on his left leg.[18][19][20] Jefferson was dropped again in the second.[18] He managed to hurt Maskaev with an overhand right in the third, but was unable to capitalize on it as he could not put weight behind most of his shots.[18][20] Maskaev continued his assault on injured Jefferson, prompting the referee to stop the fight in the fourth round.[18]
After a quick knockout of an unknown journeyman Marcus Johnson,
After defeating former
Jefferson was scheduled to face
Professional boxing record
References
- ^ Steve Crowe. "Detroit Heavyweight Derrick Jefferson". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ a b "JEFFERSON HAS NO STAGE FRIGHT". nypost.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "Tell Anthony Joshua I Will Spar Him". Retrieved 15 March 2020 – via PressReader.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Professional boxing record: Derrick Jefferson". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Granite jaw Marion "Mo" Wilson Was Never Stopped in 57 bouts". dohhouseboxing.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Professional boxing record: Marion Wilson". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Bout: Derrick Jefferson vs Marion Wilson". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Forgotten Classics: Derrick Jefferson vs Maurice Harris". boxrec.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ISBN 9781612343099. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Bout: Derrick Jefferson vs Obed Sullivan". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Professional boxing record: Maurice Harris". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Saturday 6, November 1999: Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "Derrick Jefferson vs Maurice Harris". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings: Heavyweight--1990s". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ ISBN 9781557287182. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "David Izon vs Derrick Jefferson - Highlights (Unbelievable KNOCKOUT)". youtube.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.[dead link]
- ^ "Derrick Jefferson vs David Izon". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d "MASKAEV AND RAHMAN ON COURSE FOR REMATCH". cyberboxingzone.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Derrick Jefferson vs Oleg Maskaev". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Oleg Maskaev vs Derrick Jefferson - HBO Boxing After Dark May 20, 2000". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Derrick Jefferson vs Marcus Johnson". boxrec.com. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Wladimir Klitschko vs Derrick Jefferson - HBO World Championship Boxing March 24 2001". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Vladimir Klitschko vs Derrick Jefferson: Klitschko annihilates Jefferson". www.boxing247.com. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
- ^ "Professional boxing record: Phil Jackson". Retrieved 11 March 2020.
- ^ a b c "Maurice Harris – Thunderbox King". boxingnewstv.com. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Professional boxing record: Jeremy Williams". Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Professional boxing record: Ray Austin". Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Professional boxing record: Tim Witherspoon". Retrieved 15 March 2020.
- ^ "Professional boxing record: Tony Thompson". boxrec.com. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Professional boxing record: Gerald Nobles". boxrec.com. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ a b "Thunderbox Heavyweight Tournament". boxrec.com. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
- ^ "Andrew Golota - Career Recap (51:00)". youtube.com. Archived from the original on 2021-12-19. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
External links
- Boxing record for Derrick Jefferson from BoxRec (registration required)