Maurice Watkins (boxer)

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Maurice Watkins (born August 29, 1956) is a former boxer from Houston, Texas. Nicknamed Termite, he was born into a family that was in the insect killing business, and he is a professional fumigator.

Contents

Professional Boxing Career

Watkins turned professional as a boxer on May 21, 1974, beating Cesar Cortez by knockout in round one at Houston. Through his career, Watkins fought some of the best fighters in the Lightweight and Jr. Welterweight divisions. He beat Marion Thomas by a knockout in round seven, Rocky Ramon by a decision in twelve, Arturo Leon by decision in ten, Bruce Strauss by knockout in three, Bobby Rodriguez by knockout in one, and others. His fight with former United States Lightweight champion Norman Goins resulted in a three-round no contest. He also lost to Olympic gold medalist Howard Davis Jr. and Alfredo Escalera. On October 2 of 1980, at the Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, he got his only world title shot, losing to Saoul Mamby by a fifteen-round decision for the WBC's world Jr. Welterweight title. He retired with 61 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws (tie), one no contest and 48 wins by knockout. [1]

Professional boxing record

61 Wins (42 knockouts, 19 decisions), 5 Losses (0 knockouts, 5 decisions), 2 Draws, 1 No Contest
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes
Win1-1 Flag of Mexico.svg Yaqui HernandezPTS616/03/1990 Flag of Arizona.svg Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win12-10-1 Flag of the United States.svg Robert "The Line" DixonTKO217/02/1990 Flag of Texas.svg Conroe, Texas, United States
Win14-3-4 Flag of the United States.svg Joe "Attorney" GarciaPTS1011/12/1989 Flag of Texas.svg Pasadena Convention Center, Pasadena, Texas, United States
Win7-7-1 Flag of the United States.svg Moses "Governor" RobinsonKO205/10/1989 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, Texas, United States
Win4-4 Flag of the United States.svg "Candlelight" Virgil GreenKO310/08/1989 Flag of Montana.svg Billings, Montana, United States
Win-- Flag of Mexico.svg Raymundo LopezKO220/07/1989 Flag of Arizona.svg Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, Arizona, United States
Win1-0-1Carlos "Rocky" GonzalezKO101/06/1989 Flag of Arizona.svg Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win6-1-1 Flag of the United States.svg Anthony "Two Gun" WilliamsPTS630/04/1989 Flag of Texas.svg Galveston, Texas, United States57-57, 58-56, 57-57.
Loss48-12-3 Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Alfredo Escalera UD1012/11/1982 Flag of Florida.svg Orange Bowl, Miami, United States
Win4-14 Flag of the United States.svg Paul GentryKO422/09/1982 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win0-1 Flag of Mexico.svg Jose "J-Rod" RodriguezKO1027/08/1982 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win60-34-3 Flag of the United States.svg Bruce Strauss KO317/08/1982 Flag of Louisiana.svg Blackham Coliseum, Lafayette, Louisiana, United States
Win2-0 Flag of the United States.svg Billy "The Kid" SmithKO321/07/1982 Flag of Louisiana.svg Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
Loss28-12-5 Flag of the United States.svg Saoul Mamby UD15 02/10/1980 Flag of Nevada.svg Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, United States WBC World Light Welterweight Title. 140-146, 139-147, 141-147.
Win17-24 Flag of the United States.svg Larry "Legend" MooreKO322/05/1980 Flag of Michigan.svg Holland, Michigan, United States
Win23-25 Flag of the United States.svg Sammy RookardKO406/04/1980 Flag of Texas.svg Astro Arena, Houston, United States
Win3-2-1 Flag of the Bahamas.svg Nathan "Famous" DavisKO322/03/1980 Flag of Michigan.svg Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
Win0-11 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy "Wakeboard" MartinezKO109/01/1980 Flag of Michigan.svg Holland, Michigan, United States
Loss11-0 Flag of the United States.svg Howard Davis, Jr. UD1014/09/1979 Flag of Texas.svg Houston Summit, Houston, Texas, United States
Win2-8 Flag of the United States.svg Roberto "Baby" PerezKO715/08/1979 Flag of Texas.svg Beaumont Civic Center, Beaumont, Texas, United States
Draw9-4-1 Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Teodoro OsunaPTS1009/03/1979 Flag of New York.svg Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States
Win1-3-1 Flag of the United States.svg Richie Lee RobertsKO316/01/1979 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win2-1-1 Flag of the Bahamas.svg Arthur "Space Odyssey" ClarkeKO709/12/1978 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win0-6 Flag of the United States.svg Gary "Black" SmithKO502/11/1978 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win16-11-1 Flag of the United States.svg Rick CraneyKO115/08/1978 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win21-19-1 Flag of the United States.svg Joe MedranoKO716/05/1978 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win1-8-2 Flag of the United States.svg John "Wolf" MorganKO420/04/1978 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win15-6 Flag of the United States.svg Hilbert StevensonPTS1011/04/1978 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win5-1 Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Benny MarquezPTS1019/01/1978 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win10-1 Flag of the United States.svg Steve "Hammer" HomanPTS1001/12/1977 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win15-10 Flag of the United States.svg Freddie "Stepper" HarrisPTS1025/10/1977 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win--Cuyo MendozaTKO327/09/1977 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win6-4 Flag of Mexico.svg Paulino GarciaTKO522/09/1977 Flag of Florida.svg Curtis Hixon Hall, Tampa, Florida, United States
Win12-11 Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Ernesto OrtegaKO726/07/1977 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
No Contest17-5-1 Flag of the United States.svg "Stormin" Norman GoinsND1022/03/1977 Flag of Texas.svg Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win7-2 Flag of the United States.svg Jose "Speedy" GonzalezPTS1016/02/1977 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Loss4-10 Flag of Mexico.svg Augustin EstradaUD1017/11/1976 Flag of Texas.svg Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, United States90-98, 93-94, 97-98.
Win2-2 Flag of the United States.svg Otto BreedingKO326/10/1976 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win13-11-1 Flag of the United States.svg Arturo Leon UD1021/09/1976 Flag of Texas.svg Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win14-6 Flag of the United States.svg Rocky RamonPTS1231/08/1976 Flag of Texas.svg Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win4-7 Flag of Mexico.svg Agustin EstradaTKO709/08/1976 Flag of Louisiana.svg Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, United States
Win4-3 Flag of the United States.svg Richie PuentesKO624/07/1976 Flag of Mississippi.svg Biloxi, Mississippi, United States
Loss18-5-2 Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Adriano MarreroSD1016/03/1976 Flag of Florida.svg Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win2-5 Flag of Mexico.svg Valente RamosKO309/03/1976 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win4-4 Flag of the United States.svg Lamar BaskinKO224/02/1976 Flag of New Mexico.svg Albuquerque Civic Auditorium, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Win0-1Chamaco CuencaKO510/02/1976 Flag of Florida.svg Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win13-0 Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Juan "and Only" HidalgoUD1020/01/1976 Flag of Florida.svg Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win-- Flag of the United States.svg Bobby FloresTKO618/11/1975 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win9-2-1 Flag of the United States.svg Larry PetersonKO519/08/1975 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win0-1-2 Flag of the United States.svg Gene PradoUD1029/07/1975 Flag of California.svg Circle Star Theater, San Carlos, California, United States
Win31-10-1 Flag of the United States.svg Marion "Tiger" ThomasKO716/07/1975 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win6-3-4 Flag of the United States.svg Victor de la Cruz UD1017/06/1975 Flag of California.svg San Jose Civic Auditorium, San Jose, California, United States
Win7-4 Flag of the United States.svg Leroy WalkerTKO821/05/1975 Flag of California.svg Circle Star Theater, San Carlos, California, United States
Win0-1 Flag of Mexico.svg Rudy GonzalezPTS1006/05/1975 Flag of California.svg San Jose, California, United States
Win4-4-1 Flag of the United States.svg Otis LocklearKO322/04/1975 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win2-5 Flag of the Bahamas.svg Mike WhymmsPTS815/04/1975 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win9-2 Flag of the United States.svg Gilbert "Machete" GalvanPTS1017/02/1975 Flag of Texas.svg Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win8-6 Flag of the United States.svg Dave KibbyUD829/01/1975 Flag of California.svg Cow Palace, San Francisco, United States
Win4-4-1 Flag of the United States.svg Vicente HernandezPTS1017/01/1975 Flag of California.svg San Jose Civic Auditorium, San Jose, California, United States
Win0-2 Flag of the Bahamas.svg "Sugar" Ray SearsPTS617/12/1974 Flag of Florida.svg Orlando, Florida, United States
Win-- Flag of Mexico.svg Robert "Baby" PerezKO110/11/1974 Flag of Texas.svg Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win23-7-2 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rodriguez KO113/10/1974 Flag of Texas.svg Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win0-3 Flag of the United States.svg Ricky RamosKO426/08/1974 Flag of Texas.svg Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win13-13 Flag of the United States.svg Nick AlfaroPTS818/08/1974 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win0-2 Flag of the United States.svg Arturo CirillosKO305/08/1974 Flag of Texas.svg Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Win5-9 Flag of the United States.svg Harvey "Candyman" WilsonKO616/07/1974 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win0-1 Flag of the United States.svg Arturo CirillosTKO402/07/1974 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win1-3 Flag of the United States.svg Lupe CantùKO304/06/1974 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States
Win0-1Cesar CortezKO121/05/1974 Flag of Texas.svg Houston, United States

After Boxing

After retiring, Watkins went back to Texas to work as a fumigator. In 2003, the American military, needing personnel to work rebuilding Iraq's infrastructure, contracted him as a fumigator to work on Iraqi homes that had been decaying and infected with insects during Saddam Hussein's presidency.

In 2008, writer Suzy Pepper, a former neighbor of Maurice Watkins, released "Termite", a biographical book about Watkins. [2] Also in 2008, a movie based on the book was announced. [3]

In Iraq

After the IOC announced that Iraq would be allowed to compete in seven sports at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, including boxing, the United States military set about to find a new boxing coach for the Iraqi national boxing team. With research, they found out about Watkins' background, and invited him to coach a team of young hopefuls in Baghdad. Realizing he needed to train the team in a setting different from Baghdad, he moved his team to a city close to Baghdad, but much quieter than the capital city. He trained nine Iraqi boxers who hoped to reach the Olympics, but only Najah Ali was able to qualify for the games.

Notes

  1. ↑ "Maurice Watkins". Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2008-05-11.
  2. ↑ "bookmasters.com". Archived from the original on 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  3. ↑ "pathsapartproductions.com". Archived from the original on 2008-09-23. Retrieved 2008-08-01.

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