Nicky Piper | |
---|---|
Born | Nicholas Piper 5 May 1966 Cardiff, Wales |
Nationality | Welsh |
Other names | The KO King |
Statistics | |
Weight(s) | Super Middleweight Light Heavyweight |
Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 33 |
Wins | 26 |
Wins by KO | 20 |
Losses | 5 |
Draws | 2 |
Nicky Piper MBE (born 5 May 1966) is a retired Welsh super middleweight and light heavyweight boxer from Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff. [1] His career was at its peak in the 1990s; he became the Commonwealth Light-heavyweight champion in 1995. He was trained by Charlie Pearson [2] and managed by Frank Warren. Since retiring from boxing, Piper has become a notable administrator in British boxing and currently works for The City Hospice as their Corporate Partnerships Manager.
Piper's first professional fight is recorded as being against fellow Welshman Kevin Roper. [3] Piper won the match in the second round via a knockout. Piper then won nine of his next ten encounters, all scheduled for either six or eight rounds. [3] Of the ten bouts, only one, against future British Heavyweight champion Maurice Core, went the full distance, resulting in a draw. Piper stopped his other nine opponents through retirement, knockout, or technical knockout. Piper's first professional loss was to future World Cruiserweight Champion Carl Thompson at York Hall on 4 September 1991, Piper being stopped by technical knockout in the third round. [3] The next month, Piper was back in the ring, beating Franky Moro in a contest at the Royal Albert Hall. He completed 1991 with a sixth-round knockout over Carlos Christie. [3]
Piper won his first three fights of 1992, all on points decisions, the first of which, over Frank Eubank, was an eliminator for the British Super Middleweight title. Another eliminator for the Super Middleweight belt saw Piper stop Johhny Melfah by technical knockout in the fifth at the G-Mex centre in Manchester. [3] Piper's next fight was against WBC Super Middleweight champion Nigel Benn, in a challenge for the title. The twelve-round contest was held at the Alexandra Palace in London on 12 December 1992. Benn stopped Piper in the eleventh round on a technical knockout. [4]
Despite the loss to Benn, Piper's very next match was another title fight; this time for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental light heavyweight belt. The fight against Argentinean Miguel Angel Maldonando went the distance, with Piper being given the title by unanimous points decision. Two months later, on 10 April 1993, Piper successfully defended his title against Chris Sande in Swansea. Piper completed the year with a victory over Trevor Ambrose, and a drawn match with Frank Rhodes. Piper started 1994 with a challenge for the WBO Light-heavyweight title, then held by Leeonzer Barber. Piper failed in his bid when he was again stopped by technical knockout, this time in the ninth round. [5] Piper fought twice more in 1994, a win over Charles Oliver, and a failed bid for the vacant Commonwealth Light-heavyweight title, where he was beaten by Crawford Ashley.
Piper's next fight was a win in an uneven contest against American Tim Bryan in June 1995, followed by a victory over John Keeton, both fights held in Cardiff. Then, on 30 September, he faced Noel Magee for the Commonwealth Light-Heavyweight title. Held at the Cardiff Arms Park, the fight lasted until the ninth round, when Magee was knocked out, giving Piper his most senior belt of his career. In 1996, Piper fought in two bouts: a win over Danny Juma in Cardiff, and a successful defence of his Commonwealth belt to Bruce Scott at Tylorstown. The following year saw Piper's final two fights. In June he defeated Stephane Nizard in Norwich, before a title attempt for the WBO Light-heavyweight against Dariusz Michalczewski in Hanover. Piper was retired by his corner after the seventh round [6] and soon after retired from boxing.
After his retirement from boxing, Piper became a sports commentator, primarily working for Sky Sports, and in 1997 a member of the British Boxing Board of Control. [7] Piper served as Chairman of the Professional Boxing Association, and in 2005 he was awarded the MBE for his services to the sport. [7] Piper is a member of Mensa, [8] and currently works for The City Hospice (formerly George Thomas Hospice Care) as their Corporate Partnership Manager. [9]
Nigel Gregory Benn is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 1996. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title in 1990 and the WBC super-middleweight title from 1992 to 1996. He is considered one of the best Super Middleweights of all time.At the regional level, he held the Commonwealth middleweight title from 1988 to 1989. He scored notable wins over Champions Doug DeWitt, Iran Barkley, Thulani Malinga, Mauro Galvano and Gerald McClellan.
Dariusz Tomasz Michalczewski is a Polish-German professional boxer who competed from 1991 to 2005. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the WBA, IBF, WBO and lineal light heavyweight titles between 1994 and 2003, and the WBO junior-heavyweight title from 1994 to 1995.
Julio César González Ibarra was a Mexican professional boxer who competed from 1997 to 2011, and held the WBO and lineal light heavyweight titles from 2003 to 2004.
Stephen Collins is an Irish former professional boxer who competed from 1986 to 1997. Known as the Celtic Warrior, Collins is the most successful male Irish boxer in recent professional boxing history, having held the WBO middleweight and super-middleweight titles simultaneously and never losing a fight as champion.
Clinton Woods is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2009, and held the IBF light-heavyweight title from 2005 to 2008. At regional level he held the Commonwealth super-middleweight title from 1997 to 1998, the British light-heavyweight title from 1999 to 2000, and the European and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles from 1999 to 2001.
In boxing, the undisputed champion of a weight class is the boxer who simultaneously holds world titles from all major organizations recognized by each other and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. There are currently four major sanctioning bodies: WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF. There were many undisputed champions before the number of major sanctioning bodies recognizing each other increased to four in 2007, but there have been only 19 boxers to hold all four titles simultaneously.
As in the 1980s, the 1990s in boxing's popularity focused on all divisions. When 1980s legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, as well as others retired, newer superstars filled the void: Pernell Whitaker, Julio César Chávez, in the early 1990s, Oscar De La Hoya, Félix Trinidad, Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the mid to late 1990s.
Graciano Rocchigiani was a German professional boxer who competed from 1983 to 2003. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the IBF super-middleweight title from 1988 to 1989, and the WBC light-heavyweight title in 1998. At regional level he held the European light-heavyweight title from 1991 to 1992. He was the younger brother of former cruiserweight world champion of boxing, Ralf Rocchigiani.
Noel Magee is an Irish former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 1997. He held the Commonwealth light heavyweight title in 1995.
Joseph William Calzaghe is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2008. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including unified and lineal titles at super-middleweight, and the Ring magazine light-heavyweight title.
Daren Tomas Zenner was a Canadian professional boxer that competed in the super middleweight and light heavyweight weight divisions. He challenged once for the WBO light heavyweight title in 1997.
Pat Thomas was a Light-middleweight boxer, originally from Saint Kitts and Nevis, who took British citizenship and won two British boxing titles in the 1970s and 80s. After leaving Saint Kitts, Thomas settled in Cardiff in Wales, and is recognised as a Welsh fighter taking the Welsh light middleweight Championship in 1977.
Alfonso López III is an American professional boxer of Mexican descent. López fights out of Houston, Texas, raised out of Cut & Shoot, Texas. He currently holds the WBC-NABF bridgerweight title in 2021-22. He has held the WBC-NABF light heavyweight title since 2019, also former WBC-Continental Americas super middleweight title in (2010) and the WBO-NABO light heavyweight title in (2019). As of September 1, 2022, López is ranked 6th in the World in the WBC rankings.
Neville Meade was a British boxer from Swansea. Born in Montserrat, he moved to Wales at the age of nine. He rose to prominence when he won the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand. He turned professional in 1974 and won the Welsh Heavyweight title in 1976 and then followed this with the British title in 1981. He retired in 1983 after a failed defence of his British title.
Michael "Rocky" Fielding is a British former professional boxer. He held the WBA (Regular) super-middleweight title in 2018. At regional level, he held the Commonwealth super-middleweight title twice between 2013 and 2017, and the British super-middleweight title in 2017.
Frank Bruno vs. Mike Tyson II, billed as The Championship: Part I, was a professional boxing match contested on March 16, 1996 for the WBC heavyweight championship.
Henry Wharton is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 1998. He challenged three times for super middleweight world championships; the WBC twice, firstly in 1994 and again in 1997, and the WBO title in 1994. At regional level, he held the British super middleweight title in 1992; the Commonwealth super middleweight title from 1991 to 1996; and the EBU European super middleweight title from 1995 to 1996. Wharton is best remembered for his world title fights with Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank in 1994.
Philip Cilia was a Welsh Middleweight boxer who fought under the name Phil Edwards. Edwards was Wales middleweight champion from 1957 until his retirement in 1962. One of the best British fighters at his weight, Edwards was unfortunate to box during the reign of Terry Downes, and he twice failed in a challenge for the British title against Downes.
Kevin Lueshing is a British former boxer who was British welterweight champion between 1996 and 1997 and three times fought for world titles, winning the IBO World welterweight title in 1996.
Christophe Girard is a French former boxer who fought at light heavyweight and cruiserweight. Girard challenged for a world title on three occasions, twice against Dariusz Michalczewski in 1996 for the WBO Light-Heavyweight title and against Johnny Nelson for the WBO Cruiserweight title in 1999.