Paul Briggs (boxer)

Last updated

Paul Briggs
Statistics
Real namePaul Briggs
Nickname(s)Hurricane
Weight(s) Light Heavyweight
Height5 ft 11+12 in (182 cm)
Reach71 in (180 cm)
NationalityAustralian
Born (1975-08-13) 13 August 1975 (age 47)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights30
Wins26
Wins by KO18
Losses4
Draws0
No contests0

Paul Briggs (born 13 August 1975) is an Australian former boxer. He was a highly ranked contender in the light heavyweight division. He is most known for being knocked out in just 30 seconds into his fight against Danny Green in what bookies and betting agencies called a "one punch fixed fight" [1]

Contents

Biography

Kickboxing era

Paul "Hurricane" Briggs' career began with kick boxing at a young age, turning professional by the age of 15. [2] By the age of 17, Briggs was accomplished enough to challenge Thai kick boxer, Jomhod Sor Chid Lata, for the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) title. Briggs spent the next two years training in Thailand with the very man who defeated him. This training propelled Briggs to the WKA World Championship.

Briggs soon tired of international kickboxing competition. He quit competing and began working as a DJ.

Professional boxing

In November 1999, Paul Briggs began boxing. Over the course of 5 years, Briggs compiled a 23-1 (17 KO's) record, leading to a WBC No. 1 rating and a WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship fight against Tomasz Adamek, who at the time, had 28 wins and no losses.

First fight with Adamek

On 21 May 2005 in Chicago Briggs lost to Adamek in a majority decision. The fight was described by some as one of the most brutal in recent memory, as Briggs suffered a large cut above his left eye early in the fight and Adamek bled profusely from his nose for much of the fight, as well. [3] Adamek tended to be the aggressor, though Briggs displayed an excellent defence as well as flashes of power that, at times, staggered Adamek. Both fighters won subsequent tune-up fights and were contracted to a rematch.

Rematch with Adamek

The rematch took place on 6 October 2006. Adamek came in a heavy favourite. Briggs was coming in with a new trainer, Johnny Lewis. The rematch would be the same as the first fight, action packed and very entertaining. Briggs seemed to be getting outboxed in the first round until he unleashed a heavy left hook to Adamek's jaw which dropped the champion. Adamek managed to get up and continue and survived the round. Again Briggs was cut in the second round. It appeared to be from a punch and it also appeared to be in a bad spot: over his left eye. Johnny Lewis managed to stop the bleeding for most of the fight and the cut was not a major factor. Briggs showed more aggression this time around and made it a very close fight. A case could have been made for either fighter winning. But in the end it came down to another majority decision which Adamek won yet again. [4] Many who watched the fight have stated although Adamek seemed to be the busier of the two, his punches were ineffective and landed mostly on the arms and gloves of Briggs.[ citation needed ]

After Adamek

After the second loss to Adamek, Briggs decided against a third match, stating he wanted to go for new opponents:

I'm not hanging them up. I can fight and I am exciting to watch. Jim Lampley and lots of other people are telling me it was the best combined 24 rounds they have ever seen. There are some good things for me over here now (America). I am building a great fan base now, even though I am not winning.

After the fight, Don King said he supported Briggs and wanted to see him back.

Retirement

After the Adamek fight, Briggs had one more fight, winning a 12-round UD over South African Rupert van Aswegen. Briggs injured his ankle one day before the bout, and fought what he called the worst performance of his career. He was to continue fighting but when back in training, he started having serious problems. He had scans done and it was revealed he had problems with his nervous system. Briggs was thought to have gotten past his problems, and relocated back to the Gold Coast where he began working with a new trainer. He also revealed he was moving down to the super-middleweight division and challenged fellow Australian Anthony Mundine to a fight. A couple of weeks into training however Briggs again had problems, and on the advice of his new trainer, retired from the sport. Briggs is currently located on the Gold Coast, and frequently commentates boxing matches on Fox Sports and Mainevent.

Return to the ring

On 21 July 2010, Briggs returned to the ring in Perth to take on Danny Green for the IBO cruiserweight title. Before the bout Green labelled Briggs "unprofessional" after the latter weighed in nearly 4 kg over the agreed-upon weight. The ensuing fight was seen as a "farce", [5] with Briggs collapsing after 29 seconds following an innocuous left jab by Green, his second in the fight, which appears to have at most brushed the top of Briggs' head. Briggs was subsequently booed out of the stadium by irate fans, and had to be protected by management from projected missiles being thrown at him. In a post-bout interview Green apologised to fans who had paid to attend. [5] Online bookmaker Centrebet labelled the bout "highly, highly dubious" following a massive betting plunge shortly before the fight. [6] The fight had been due to be held in Sydney but was moved at the last minute after the New South Wales Combat Sports Authority refused to commission the bout claiming Briggs was "unfit" to fight. [7]

The Western Australian Combat Sports Commission later fined Briggs $75,000 and cancelled his registration as a boxer in Western Australia. They found that he had withheld the complete picture of his medical condition. They also passed evidence to the police that the Sword Boys criminal gang had bet $100,000 on a first-round KO. Paul Briggs disputed "100 per cent" the findings of the commission. [8] [9]

Autobiography

During the lead up to the first Adamek fight, Briggs co-authored, with Gregor Salmon, an autobiography Heart, Soul, Fire: The Journey of Paul Briggs (2005), [10] detailing his rise to success as an international kick boxer, his descent into organised crime, drugs and violence, and ultimately his rise back to respectability and dominance in international boxing.

Professional boxing record

30 fights26 wins4 losses
By knockout182
By decision72
By disqualification10
No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
30Loss26–4 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Danny Green KO1 (12), 0:2921 Jul 2010 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Challenge Stadium, Perth, Western Australia For IBO cruiserweight title
29Win26–3 Flag of South Africa.svg Rupert van AswegenUD124 Feb 2007 Flag of Australia (converted).svg State Sports Centre, Sydney, New South Wales For vacant IBF Australasian light heavyweight title
28Loss25–3 Flag of Poland.svg Tomasz Adamek MD127 Oct 2006 Flag of the United States.svg Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois, USFor WBC light heavyweight title
27Win25–2 Flag of Argentina.svg Jose Alberto ClaveroDQ5 (10), 0:2816 Jun 2006 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Sleeman Sports Complex Arena, Chandler, Queensland Corner refused to continue when ordered to
26Win24–2 Flag of the United States.svg Etianne WhitakerKO5 (10), 1:5615 Oct 2005 Flag of Germany.svg Mehrzweckhalle Süd, Düsseldorf, Germany
25Loss23–2 Flag of Poland.svg Tomasz Adamek MD1221 May 2005 Flag of the United States.svg United Center, Chicago, Illinois, USFor vacant WBC light heavyweight title
24Win23–1 Flag of Croatia.svg Stipe Drews UD1215 Aug 2004 Flag of Australia (converted).svg State Sports Centre, Sydney, New South Wales WBC Light heavyweight title eliminator.
23Win22–1 Flag of Mexico.svg Jesus RuizUD127 Mar 2004 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Panthers World of Entertainment, Penrith, New South Wales
22Win21–1 Flag of Argentina.svg Juan Eduardo ZabalaRTD5 (10), 3:0031 Oct 2003 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Panthers World of Entertainment, Penrith, New South Wales
21Win20–1 Flag of Argentina.svg Jorge Castro UD1013 Apr 2003 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Carrara Sports Complex, Carrara, Gold Coast, Queensland
20Win19–1 Flag of the United States.svg Brad McNeilTKO1 (8), 2:3319 Jan 2003 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Telstra Superdome, Melbourne, Victoria
19Win18–1 Flag of New Zealand.svg Anthony Bigeni TKO1 (10)6 Dec 2002 Flag of Australia (converted).svg State Netball & Hockey Centre, Parkville, Victoria
18Win17–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Glen Kelly TKO4 (12)18 Sep 2002 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Horden Pavilion, Moore Park, New South Wales Retained OPBF Light Heavyweight Title
17Win16–1 Flag of Samoa.svg Seiaute Ma'ilataTKO4 (12)7 Jun 2002 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Southport Sharks AFL Club, Southport, Queensland Retained OPBF Light Heavyweight Title
16Win15–1 Flag of Kenya.svg Kariz Kariuki TKO4 (12)9 May 2002 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Convention Centre, Melbourne, Victoria Retained OPBF Light Heavyweight Title
15Win14–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Paul SmallmanTKO4 (12)4 Mar 2002 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jupiters Hotel & Casino, Broadbeach, Queensland Won vacant OPBF Light Heavyweight Title
14Win13–1 Flag of the United States.svg James GreenTKO3 (4), 2:2210 Nov 2001 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California
13Win12–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gurkan OzkanPTS88 Sep 2001 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Movieworld, Gold Coast, Queensland
12Win11–1 Flag of Samoa.svg Jeff TupuTKO2 (12)8 Jul 2001 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jupiters Hotel & Casino, Broadbeach, QueenslandRetained Australian light heavyweight title
11Win10–1 Flag of New Zealand.svg Sam Leuii KO2 (10)16 Mar 2001 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Coogee Randwick RSL, Sydney, New South Wales
10Win9–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Shane DaltonTKO2 (6)25 Feb 2001 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Southport Australian Football Club, Southport, Queensland
9Win8–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken SuavineTKO2 (10)23 Feb 2001 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Coolangatta Hotel, Coolangatta, Queensland
8Win7–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Adrian BellinRTD7 (12), 3:0024 Nov 2000 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Knox Netball Centre, Melbourne, Victoria Won vacant Australian light heavyweight title
7Win6–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tosca Petridis TKO1 (10), 1:496 Oct 2000 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Seagulls Rugby League Club, Tweed Heads, New South Wales
6Win5–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Daniel RoswellTD5 (12)28 Jul 2000 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Seagulls Rugby League Club, Tweed Heads, New South WalesWon vacant IBF Pan Pacific cruiserweight title
5Win4–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jamie WallaceTKO3 (8)30 Jun 2000 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Seagulls Rugby League Club, Tweed Heads, New South Wales
4Win3–1 Flag of Fiji.svg Mosese SoroviTKO7 (10)5 May 2000 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Lismore Workers Club, Lismore, New South Wales
3Win2–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken SuavineTKO4 (8)29 Nov 1999 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Southport RSL, Southport, Queensland
2Loss1–1 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Larl ZadaKO3 (10)4 Jan 1997 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brisbane Convention Centre, Brisbane, Queensland
1Win1–0 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ronald DooMD1019 Jun 1994 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Stafford Tavern, Brisbane, Queensland

Partial Kickboxing record

Professional kickboxing record
The accurate record is unknown.
DateResultOpponentEventLocationMethodRoundTime
1999-12-24Win Flag of Japan.svg Noboru UchidaMAJKF "Tornado Warning -The Invasion of Tornado!!-」JapanTKO(Second stoppage)40:00
1996Loss Flag of France.svg Stéphane Nikiéma Conrad Jupiters Cup,Gold CoastAustraliaKO (Knee)1
1993-12-05Win Flag of Japan.svg Taiei Kin Revenge Melbourne, Australia KO (Right knee)12:55
1994-03-26Loss Flag of Thailand.svg Jom Hod Sor Chid Lata Festival Hall,BrisbaneAustraliaKO (Left low kick)2
The bout was for Jomhod's World Title. Just before this bout, Briggs's kickboxing record had been announced as 35 Fights 32 Wins 1o KOs 3 Losses
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

Bibliography

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References

  1. "Sports News and Results | The Courier Mail". www.couriermail.com.au. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
  2. Hamilton, Garth (23 July 2010). "How the once mighty Briggs was brought to his knees". The Roar. The Roar Sports Opinion. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  3. "Adamek Upsets Briggs to Claim WBC 175 lb Belt!". Aussiebox. 23 May 2005. Archived from the original on 6 April 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  4. Australian Associated Press (AAP) (7 October 2006). "Undefeated Adamek beats Briggs, retains WBC title". Boxing. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 29 March 2007.
  5. 1 2 "Danny Green enraged as Paul Briggs knocked out after 29 seconds". Boxing - Foxsports. Premier Media Group Pty Ltd. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  6. Levy, Megan (22 July 2010). "He's a dog and he's not getting paid". The Sydney Morning Herald . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 24 July 2010.
  7. Lane, Daniel (11 July 2010). "Irate Green chases lost millions". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
  8. "Boxer Paul Briggs fined in fight farce". AM . ABC Online. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  9. "Green cleared, Briggs banned over fight farce". WAToday.com.au. Fairfax Digital. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
  10. Heart soul fire : the journey of Paul Briggs / Paul Briggs and Gregor Salmon. catalogue. National Library of Australia. 2005. ISBN   9780732281908 . Retrieved 24 July 2010.