Reggie Gross

Last updated
Reggie Gross
Statistics
Real nameReginald Gross
Weight(s) Heavyweight
Height6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Reach78 in (198 cm)
NationalityAmerican
Born (1962-04-04) April 4, 1962 (age 61)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights26
Wins18
Wins by KO14
Losses8

Reginald R. Gross (born January 1962) is an American convicted murderer and former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1988. His most notable wins were a first round knockout of future long-time IBF world Light-Heavyweight champion "Prince" Charles Williams, as well as upsets of undefeated Smokin' Bert Cooper (TKO8) and outstanding amateur and 16-0 pro Jimmy Clark (TKO9). [1]

Contents

He was most famously stopped in one round by Mike Tyson, in an exciting but brief bout where he took the fight to the feared contender. He also suffered losses to Frank Bruno and Jesse Ferguson.

His final fight was in June 1988, on the Tyson/Spinks undercard, where he lost to Donovan Ruddock in the second round.

Conviction and imprisonment

In 1989, he was arrested and convicted for three contract killings. [2] He is currently serving his three life sentences with two of them consecutive with the initial part of his sentence served at the maximum security prison in Edgefield, South Carolina. [2]

When interviewed in 2008 Gross was incarcerated at the US Penitentiary, Hazelton and had a 2014 parole hearing planned. [3]

In September 2019, Gross petitioned the US Court of Appeals as he believed that he was eligible for mandatory release after thirty years, as his crimes occurred before the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 came into effect. The Court found in favor of the Bureau of Prisons, who argued that because he is serving two consecutive life sentences, he would in fact need to serve thirty years on each of his two life sentences before being eligible for mandatory parole. [4]

As of 2023 Gross was incarcerated at MCFP Springfield in Missouri with a release date of November 1, 2048. [5]

Professional boxing record

19 Wins (14 knockouts, 5 decisions), 8 Losses (5 knockouts, 3 decisions) [6]
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes
Loss19-1-1 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Donovan Ruddock TKO227/06/1988 Flag of the United States.svg Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey Referee stopped the bout at 1:36 of the second round.
Win16-11 Flag of the United States.svg Harry TerrellKO206/01/1988 Flag of the United States.svg Baltimore Arena, Baltimore, Maryland Terrell knocked out at 2:51 of the second round.
Loss26-2 Flag of Brazil.svg Adilson Rodrigues PTS1011/10/1987 Flag of Brazil.svg Araraquara, Brazil
Loss30-2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Frank Bruno TKO830/08/1987 Flag of Spain.svg Nueva Andalucia Bullring, Marbella, Spain
Loss21-0 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Tyson TKO113/06/1986 Flag of the United States.svg Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York Referee stopped the bout at 2:36 of the first round.
Loss8-0 Flag of the United States.svg Henry Tillman UD1004/03/1986 Flag of the United States.svg Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win10-0 Flag of the United States.svg Bert Cooper TKO831/01/1986 Flag of the United States.svg Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey Referee stopped the bout at 1:24 of the eighth round.
Win1-2 Flag of the United States.svg Hector RodriguezTKO328/06/1985 Flag of the United States.svg Scranton, Pennsylvania
Win16-0 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy ClarkTKO908/03/1985 Flag of the United States.svg Catholic Youth Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania Referee stopped the bout at 1:14 of the ninth round.
Loss8-0 Flag of the United States.svg Jesse Ferguson TKO320/09/1984 Flag of the United States.svg The Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey Referee stopped the bout at 1:49 of the third round.
Win4-5 Flag of the United States.svg James ReidPTS1006/09/1984 Flag of the United States.svg Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Loss1-3 Flag of the United States.svg Jack JohnsonPTS1023/05/1984 Flag of the United States.svg Pikesville, Maryland
Loss8-2 Flag of the United States.svg Anthony WitherspoonTKO711/04/1984 Flag of the United States.svg Pikesville Armory, Pikesville, Maryland
Win10-2 Flag of the United States.svg Marcus JacksonTKO327/02/1984 Flag of the United States.svg The Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win17-8-1 Flag of the United States.svg Franklin OttsKO118/08/1983 Flag of the United States.svg Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Win3-3 Flag of the United States.svg Abdul HakimKO527/06/1983 Flag of the United States.svg Ocean City Convention Center, Ocean City, Maryland
Win9-2 Flag of the United States.svg Larry LanePTS805/05/1983 Flag of the United States.svg Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Win6-3 Flag of the United States.svg Blufort SpencerTKO708/04/1983 Flag of the United States.svg Steelworkers Hall, Baltimore, Maryland
Win10-2-2 Flag of the United States.svg Charles Williams TKO101/03/1983 Flag of the United States.svg Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Win17-25-2 Flag of the United States.svg Fred BrownKO216/12/1982 Flag of the United States.svg Steelworkers Hall, Baltimore, Maryland
Win5-1 Flag of the United States.svg Ric LainhartTKO623/09/1982 Flag of the United States.svg Steelworkers Hall, Baltimore, Maryland
Win1-3-1 Flag of the United States.svg Charles PricePTS609/07/1982 Flag of the United States.svg Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
Win1-3 Flag of the United States.svg Sonny CroomsKO224/06/1982 Flag of the United States.svg Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Win2-0 Flag of the United States.svg Michael StattonPTS417/05/1982 Flag of the United States.svg Hilton Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland
Win1-3 Flag of the United States.svg John GreenKO124/04/1982 Flag of the United States.svg Richmond, Virginia
Win3-11 Flag of the United States.svg Charles RoyePTS423/01/1982 Flag of the United States.svg Richmond, Virginia
Win1-1 Flag of the United States.svg Blufort SpencerKO107/01/1982 Flag of the United States.svg Steelworkers Hall, Baltimore, Maryland

Sources

  1. "BoxRec: Jimmy Clark". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2021-01-20.
  2. 1 2 Rodricks, Dan (November 6, 2001). "Down for count, he's still fighting". The Baltimore Sun.
  3. "My Interview with Reggie About His Life in Prison, Including His Views on the Medical Treatment Prisoners Receive". Feb 13, 2008.
  4. "Reginald Gross v. J.R. Bell, No. 19-1261 (7th Cir. 2019)". Justia Law. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
  5. "Inmate Locator for prisoner # 26215-037". Federal Bureau of Prisons.
  6. "Reggie Gross". BoxRec. Retrieved 31 March 2022.

Related Research Articles

Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for however long they have lived or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for which, in some countries, a person could receive this sentence include murder, torture, terrorism, child abuse resulting in death, rape, espionage, treason, drug trafficking, drug possession, human trafficking, severe fraud and financial crimes, aggravated criminal damage, arson, kidnapping, burglary, and robbery, piracy, aircraft hijacking, and genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, severe cases of child pornography, or any three felonies in case of three-strikes law. Life imprisonment can also be imposed, in certain countries, for traffic offences causing death. Life imprisonment is not used in all countries; Portugal was the first country to abolish life imprisonment, in 1884.

Clifford Etienne is an American former professional boxer and convicted robber, who is currently serving a 105-year prison sentence without the possibility of parole. Known for his aggressive, high-volume style despite being a heavyweight, he fought Mike Tyson, Francois Botha, Nikolay Valuev, Calvin Brock, and Lamon Brewster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women</span> Prison in Bedford Hills, Westchester County, New York, US

Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women a women's prison in the town of Bedford, New York, is the largest women's prison in New York state. The prison previously opened under the name Westfield State Farm in 1901. It lies just outside the hamlet and census-designated place Bedford Hills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parole</span> Provisional release of a prisoner who agrees to certain conditions

Parole is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or else they may be rearrested and returned to prison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Dokes</span> American boxer

Michael Marshall Dokes was an American professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 1997, and held the WBA heavyweight title from 1982 to 1983. As an amateur he won a silver medal in the heavyweight division at the 1975 Pan American Games.

Judith Alice Clark is an American activist, convicted felon, and former member of the Weather Underground and the May 19th Communist Organization. Clark was an getaway driver in the Brink's robbery of 1981 in Nanuet, New York. The robbers murdered a security guard and two Nyack, New York police officers. Clark was arrested in October 1981 and convicted of felony murder for her role in the crime. She was sentenced to the maximum penalty allowed by law: Imprisonment for a term of 75 years to life at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in New York.

Truth in sentencing (TIS) is a collection of different but related public policy stances on sentencing of those convicted of crimes in the justice system. In most contexts, it refers to policies and legislation that aim to abolish or curb parole so that convicts serve the period to which they have been sentenced. Truth in sentencing advocates relate such policies in terms of the public's right to know. They argue, for example, that it is deceptive to sentence an individual to "seven-to-nine years" and then release them after they have served only six years.

A habitual offender, repeat offender, or career criminal is a person convicted of a crime who was previously convicted of other crimes. Various state and jurisdictions may have laws targeting habitual offenders, and specifically providing for enhanced or exemplary punishments or other sanctions. They are designed to counter criminal recidivism by physical incapacitation via imprisonment.

In England and Wales, life imprisonment is a sentence that lasts until the death of the prisoner, although in most cases the prisoner will be eligible for early release after a minimum term set by the judge. In exceptional cases a judge may impose a "whole life order", meaning that the offender is never considered for parole, although they may still be released on compassionate grounds at the discretion of the Home Secretary. Whole life orders are usually imposed for aggravated murder, and can only be imposed where the offender was at least 21 years old at the time of the offence being committed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Penitentiary, Atwater</span> Federal prison near Atwater, California

The United States Penitentiary, Atwater is a high-security United States federal prison for male inmates in unincorporated Merced County, California. The institution also includes a minimum-security satellite camp. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Penitentiary, Coleman</span> High-security United States federal prison in Florida

The United States Penitentiary, Coleman I and II are high-security United States federal prisons for male inmates in Florida. It is part of the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex and is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. USP Coleman I was opened in 2001, and in 2004 Clark Construction completed a 555,000-square-foot (51,600 m2) additional component for USP Coleman II.

The "faint hope clause" is the popular name for s.745.6 of the Canadian Criminal Code, a statutory provision that allows prisoners who have been sentenced to life imprisonment with a parole eligibility period of greater than 15 years to apply for early parole once they have served 15 years. Offenders who committed their offence after December 2, 2011 are no longer eligible to apply for the faint hope clause. However, those convicted of offences that occurred prior to that date may still be eligible.

Jo-el Scott is a former professional boxer, who is now serving a life prison sentence for rape and murder.

Marcellus Joseph Johnson, better known as Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1990 to 2006. He is a three-time world champion in two weight classes, having held the IBF flyweight title from 1996 to 1999; the IBF junior bantamweight title from 1999 to 2000; and the WBO junior bantamweight title from 2003 to 2004.

In the United States, life imprisonment is amongst the most severe punishments provided by law, depending on the state, and second only to the death penalty. According to a 2013 study, 1 of every 20,000 inhabitants of the U.S. were imprisoned for life as of 2012. Many U.S. states can release a convict on parole after a decade or more has passed, but in California, people sentenced to life imprisonment can normally apply for parole after seven years. The laws in the United States categorize life sentences as "determinate life sentences" or "indeterminate life sentences," the latter indicating the possibility of an abridged sentence, usually through the process of parole. For example, sentences of "15 years to life," "25 years to life," or "life with mercy" are called "indeterminate life sentences", while a sentence of "life without the possibility of parole" or "life with no mercy" is called a "determinate life sentence". The potential for parole is not assured but discretionary, making it an indeterminate sentence. Even if a sentence explicitly denies the possibility of parole, government officials may have the power to grant an amnesty to reprieve, or to commute a sentence to time served.

In Germany, life imprisonment has an indeterminate length and is the most severe punishment that can be imposed. A person sentenced to life imprisonment may normally apply for parole after having served 15 years. If the parole court rejects the application, the inmate may reapply after a court determined blocking period no longer than two years. If the court has determined a "severe gravity of guilt" exists, parole is delayed for a non-specific period beyond 15 years.

Veronza Leon Curtis Bowers Jr. is a former member of the Black Panther Party. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on the charge of first degree murder of U.S. park ranger Kenneth Patrick at Point Reyes National Seashore in 1973. He is currently incarcerated in a Federal correctional institution in North Carolina.

Graham v. Florida, 560 U.S. 48 (2010), was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States holding that juvenile offenders cannot be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for non-homicide offenses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Innocence Project</span> American legal non-profit founded 1999

The California Innocence Project is a non-profit based at California Western School of Law in San Diego, California, United States, which provides pro bono legal services to individuals who maintain their factual innocence of crime(s) for which they have been convicted. It is an independent chapter of the Innocence Project. Its mission is to exonerate wrongly convicted inmates through the use of DNA and other evidences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criminal justice reform in the United States</span> Reforms addressing structural issues in criminal justice systems of the United States

Criminal justice reform addresses structural issues in criminal justice systems such as racial profiling, police brutality, overcriminalization, mass incarceration, and recidivism. Reforms can take place at any point where the criminal justice system intervenes in citizens’ lives, including lawmaking, policing, sentencing and incarceration. Criminal justice reform can also address the collateral consequences of conviction, including disenfranchisement or lack of access to housing or employment, that may restrict the rights of individuals with criminal records.