Rico Hoye

Last updated
Rico Hoye
Born
Rico Hoye

November 9, 1974 (1974-11-09) (age 50)
NationalityFlag of the United States.svg American
Statistics
Weight(s) Cruiserweight
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights28
Wins24
Wins by KO16
Losses4
Draws0

Rico Hoye (born November 9, 1974) is an American professional boxer who currently competes in the Cruiserweight division. He resides Phoenix, Arizona, and is a former number one ranked light heavyweight contender (IBF) and a former world title challenger in the light heavyweight division. Hoye was a Cruiserweight division contestant in the fourth season of the Contender, boxing three 5-round bouts and one 8-round bout on Versus, winning three. [1]

Contents

Early life and professional career

Hoye was raised in Monroe, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan. His father, Bobby Hoye (1951–1996) was a professional super middleweight contender. Rico was raised by his grandfather Robert Hoye (1930–1999) a United States Army and Golden Gloves middleweight boxer. Both his father and grandfather brought him to the gym as an infant and he first competed at 7 years old. As a teenager, he was trained by his grandfather, and he was able to amass a 68-12 amateur record, including junior Olympic titles and Golden Gloves titles in Toledo and Detroit, and was hopeful for an opportunity to make the 1992 Olympic team. At that time, however, his grandfather was injured and wasn't able to train him and he strayed from the sport and became involved in street activity around his Detroit neighborhood. In a 1992 altercation at 17 years old, he shot and killed someone and spent 9 years in prison. While in prison, both his father and grandfather died. Upon his release from prison, he immediately began seriously training and was soon back in the ring competing. [2] [3]

Hoye made his professional debut in June 2001 with a third round stoppage of Omar Pucci in Michigan. Over the next two years, Hoye scored twelve consecutive wins. He won the vacant IBA Continental Light Heavyweight title by decisioning Prince Badi Ajamu over 12 rounds in June 2003.

Defenses and challenges

Hoye made three defenses of his IBA regional title. He defeated Etienne Whitaker in October 2003, Donnell Wiggins in March 2004, and Montell Griffin in September 2004 in a bout which was also an International Boxing Federation eliminator for a world title shot.

In March 2005, the 18-0 Hoye traveled to England to challenge Clinton Woods for the vacant IBF title, losing on a fifth-round technical knockout. [4] In May 2007, Hoye challenged unbeaten Romanian boxer Adrian Diaconu for the WBC International light heavyweight title, an eliminator for the full WBC world title, and lost when the fight was stopped in the 3rd round. [5]

Contender

In late 2008, Hoye moved up to the cruiserweight division to compete in the fourth season of the boxing reality show, The Contender. [6] [7]

Hoye defeated Mike Alexander and Joell Godfrey by decision in separate five round bouts. In the semifinal, Hoye lost by unanimous decision to Ehinomen Ehikhamenor of Nigeria. In February 2009, Hoye defeated Akinyemi Laleye by 8 round unanimous decision to win third place in the televised competition. [8]

Return from retirement

Hoye, who lived in Los Angeles and then Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and children, operated a boxing and fitness gym in Phoenix during his four years of inactivity, working with clients on physical conditioning, including training such professional athletes as baseball player Troy O'Leary and football running back Marcel Shipp. Hoye has also sparred with heavyweights Wladimir Klitschko and Chris Arreola.

Hoye returned to the ring on November 2, 2013, at heavyweight with a 1st-round TKO of Brandon Winner and then lost by unanimous decision to cruiserweight contender Lucasz Janik in Poland June 28, 2014.

Professional boxing record

24 Wins (16 knockouts, 8 decisions), 4 Losses (2 knockouts, 2 decisions)
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes
Loss26-2 Flag of Poland.svg Łukasz Janik UD1006/28/2014 Flag of Poland.svg Hala na Podpromiu, Rzeszów, Poland
Win3-8 Flag of the United States.svg Brandon WinnerTKO111/02/2013 Flag of the United States.svg Potawatomi Bingo Casino, Milwaukee comeback at heavyweight after 4 year and 9 month layoff
Win12-2 Flag of Nigeria.svg Akinyemi Laleye UD802/25/2009 Flag of the United States.svg Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Connecticut Contender Season 4 3rd Place Fight . 79-72, 79-72, 79-72.
Loss14-3 Flag of Nigeria.svg Ehinomen Ehikhamenor UD502/18/2009 Flag of Singapore.svg 45-50, 47-48, 46-49.
Win9-1-1 Flag of the United States.svg Joell GodfreyUD502/11/2009 Flag of Singapore.svg 50-44, 49-45, 48-46.
Win12-2 Flag of the United States.svg Mike AlexanderUD501/12/2009 Flag of Singapore.svg 49-46, 48-47, 49-46.
Loss23-0 Flag of Romania.svg Adrian Diaconu TKO305/09/2007 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Studio Mel's, Montreal WBC International/TAB Light Heavyweight Titles. WBC World Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator. Referee stopped the bout at 0:32 of the third round.
Win17-6-1 Flag of the United States.svg Sam "Punching Policeman" HillTKO1011/10/2006 Flag of the United States.svg Quiet Cannon, Montebello, California Referee stopped the bout at 2:15 of the tenth round.
Win23-23-3 Flag of the United States.svg Derrick WhitleyUD612/10/2005 Flag of the United States.svg Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut 59-55, 59-55, 60-54.
Loss36-3-1 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Clinton Woods TKO503/04/2005 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Magna Centre, Rotherham, Yorkshire IBF World Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 2:59 of the fifth round.
Win46-4 Flag of the United States.svg Montell Griffin SD1209/16/2004 Flag of the United States.svg Kewadin Casino, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan IBA Continental Light Heavyweight Title. IBF World Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator. 116-112, 113-115, 116-112.
Win27-4 Flag of Jamaica.svg Richard Hall KO405/15/2004 Flag of the United States.svg Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas IBF World Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator. Hall knocked out at 1:10 of the fourth round.
Win20-3-2 Flag of the United States.svg Donnell WigginsTKO103/18/2004 Flag of the United States.svg Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, California WBO NABO/WBC Continental Americas/IBA Continental Light Heavyweight Titles. Referee stopped the bout at 2:38 of the first round.
Win15-58-3 Flag of the United States.svg Marris VirgilKO112/12/2003 Flag of the United States.svg Ford Community Center, Dearborn, Michigan Virgil knocked out at 1:12 of the first round.
Win29-10-2 Flag of the United States.svg Etianne WhitakerTKO210/11/2003 Flag of the United States.svg The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan WBO NABO/IBA Continental Light Heavyweight Titles. Referee stopped the bout at 1:22 of the second round.
Win15-0-1 Flag of the United States.svg Prince Badi Ajamu UD1206/05/2003 Flag of the United States.svg State Theatre, Detroit IBA Continental Light Heavyweight Title. 118-109, 117-110, 118-109.
Win10-16-3 Flag of the United States.svg Tyrone MuexTKO304/24/2003 Flag of the United States.svg Grand Casino Gulfport, Gulfport, Mississippi Referee stopped the bout at 1:22 of the third round.
Win19-9-2 Flag of Ecuador.svg Segundo Mercado TKO101/29/2003 Flag of the United States.svg Andiamo's Banquet Center, Warren, Michigan Referee stopped the bout at 2:16 of the first round.
Win5-1-1 Flag of the United States.svg Ayodeji FadeyiTKO111/02/2002 Flag of the United States.svg The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Referee stopped the bout at 1:47 of the first round.
Win18-8-2 Flag of the United States.svg "Mr. Everything" Greg WrightUD809/27/2002 Flag of the United States.svg The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Win11-5-2 Flag of the United States.svg George KlinesmithTKO206/08/2002 Flag of the United States.svg Pyramid Arena, Memphis, Tennessee Referee stopped the bout at 1:40 of the second round.
Win15-34-2 Flag of the United States.svg Ruben RuizTKO204/19/2002 Flag of the United States.svg Auburn Hills, Michigan
Win32-38 Flag of the United States.svg Kenny SnowUD601/31/2002 Flag of the United States.svg The Roostertail, Detroit
Win1-12 Flag of the United States.svg Conley PersonKO101/22/2002 Flag of the United States.svg Andiamo's Banquet Center, Detroit Person knocked out at 1:21 of the first round.
Win1-5-2 Flag of the United States.svg Vidal MiddlebrookTKO112/21/2001 Flag of the United States.svg Youngstown, Ohio
Win13-46-3 Flag of the United States.svg Marris VirgilKO211/23/2001 Flag of the United States.svg The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Virgil knocked out at 1:09 of the second round.
Win3-3-1 Flag of the United States.svg Percel BanksTKO308/10/2001 Flag of the United States.svg Cobo Hall, Detroit Referee stopped the bout at 2:59 of the third round.
Win3-0 Flag of the United States.svg Omar PucciTKO306/20/2001 Flag of the United States.svg Andiamo's Banquet Center, Warren, Michigan Referee stopped the bout at 2:59 of the third round.

Related Research Articles

Carlos De León, also known as "Sugar" De Leon, was a Puerto Rican boxer who made history by becoming the first cruiserweight to win the world title twice. Subsequently, he kept breaking his own record for the most times as cruiserweight champion by regaining the title on two further occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evander Holyfield</span> American boxer (born 1962)

Evander Holyfield is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiserweight in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s, and was the only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes in the "three-belt era", a feat later surpassed by Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk, who became two-weight undisputed champions in the four-belt era. Nicknamed "the Real Deal", Holyfield is the only four-time world heavyweight champion, having held the unified World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles from 1990 to 1992, the WBA and IBF titles again from 1993 to 1994, the WBA title a third time from 1996 to 1999; the IBF title a third time from 1997 to 1999 and the WBA title for a fourth time from 2000 to 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vassiliy Jirov</span> Kazakhstani boxer (born 1974)

Vassiliy Valeryevich Jirov, sometimes known as Vasily Zhirov, is a Kazakhstani former professional boxer who competed from 1997 to 2009, and held the IBF cruiserweight title from 1999 to 2003. As an amateur he won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics, as well as consecutive bronzes at the 1993 and 1995 World Championships, all in the light heavyweight division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boxing in the 1980s</span> Overview of boxing in the 1980s

Boxing in the 1980s was filled with important fights, events and personalities that shaped the sport. Boxing in the 1980s was shaped by many different situations, such as the continuous corporate battles between the different world sanctioning organizations, the void left by Muhammad Ali as the sport's ambassador and consequent search for a new boxing hero, the continuous presence of Don King as the sport's most famous promoter, the surge of rival promoters as Bob Arum, Butch Lewis and Murad Muhammad, and major rule changes. In 1986, Mike Tyson emerged as a fresh new face in the heavyweight division, which had seen a decline in champion quality level after Ali's retirement and, later on, after longtime WBC ruler Larry Holmes' prime. In addition, the IBF and WBO began operating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Toney</span> American boxer (born 1968)

James Nathaniel Toney is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2017. He held multiple world championships in three weight classes, including the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and lineal middleweight titles from 1991 to 1993, the IBF super middleweight title from 1993 to 1994, and the IBF cruiserweight title in 2003. Toney also challenged twice for a world heavyweight title in 2005 and 2006, and was victorious the first time but was later stripped due to a failed drug test. Overall, he competed in fifteen world title fights across four weight classes.

Dwight Muhammad Qawi is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1978 to 1998. He was a world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC and Ring magazine light heavyweight titles from 1981 to 1983, and the WBA cruiserweight title from 1985 to 1986. Qawi was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Tarver</span> American boxer

Antonio Deon Tarver is an American former professional boxer and boxing commentator. In boxing he competed from 1997 to 2015, and held multiple light heavyweight world championships, including the WBA (Unified), WBC, IBF and Ring magazine titles, as well as the IBO light heavyweight and cruiserweight titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Marc Mormeck</span> French professional boxer from Guadeloupe

Jean-Marc Gilbert Mormeck is a French former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2014. He is a two-time unified world cruiserweight champion, having held the WBA, WBC and The Ring world titles twice between 2005 and 2007. He was the first boxer to hold unified cruiserweight title since Evander Holyfield in 1988, and the first fighter to hold The Ring cruiserweight title since Carlos De León in 1987. He was ranked by BoxRec as the world's top 10 cruiserweight from 2001 to 2005 and in 2007, and was ranked No.1 in 2003 and 2004. Mormeck also challenged for the unified world heavyweight title in 2012.

O'Neil Bell was a Jamaican professional boxer who competed from 1998 to 2011. He held the undisputed cruiserweight title in 2006 and the lineal cruiserweight title from 2006 to 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Dawson</span> American boxer

Chad Dawson is an American former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2019. He held multiple world championships at light heavyweight, and was one of the most highly regarded boxers in that weight class between 2006 and 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomasz Adamek</span> Polish boxer

Tomasz "Tomek" Adamek is a Polish former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2018. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBC light heavyweight title from 2005 to 2007, and the IBF and The Ring magazine cruiserweight titles from 2008 to 2009. He also held the IBO cruiserweight title in 2007, and challenged once for the WBC heavyweight title in 2011. BoxRec ranks Adamek as the third greatest Polish boxer of all time, pound for pound. He is the first Polish boxer to win The Ring title.

Montell Julian Griffin is an American former professional boxer. He held the WBC light heavyweight title in 1997 and challenged twice for a world title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrian Diaconu</span> Romanian boxer

Adrian Diaconu is a Romanian former professional boxer who competed from 2001 to 2011 and is now teaching at the University of Minnesota. He held the WBC light-heavyweight title from 2008 to 2009. As an amateur he won a silver medal in the middleweight division at the 1999 World Championships and bronze in the light-middleweight division at the 1997 World Championships. Diaconu was born in Ploieşti, Romania, but fought out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada for almost his entire professional career.

Boxing in the 2010s includes notable events about boxing which occurred between 2010 and 2019. The decade saw high intensity action in the welterweight division. The match between veterans Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao broke PPV records. The broadcast of the fight in the Philippines was watched by nearly half the country's households. Mayweather retired at a record 50-0-0 while Pacquiao became the first eight division champion. The middleweight division saw immense action in the later years of the decade. After a draw in 2017, Canelo Alvarez ended Gennady Golovkin's long reign in 2018. The heavyweight division was dominated by Klitschko brothers before Wladimir's loss to Tyson Fury in 2015. Other talents that emerged were Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and undisputed cruiserweight champion Oleksander Usyk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Pascal vs. Bernard Hopkins II</span> Boxing competition

Jean Pascal vs. Bernard Hopkins II, billed as Dynasty II, was a professional boxing match contested on May 21, 2011, for the WBC, IBO, and The Ring light heavyweight championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson</span> Boxing competition

Bernard Hopkins vs. Chad Dawson was a boxing match contested for the WBC and The Ring light heavyweight championships.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest Mateen</span> American boxer (1966–2012)

Ernest Mateen, nicknamed 'M-16', was a United States and IBU Cruiserweight (boxing) champion. He was shot to death by his wife in a case of probable self-defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Jones Jr. vs. Mike McCallum</span> Boxing competition

Roy Jones Jr. vs. Mike McCallum, billed as Fire on Ice, was a professional boxing match contested on November 22, 1996 for the interim WBC light heavyweight championship. It was Jones' first fight in the light heavyweight division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Light (boxer)</span> New Zealand amateur boxer

David Light is a New Zealand professional boxer. As an amateur, he competed in the men's heavyweight division at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he won the silver medal against Canada's Samir El-Mais. Professionally, Light is a former WBO World Crusierweight title contender, where he fought Lawrence Okolie in March 2023.

References

  1. "Boxrec | Rico Hoye professional record". Archived from the original on 2012-10-08. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  2. "Rico Hoye talks career from streaking light-heavy, being frozen out an". Archived from the original on 2016-08-17. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  3. "Promoter Gary Shaw bio page for Hoye". Archived from the original on 2015-02-16. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
  4. "BBC Sport | Woods finally lands world title". Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  5. "Saddoboxing | Diaconu hammers Hoye in thrilling fight". Archived from the original on 2011-04-05. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  6. "Versus | The Contender on Versus". Archived from the original on 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
  7. Boxing scene | Hoye looks for career revival with Contender
  8. "Fightnews.com | Hoye tops Laleye in semi-final". Archived from the original on 2009-02-28. Retrieved 2009-02-27.