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Ronnie Shields (born June 6, 1958 in Port Arthur, Texas) is a former professional boxer in the featherweight division and is currently a boxing trainer.
Shields had a stellar amateur career. In 1974 he was the National Junior Olympics Featherweight champion. In 1975 he was the National Golden Gloves Featherweight champion. In 1976 and 1978 he was the National Golden Gloves Light welterweight champion.
Shields intended to fly on LOT Polish Airlines Flight 7, where several of his teammates would later be killed, but got sick. His trainer said:
That was close. Ronnie was supposed to be on the trip. He was confirmed. The team officials called Monday to give me the itinerary and that's when I had to tell them he was too sick to go." [1]
Both some amateur results and pro results can be found at www.boxrec.com/ under his boxing name Ronnie Shields.
Shields turned pro in 1980. After winning 14 out of his first 15 bouts, Shields fought tougher competition and defeated tough journeymen like Pete Podgorski and contender Saoul Mamby. Then, in 1984 Shields challenged Billy Costello for the WBC light welterweight title, but lost a decision. In 1986 he took on Tsuyoshi Hamada in Japan for the WBC light welterweight title, but lost a split decision. He retired in 1988.
After his boxing career, Shields has become a prominent trainer in the sport. He works out of the Plex Boxing Gym in Stafford, Texas. Among the fighters he has worked with are:
His current stable includes:
Juan Laporte, also known as Juan La Porte is a former boxer who was born in Guayama, Puerto Rico. In 1982, La Porte won the vacant WBC featherweight title, forcing undefeated Colombian Mario "Martillo" Miranda to quit on his stool. Throughout his 22-year-long career, La Porte fought some of the greatest fighters of each decade, including Hall of Fame members Salvador Sanchez, Eusebio Pedroza, Azumah Nelson, Wilfredo Gomez, Barry McGuigan, Kostya Tszyu & Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. He retired in 1999 with a record of 40–11, with many of his losses being highly competitive, and sometimes controversial, affairs.
Tony Craig Tucker is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 1998. He won the IBF heavyweight title in 1987, and was the shortest-reigning world heavyweight champion at just 64 days. In an interview with Barry Tompkins, he referred to himself as the "invisible champion," due to the press and general public largely neglecting him. He is best known for giving Mike Tyson in his prime a relatively close fight, in which he, in words of Larry Merchant, "rocked Tyson" in the first round. However, Tyson went on to win a unanimous decision. As an amateur, he won the 1979 United States national championships, the 1979 World Cup, and a gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games, all in the light heavyweight division.
Billy Costello was a professional boxer in the United States.
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