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| '''Dariusz Michalczewski''' (born ], ]) is one of the most successful, if somewhat controversial, ] champions of recent years. As of July ], Michalczewski has not lost a single fight in his professional career, yet many critics say he hasn't been strongly tested. | '''Dariusz Michalczewski''' (born ], ]) is one of the most successful, if somewhat controversial, ] champions of recent years. As of July ], Michalczewski has not lost a single fight in his professional career, yet many critics say he hasn't been strongly tested. | ||
| A native of ], Michalczewski came up through ]'s state-run sports program as a boy and had a successful amateur career before turning professional in ]. Fighting mostly in neighboring ], he began piling up wins and was soon signed by ], one of the leading boxing promoters in ]. His aggressive style earned him the nickname ''The Tiger''. | A native of ], ], Michalczewski came up through ]'s state-run sports program as a boy and had a successful amateur career before turning professional in ]. Fighting mostly in neighboring ], he began piling up wins and was soon signed by ], one of the leading boxing promoters in ]. His aggressive style earned him the nickname ''The Tiger''. | ||
| He won the German national light heavyweight (175-pound) title early in ] and added an ] regional belt later that year. Finally, on ], ], Michalczewski captured the ] world light heavyweight title with a 12-round decision over Leeonzer Barber. | He won the German national light heavyweight (175-pound) title early in ] and added an ] regional belt later that year. Finally, on ], ], Michalczewski captured the ] world light heavyweight title with a 12-round decision over Leeonzer Barber. | ||
Revision as of 18:13, 7 July 2003
Dariusz Michalczewski (born May 5, 1968) is one of the most successful, if somewhat controversial, boxing champions of recent years. As of July 2003, Michalczewski has not lost a single fight in his professional career, yet many critics say he hasn't been strongly tested.
A native of Gdansk, Poland, Michalczewski came up through Poland's state-run sports program as a boy and had a successful amateur career before turning professional in 1991. Fighting mostly in neighboring Germany, he began piling up wins and was soon signed by Universum Boxing Promotions, one of the leading boxing promoters in Europe. His aggressive style earned him the nickname The Tiger.
He won the German national light heavyweight (175-pound) title early in 1993 and added an IBF regional belt later that year. Finally, on September 10, 1994, Michalczewski captured the WBO world light heavyweight title with a 12-round decision over Leeonzer Barber.
Since then, Michalczewski has made 23 successful defenses of his WBO title and has picked up three other belts along the way. Three months after beating Barber, he won the WBO's cruiserweight (190-pound) title with a knockout of Nestor Giovannini. However, he soon gave up that title to continue campaigning as a light heavyweight.
On June 13, 1997, he won recognition by many as the world's top light heavyweight when he outpointed Virgil Hill over 12 rounds to add Hill's WBA and IBF titles to his own. However, Michalczewski soon lost both titles. The WBA stripped him for displaying its belt along with that of the WBO, an organization it doesn't recognize. The IBF did so a few weeks later, when Michalczewski refused to defend his title against a mandatory challenger within 30 days.
Since beating Hill, Michalczewski has knocked out all 14 of his opponents, fighting only as the WBO champion. However, he has drawn some criticism for never fighting outside Germany, and also for never facing Roy Jones Jr.. Right after Michalczewski beat Hill, Jones moved up to light heavyweight and began to methodically capture each of the other three major belts in the division. Boxing fans began to clamor for the two men to meet one another in the ring, but it never happened. Universum was reluctant to make a fight for Michalczewski outside Germany. Jones, meanwhile still harbors bad memories of being robbed of a gold medal in the 1988 Olympic Games and prefers to fight only in his native United States.
Even without facing Jones, Michalczewski has posted some impressive victories, including those over Hill and former world champions Graciano Rocchigiani and Montell Griffin. With a current record of 48 wins and no losses, he is within one victory of tying Rocky Marciano's all-time record for an undefeated record by a world championship boxer. Many believe, if he doesn't get an opportunity to fight Jones, that he will retire after breaking the record.
He currently holds the record for the most successful title defenses without a loss. He set the new mark on December 15, 2001 when he knocked out Richard Hall in his 20th defense.