What to know about the Nigerian Boxing Legend, Dick Tiger

Oru Leonard 

Former two-time world middleweight champion and light-heavyweight king, Dick Tiger was born Richard Ihetu at Amaigbo, Imo State in Nigeria, on August 14, 1929. Died at Aba on December 14, 1971.

He was taught how to box by British Army officers, he began to fight professionally in 1952.

At one of his fights, an Englishman named Bob Diamen watched the short, stocky Ihetu practically jump in the air to hit his opponent. What tenacity he thought, almost like a Tiger. “A tiger is what he is!” he shouted. Thus was born the sobriquet Dick Tiger.

Some of his early opponents were named Easy Dynamite, Mighty Joe, Lion Ring and Super Human Power. In 1955 he moved to England, where he won the British middleweight title.

As a boxer, Tiger was admired because of his warrior’s determination and quiet dignity.

“The thing about Dick Tiger,” the Garden matchmaker, Teddy Brenner, once said, “is that he has an honest heart and willing hands. If he gets beat, it’s only because the other guy was a better fighter that night. He usually gives away height and weight and age. But he never gives away heart.”

Tiger won the middleweight title from Gene Fullmer in 1962, but lost it to Joey Giardello the next year, in a 15-round decision that rankled him. He regained it from Giardello at the Garden in 1965, but he was dethroned by Emile Griffith there in 1966.

Moving into the light-heavyweight division, Tiger won that title from José Torres at the Garden, but lost it to Bob Foster, the current champion, in 1968 on a fourth-round knockout. It was Tiger’s only loss by a knockout in his 81-bout career.

“All the people I’ve knocked out,” he said softly that night. “Now I know how they felt.”

Tiger emigrated to Liverpool, England to pursue his boxing career and later to the United States. Tiger was Igbo and served as a Lieutenant in the Biafran army during the Nigerian Civil War, primarily training soldiers in hand to hand combat.

Tiger was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1991. The Ring magazine named him Fighter of the Year in 1962 and 1965, while the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named him Fighter of the Year in 1962 and 1966. In 1996, Tiger was voted as one of the best boxers of the 1960s, The later in 1998, Tiger was put in the book of “Best boxers of the 20th Century”. In 2002, Tiger was voted by The Ring magazine as the 31st greatest fighter of the last 80 years.[3] His first world title win in 1962 was ranked the 15th most memorable moment in Nigerian sports history since 1960 by Premium Times in 2020, the highest ranked combat sports-related moment.

Sources: Facebook, Wilkipedia.

Photo Credit: Google