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Pinklon Thomas | |
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Born | (1958-02-10) February 10, 1958 (age 66) Pontiac, Michigan, U.S. |
Nationality | American |
Other names | Pink |
Statistics | |
Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
Height | 6 ft 3 in (191 cm) |
Reach | 77 in (196 cm) |
Stance | Orthodox |
Boxing record | |
Total fights | 51 |
Wins | 43 |
Wins by KO | 34 |
Losses | 7 |
Draws | 1 |
Pinklon Thomas (born February 10, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1978ββto 1993. He was boxing's first 'Centennial Champion' (1886-1986) and held theββWBC heavyweight title from 1984 to 1986. He is often regarded as one of the "best boxers of his generation." He scored notable victories over former heavyweight champions such as Mike Weaver, Tim Witherspoon, James Tillis and future cruiserweight champion Alfonso Ratliff. He also fought to a draw with future WBA Heavyweight Champion Gerrie Coetzee. Thomas' distinguishing characteristics were his pink boxing trunks and a powerful left jab.
Early lifeβ»
A native of Pontiac, Michigan, who also lived on military bases in South Carolina and Washington, Thomas eventually settled in Orlando, Florida.
Professional careerβ»
Thomas turned professional after just three amateur fights.
Thomas took on a number of contenders and champions before his first championship; After a win over multiple time world title challenger James Tillis, in 1983, "Thomas took Gerrie Coetzee to a draw," who later that year won the WBA heavyweight belt. And defeated the eventual WBC cruiserweight champion, "Alfonso Ratliff By 1984," with a record of 24β0β1, he would get his first world title shot against reigning WBC heavyweight champion Tim Witherspoon in August 1984, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thomas won the WBC Heavyweight Championship with a hard-fought 12-round battle over "Terrible" Witherspoon. Ten months later, he defended his title against ex-champion Mike Weaver, stopping Weaver with a single punch in the eighth round. Thomas lost the WBC title to Trevor Berbick in March 1986 by a decision.
Thomas vs. Tysonβ»
Thomas came back and reeled off three ko wins before setting up a May 1987 challenge to WBC and WBA Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. Although Thomas allegedly took the fight with a serious shoulder injury, he enjoyed success outjabbing Tyson. After a long break for a torn glove, action resumed in the 6th round in which Tyson had regained his energy and "Tyson knocked Thomas out with a brutal fifteen punch salvo," knocking the extremely durable Thomas down for the first and only time in his career. Although he got up inside the count, the fight was waved off.
Later careerβ»
Thomas went in and out of retirement over the following years, taking fights against top contenders.
In December 1988 he returned from a 19-month layoff to fight #1 heavyweight contender Evander Holyfield. Thomas looked rusty as he was outmatched over 7 rounds, and the fight was stopped. Long-time trainer Angelo Dundee advised Thomas to retire and stopped working with him.
Thomas returned in 1990 to outpoint Curtis Isaac over 10 rounds, before being outpointed himself by the erratic and unpredictable Mike "The Bounty" Hunter. A few months later he fought Riddick Bowe and pulled out after 8 rounds. Bowe would go on to defeat Holyfield and become undisputed world heavyweight champion.
In February 1991 he took on hard hitting heavyweight Tommy Morrison but was cut and shaken up in the opening round, and the fight was stopped in between rounds. Morrison went on to win the WBO belt.
Thomas attempted one final comeback in 1992, winning twelve fights before outpointing Craig Payne. In his final fight in January 1993 he was upset by journeyman "Poncho" Carter.
A comeback fight in 1999 with old foe Tim Witherspoon was not to be, because a fight with Larry Holmes for the winner could not be confirmed.
Retirementβ»
Thomas now has a foundation, Project P.I.N.K. (Pride in Neighborhood Kids), and is a motivational speaker.
Professional boxing recordβ»
51 fights | 43 wins | 7 losses |
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By knockout | 34 | 5 |
By decision | 9 | 2 |
Draws | 1 |
No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
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51 | Loss | 43β7β1 | Lawrence Carter | TKO | 7 (12), 0:47 | Jan 29, 1993 | Township Auditorium, Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. | Lost WBF (Federation) heavyweight title |
50 | Win | 43β6β1 | Craig Payne | SD | 12 | Nov 14, 1992 | Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. | Won inaugural IBO and WBF (Federation) heavyweight titles |
49 | Win | 42β6β1 | Mike Owens | TKO | 3 (10) | Oct 22, 1992 | Club Rogues, Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. | |
48 | Win | 41β6β1 | Dion Burgess | TKO | 5 (10), 2:06 | Oct 2, 1992 | Robarts Arena, Sarasota, Florida, U.S. | |
47 | Win | 40β6β1 | Kevin Nesbitt | KO | 1 (10) | Sep 25, 1992 | Adam's Mark Hotel, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | |
46 | Win | 39β6β1 | Frankie Hines | KO | 1 | Sep 19, 1992 | Bill Sapp Recreation Center, Lumberton, North Carolina, U.S. | |
45 | Win | 38β6β1 | Larry Beilfuss | KO | 1 (10) | Sep 5, 1992 | Howard Johnson Hotel and Conference Center, Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
44 | Win | 37β6β1 | Adolph Davis | KO | 1 (10) | Aug 22, 1992 | Denver, North Carolina, U.S. | |
43 | Win | 36β6β1 | Danny Wofford | UD | 10 | Aug 14, 1992 | Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. | |
42 | Win | 35β6β1 | James Smith | KO | 1 (10) | Aug 8, 1992 | Demopolis, Alabama, U.S. | |
41 | Win | 34β6β1 | Bobby Jones | TKO | 1 (10) | Aug 1, 1992 | Forest City, North Carolina, U.S. | |
40 | Win | 33β6β1 | Terry Miller | KO | 2 (10) | Jul 31, 1992 | Government House Hotel, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | |
39 | Win | 32β6β1 | Danny Sutton | UD | 10 | Jun 27, 1992 | Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. | |
38 | Win | 31β6β1 | Herman Jackson | KO | 3 (10), 1:44 | May 29, 1992 | Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. | |
37 | Loss | 30β6β1 | Tommy Morrison | RTD | 1 (10), 3:00 | Feb 19, 1991 | Kemper Arena, Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | |
36 | Loss | 30β5β1 | Riddick Bowe | RTD | 8 (10), 3:00 | Sep 7, 1990 | University Physical Activities Center, Washington, D.C., U.S. | |
35 | Loss | 30β4β1 | Mike Hunter | UD | 10 | Jun 12, 1990 | Fort Bragg, North Carolina, U.S. | |
34 | Win | 30β3β1 | Curtis Isaac | UD | 10 | May 23, 1990 | The Palace, Auburn Hills, Michigan, U.S. | |
33 | Loss | 29β3β1 | Evander Holyfield | RTD | 7 (10), 3:00 | Dec 9, 1988 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
32 | Loss | 29β2β1 | Mike Tyson | TKO | 6 (12), 2:00 | May 30, 1987 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | For WBA and WBC heavyweight titles |
31 | Win | 29β1β1 | Danny Sutton | TKO | 7 (10), 2:54 | Mar 7, 1987 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
30 | Win | 28β1β1 | William Hosea | TKO | 7 (10), 1:10 | Nov 22, 1986 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
29 | Win | 27β1β1 | Narcisco Maldonado | KO | 5 (10) | Oct 16, 1986 | Aguadilla, Puerto Rico | |
28 | Loss | 26β1β1 | Trevor Berbick | UD | 12 | Mar 22, 1986 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Lost WBC heavyweight title |
27 | Win | 26β0β1 | Mike Weaver | KO | 8 (12), 1:42 | Jun 15, 1985 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBC heavyweight title |
26 | Win | 25β0β1 | Tim Witherspoon | MD | 12 | Aug 31, 1984 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Won WBC heavyweight title |
25 | Win | 24β0β1 | Bruce Grandham | RTD | 5 (10), 0:01 | Jun 20, 1984 | Roberto Clemente Coliseum, San Juan, Puerto Rico | |
24 | Win | 23β0β1 | Leroy Boone | UD | 10 | Oct 27, 1983 | Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
23 | Win | 22β0β1 | Michael Greer | TKO | 5 (10), 1:15 | Sep 24, 1983 | Ice World, Totowa, New Jersey, U.S. | |
22 | Win | 21β0β1 | Alfonso Ratliff | TKO | 10 (10), 2:36 | Mar 26, 1983 | Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
21 | Draw | 20β0β1 | Gerrie Coetzee | MD | 10 | Jan 22, 1983 | Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
20 | Win | 20β0 | James Tillis | TKO | 8 (10), 0:58 | Aug 14, 1982 | Stouffer's Inn on the Square Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. | |
19 | Win | 19β0 | Jerry Williams | KO | 2 (10), 1:29 | Jul 3, 1982 | Ice World, Totowa, New Jersey, U.S. | |
18 | Win | 18β0 | Luis Acosta | RTD | 2 (10), 3:00 | May 23, 1982 | Tropicana, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
17 | Win | 17β0 | Johnny Warr | PTS | 8 | Jan 23, 1982 | Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
16 | Win | 16β0 | Curtis Whitner | KO | 2 (10) | Nov 25, 1981 | Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | |
15 | Win | 15β0 | Lee Mitchell | KO | 1 (10) | Apr 16, 1981 | Center Arena, Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
14 | Win | 14β0 | Jerry Williams | UD | 10 | Aug 28, 1980 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
13 | Win | 13β0 | Frank Brown | KO | 4 (10) | Jun 15, 1980 | Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan, U.S. | |
12 | Win | 12β0 | Jerry Williams | RTD | 5 (10), 3:00 | Feb 10, 1980 | Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. | |
11 | Win | 11β0 | Bobby Jordan | TKO | 5 (10), 3:00 | Dec 14, 1979 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
10 | Win | 10β0 | Leroy Caldwell | KO | 10 (10), 2:48 | Jul 18, 1979 | Silver Slipper, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
9 | Win | 9β0 | Willie Stoglin | TKO | 2 (10), 2:52 | Jul 2, 1979 | High School, Sedro-Woolley, Washington, U.S. | |
8 | Win | 8β0 | George Jerome | TKO | 2 (8), 1:20 | Jun 7, 1979 | Jantzen Beach Center, Portland, Oregon, U.S. | |
7 | Win | 7β0 | Lee Holloman | KO | 2 (10), 2:28 | May 23, 1979 | Silver Slipper, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
6 | Win | 6β0 | Foma Leota | KO | 2 (10) | Apr 26, 1979 | Center Arena, Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
5 | Win | 5β0 | Elmo Tex Henderson | TKO | 5 (10) | Apr 4, 1979 | Entertainment Trade and Recreation Arena, Billings, Montana, U.S. | |
4 | Win | 4β0 | Lew Lockwood | TKO | 4 (8) | Feb 20, 1979 | Center Arena, Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
3 | Win | 3β0 | Roger Braxton | TKO | 7 (8) | Jan 8, 1979 | Center Arena, Seattle, Washington, U.S. | |
2 | Win | 2β0 | Mustafa El Amin | TKO | 3 (6) | Oct 31, 1978 | Saint Martin's University Gym, Lacey, Washington, U.S. | |
1 | Win | 1β0 | Ken Arlt | SD | 6 | Aug 29, 1978 | Center Arena, Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
Referencesβ»
- ^ Goodpaster, Mike (2023-05-19). "Legendary Heavyweights: Top 10 Legendary Fighters of the 1980s". The Grueling Truth. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
- ^ "The Top Ranked Heavyweight Boxers of the 1980s". ainsworthsports.com. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
- ^ Berger, Phil (1987-05-29). "THOMAS PUTS THE PAST ASIDE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ^ "Archived copy". www.eastsideboxing.com. Archived from the original on 3 April 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External linksβ»
- Boxing record for Pinklon Thomas from BoxRec (registration required)
Sporting positions | ||||
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Minor world boxing titles | ||||
Inaugural champion | WBF (Federation) heavyweight champion November 14, 1992 β January 29, 1993 |
Succeeded by Lawrence Carter
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IBO heavyweight champion November 14, 1992 β January 1993 Vacated |
Vacant Title next held by Lionel Butler
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Major world boxing titles | ||||
Preceded by | WBC heavyweight champion August 31, 1984 β March 22, 1986 |
Succeeded by |
- 1958 births
- Living people
- Boxers from Michigan
- Sportspeople from Pontiac, Michigan
- World Boxing Council champions
- American male boxers
- African-American boxers
- World heavyweight boxing champions
- International Boxing Organization champions
- 21st-century African-American people
- 20th-century African-American sportspeople