Obituary Photos Honoring Trevor Berbick - Tributes.com They beat Berbick with a crowbar and a pipe, leaving him mortally wounded on a dirt path. Essentially banished from America, Ali took his circus act offshore, to the Bahamas, roughly 50 miles from the Florida coast. Berbicks dominance was such that he occasionally barked at the old champion. San Jose, CA 95112. Ali had carried boxing in America, almost-singlehandedly, in the 1970s but the early 1980s was a great time. FORMER world heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick became another name on the long list of boxing's tragic figures when he was hacked to death in a Jamaican churchyard. He later had legal problems, including convictions for sexual assault, grand theft and burglary, that led to his being deported from the United States to his native Jamaica. Ali seemed fine with it and I didnt remember feeling sad for him. The more energetic Berbick bounded into the squared circle four minutes later and as he danced around the ring a stony Ali ignored him instead of launching into his usual pre-fight antics. Berbick, whose contempt was now replaced by compassion, yelled at Clayton to stop the fight but the onetime Harlem Globetrotter held firm and allowed the battering to continue. The Brutal Murder of Former Heavyweight Champion Trevor Berbick Eventually, Berbick spent 15 months in prison. A decision over undefeated Greg Page seven months later seemed to solidify Berbick as a legitimate contender, but consecutive losses to Renaldo Snipes and cruiserweight ST Gordon reversed his momentum and branded him a journeyman. Why Michael Spinks Didnt Want to Leave His Dressing Room to Fight Mike Tyson. Even a late flurry of body shots from Berbick couldnt negate Alis good work in the first three minutes, which saw Ali throw 66 punches to Berbicks 41 and out-land him 16-12 overall as well as 7-2 in jabs. But that wasnt Berbicks only crime that year. "I have no age.". Tel: 408-998-2226. Funeral Home; Death of Trevor Berbick. A mad scramble ensued before police officers could separate the impromptu combatants. Just three years earlier in New Orleans, a 36-year-old Ali made good on his promise to dance for nearly all 15 rounds in regaining the title from Leon Spinks. He was brutalized in that fight and he wouldnt quit. His breakdown began in the autumn of 1990 when he was arrested for assaulting a man he believed had been courting his wife, Nadine. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. He tried convincing U.S. commissions that Ali was still fit to fight, but none gave their consent. In Halifax, Berbick developed a local following and lumbered his way to an 11-0 record before facing Colombian mauler Bernardo Mercado. Former world and Canadian heavyweight boxing champion Trevor Berbick was found dead Saturday morning in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, with chop wounds to his head in an apparent homicide, police said. Now, the whirlwind that was known as The Ali Circus was about to fold up its tents and ride into the sunset, once and forever. Berbick, always a rebel at heart, had other things in mind. Trevor Berbick (1 August 1954 - 28 October 2006) was a Jamaican professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 2000. Ali wasnt punching and Berbick was taunting him. But as the round wore on, so did Ali. In 1997, after he had resumed his boxing career, Berbick was found guilty of violating his parole and deported from the U.S. to Canada. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Theyd drink and let off steam, and theyd fight anybody in the streets. Careening around a ring that seemed more like the playfield of a pinball machine designed by Playmatic or Bally Midway Night Rider, say, or Moon Flight seemed to shatter his already frail psyche. He fought in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, and stayed there to turn professional, winning his first 11 fights (10 by knockout) before losing for the first time to Bernardo Mercado in 1979. While Berbick never seriously threatened Holmes, he underscored his ruggedness and raised his profile enough to qualify for another significant payday. Thanks to the extraordinary access he had granted them, they not only knew Ali as a legendary athlete but also as a human being who experienced the full range of emotions and shared most of them with them. I dont know if that was the feeling after the Holmes fight probably it was, he took such a beating in that fight everybody figured there wouldnt be any more but this time everybody knew there would be no more. There was a brief pause after Tyson connected and then Berbick plummeted, seemingly in slow motion, and crashed onto his back. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Chop wounds to the head gave police a clear indication that this was a homicide and his 20-year-old nephew, Harold Berbick, and 18-year-old Kenton Gordon were picked up the next day. First, Im going to destroy all the devils, I mean the fighters, who stand between me and the unified heavyweight championship of the world, Berbick declaimed after beating Pinklon Thomas for the WBC title in 1986. Ali tried but was outworked by Berbick for most of the fight. Now operating under the umbrella of Sports Internationale Ltd., Cornelius put together a fight between Ali and onetime title challenger Trevor Berbick that was to be staged December 11, 1981 on Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Former Heavyweight Champ Trevor Berbick Found Dead After Suffering Thanks for signing up! His record was 50 wins (33 by knockout), 11 losses, and 1 draw. But while Hunsaker couldnt touch the whippet-quick teen-age gold medalist, Berbick feasted on the geriatric shell that remained. In retrospect, all of us had done our mourning after the Holmes fight. Legal Statement. How dare he try to play with Alis mind? There are claims he fell foul of the Mafia. Harold Berbick and an 18-year-old man from the. In that round Berbick out-threw Ali 89-28 overall (including 72-9 power) and out-landed him 41-8 overall and 39-1 power. There was an error deleting this problem. As the crowd chanted Alis name, Berbick gestured with his gloves as if to say why are you cheering him? Harold Berbick had been involved in a land dispute with his uncle. Trevor Berbick vs. Mike Tyson - Wikipedia Just as he had against Weaver a few months earlier, Tate opened a wide lead before imploding late. More in News . Berbick, a 27-year-old Jamaican fighting out of Canada, was rated fourth by the WBA and sported a 19-2-1 record that included 17 knockouts. 387 Trevor Berbick Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images God raised me up for a purpose! He then headed west to British Columbia to attempt a boxing comeback, despite thewarrant for his arrest in Florida. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. Berbick's body was discovered about 6:30 a.m. in his hometown parish of Portland, constable Beverly Howell said. Berbick made his professional boxing debut at the age of 22 on September 27, 1976. Berbick continued to fight, with his final bout being a 2000 win over Canadian journeyman Shane Sutcliffe. 0 cemeteries found in Norwich, Portland, Jamaica. Harold Berbick would be convicted of the murder and given a life sentence while Gordon was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to 14 years in prison. The punishment Berbick dished out was extraordinary. She was the second . Berbick won the WBC world heavyweight title by upsetting Pinklon Thomas in March, 1986. Try again later. After this fight a CAT scan revealed a blood clot on Berbick's brain, and his boxing license was revoked. Steve Farhood, elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017, was also in the room, a room that stirred feelings of unworthiness. The bludgeoning Ali received from Holmes should have resulted in the end of his career, and when he surrendered his boxing license to the Nevada State Athletic Commission in late December and promised not to pursue reinstatement it certainly looked as if that was the case. The 548th round of Alis 21-year professional career started as the first against Tunney Hunsaker had on his toes, using the jab and firing right hands over the top. Brentwood Obituaries | Local Obits for Brentwood, CA - Legacy.com All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. After that, I figured I had a shot at being a pretty good fighter., From Guantanamo Bay, Berbick returned to Port Antonio, and, after one walkover after another, he eventually wound up representing Jamaica in the Montreal Olympics without having thrown a single punch. The fight went the distance with Berbick winning through a unanimous decision on points. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Former Canadian heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick was found dead Saturday in Kingston, Jamaica, according to police. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Include gps location with grave photos where possible. But I learned a little martial arts from the Special Forces and handled him pretty well. I dont remember if Ali started punching him at that point, but Berbick was asserting his dominance and playing with Alis mind. Ali absorbed 43% of Berbicks total punches and 45% of his power shots while landing just 24% and 26% respectively. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. TREVOR BERBICK, who reigned briefly as the WBC heavyweight champion in 1986, left behind one of the strangest legacies in boxing history: for being the last man Muhammad Ali faced in the ring,. Thats the story everyone knows. Nephew Is Convicted in the Death of Trevor Berbick, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/22/sports/othersports/22berbick.html. Berbick's body was found on Saturday in a church courtyard with wounds to the back of his head. Ali's final pro bout was a 10-round non-title affair against Canadian contender Trevor Berbick. He later reentered the US and worked as a trainer and coach. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. On October 28, 2006, after a night out at a bar, Berbick was on his way back home when he was ambushed by two men in the darkness. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Though Berbick was believed to be 52, according to boxing records, other reports said he was as old as 56 or as young as 49. Berbick might have believed his words, but when he got the chance to dominate inside the ring he took it with both hands. Trevor Berbick - BoxRec You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. Today, of course, Guantanamo Bay is notorious for its U.S. detention camp, but in the early 1970s, it was primarily known as a military base. His 20 year old nephew Harold Berbick and Kenton Gordon, an 18 year old friend of Harold's were charged with the crime. In December 1991, Berbick was charged with grand theft and mortgage fraud, just a few days before he lost a farcical boxer-wrestler match to Nobuhiko Takada in Japan. And dont forget: I was coming to the Bahamas off Leonard-Hearns. A crowd of more than 10,000 horrified fans gathered at the Halifax Metro Centre on April 3, 1979, to see Berbick plunge to the canvas, unconscious, after absorbing a booming overhand to the jaw in the first round. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Norma "Jean" Sooter. I ended up beating the All-Marine heavyweight champ and winning the service tournament. The fight was shown on closed circuit television and was available to about three million homes in the United States . Cornelius persisted, and eventually he found a place willing to stage an Ali fight. The promoters just didnt understand the details. After Holmes left to conduct a TV interview, Berbick (who'd lost to Holmes by unanimous decision in a WBC title fight 10 years prior), claimed to the media that the boxer had been involved in the break-up of his marriage. The ploy had convinced the likes of Frazier, Shavers and Spinks to throttle down their attacks but Berbick did what they should have done: Hit Ali even more. Chapel Of Flowers Obituaries & Services In San Jose, Ca This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Tyson bombarded Berbick throughout the round, and with only a handful of seconds left, he landed a right hand that sent Berbick lurching. He won the title via unanimous decision but wouldnt hold onto it for very long. He turned pro that fall and went on to win 18 of his first 20 professional fights (one loss, one draw), earning him a shot at Larry Holmes heavyweight crown in April 1981. Anyone can read what you share. Family members linked to this person will appear here. The onetime Ali Circus appeared flat emotionally, for they knew Ali had shown woeful energy throughout the 11-week training cycle. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. 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