These grim footnotes are hardly surprising when one considers that Berbick was an entrenched member of The Lost Generation of heavyweights, a motley, miserable, and morose collection of overweight and undermotivated malcontents who would eventually disintegrate in various blowouts of marijuana, cocaine, Colt 45, late-night revels, Twinkies and Whoppers. Trevor Berbick (1 August 1954 - 28 October 2006) was a Jamaican professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 2000. For $2.1m, Berbick signed a contract that put the entire blood sport concept of risk-and-reward in stark context: he agreed to defend his WBC title against the rampaging terror, Mike Tyson. 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. Tyson bombarded Berbick throughout the round, and with only a handful of seconds left, he landed a right hand that sent Berbick lurching. Heavyweight Boxing Champion. Make sure that the file is a photo. 471 E. Santa Clara Street. Jurors deliberated for just two hours before finding the former champion guilty of raping a 26-year-old woman that worked as a babysitter for the Berbick family. Larry Holmes on Trevor Berbick Murdered by Nephew: He Deserved It (Flashback) djvlad 5.38M subscribers 507K views 4 months ago In this VladTV Flashback from 2020, Larry Holmes opens about. I know its the end. 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. In retrospect, all of it was wishful thinking. Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick, billed as "Drama in Bahama", was a ten-round boxing match that took place in Nassau, Bahamas on December 11, 1981. Things got worse the next year when Berbick, who was living in Florida, was convicted of raping a family babysitter and sentenced to four years in prison. Heavyweight hope Jared Anderson does not want to be famous but realises that is a necessity if hes to realise his dreams for both himself and his brother, Kevin Lerena explains to Thomas Gerbasi how a call from Frank Warren convinced him to pack his bags, Dillian Whyte is coming off the most convincing defeat of his career and tragedy in his personal life. Nephew Is Convicted in the Death of Trevor Berbick, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/22/sports/othersports/22berbick.html. Berbick continued to fight, with his final bout being a 2000 win over Canadian journeyman Shane Sutcliffe. The fight was competitive enough where I was hoping he was going to do it, he said in a July 2017 phone interview. He's one of just two boxers to fight both Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, the other being Larry Holmes, and was a big part of an often-overlooked era in the sport in the early 1980s. Referee Zach Clayton, who counted Foreman out the night Ali regained the title, delivered the final instructions. To use this feature, use a newer browser. 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. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Trevor Berbick (16356139)? This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. In 1991, Berbick was convicted of misdemeanor assault for attacking his former business manager, who testified the boxer put a gun to her head and accused her of stealing money from him. In his very first title defense exactly eight months later, he was viciously knocked out in the second round by 20-year-old Mike Tyson, who became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. It wasnt to be. He had been living in Norwich district, a remote, farming community, in Portland parish, since 2002. They were convicted in December, 2007, and sentenced to life in prison. In the final 90 seconds Berbick climbed all over Ali and attempted to put him away, but Ali, though imprisoned by age, excess weight and physical deterioration, still had enough savvy and toughness to make it to the final bell. 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. The bout was Ali's last in a career that spanned three decades. Theres absolutely no evidence that Muhammad has sustained any injury to any vital organ brain, liver, kidneys, heart, lungs nervous system, or muscle or bone systems, Dr. Demopoulos said in William Nacks Sports Illustrated story. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. For Berbick, the loss was humiliating. Also, 65% of his landed punches versus Berbick were jabs, with the CompuBox average being 28%. On November 26, 1986, Berbick squared off against Tyson at the Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas. After Holmes I had excuses: I was too light, I didnt breathe right. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. INSIDE THE NUMBERS: In his Last Hurrah, Ali, approaching his 40th birthday, landed an average of 8.4 jabs per round, 3.1 more per round than the heavyweight average. (8) Ali and his retinue knew full well that the string that Ali had played the past few years was frayed and nearing disintegration. His 20 year old nephew Harold Berbick and Kenton Gordon, an 18 year old friend of Harold's were charged with the crime. The fights opening seconds yielded an encouraging sign for Ali fans because in walking out of the corner, firing three soft jabs and landing with an overhand right, he already showed more life than he had in most of the Holmes bout. (2) While the exotic locale stacked up well with other Ali fight sites, everything else connected with the venture was anything but paradise. Ali was 39 years old at this time, and Berbick was 27 years old. Berbick was convicted in 1991 of misdemeanour assault for attacking his former business manager, who testified in court that the fighter held a gun to her head and accused her of stealing money from him. 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. Thanks for your help! They didnt anticipate the expenses. Berbick won the WBC world heavyweight title by upsetting Pinklon Thomas in March, 1986. Berbick's body was found on Saturday in a church courtyard with wounds to the back of his head. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. If ever a fighter personified the concept of a world champion, it was Muhammad Ali. The judge ordered both men jailed pending their Jan. 11 sentencing. The following year, he was convicted in Florida of raping a family baby sitter and was sentenced to four years in prison. I dont remember if Ali started punching him at that point, but Berbick was asserting his dominance and playing with Alis mind. He also was convicted in 1992 of second-degree grand theft for forging his ex-wife's signature to get a mortgage on a home. Funeral Home; Death of Trevor Berbick. Berbicks second-half surge allowed him to pull away on the scorecards. There Berbick worked at a variety of jobs to make ends meet. Lambert had known Trevor Berbick from the day he was born. Berbick claimed that the stolen goods had been stashed at his residence without his knowledge. When it was over, a police escort lead Berbick back to his home in Miami, and Holmes went on to perform with his R&B band, Marmalade, that night. They beat Berbick with a crowbar and a pipe, leaving him mortally wounded on a dirt path. 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. Ali had carried boxing in America, almost-singlehandedly, in the 1970s but the early 1980s was a great time. But what most people might not know is that just two weeks later, Trevor Berbick was convicted of rape as well. TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO THIS WEEK, on Nov. 22, 1986, three men began their conspiracy to murder Trevor Berbick, the heavyweight champion of the world: Mike Tyson, Berbick's nephew Harold and me. In his loss to Tyson in Las Vegas, Berbick was knocked down twice in the second round. (4), The main event almost didnt happen because Berbick had received only $100,000 of his $350,000 guarantee and said he wouldnt fight until he was paid the full amount. Only Berbicks fatigue in the final minute saved Ali from oblivion, but another benefit of being 27 was that all he needed to revive himself was the 60-second rest period. Contact Us. In the ninth round, a right hand sent Tate wobbling across the ring, and Berbick, in hot pursuit, clubbed him repeatedly until Tate was out cold on the canvas. Berbickwas also convicted of second-degree grand theft in 1992 for forging his ex-wife's signatureto get a mortgage on a home. Alonzo Butler submitted the kindest card at 97-94 while colleagues Jay Edson and Clyde Gray delivered harsher news by seeing Berbick the 99-94 winner. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. Those interested in ordering a copy of the book can do so by clicking here and purchasing from Amazon. In Halifax, Berbick developed a local following and lumbered his way to an 11-0 record before facing Colombian mauler Bernardo Mercado. 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. (7). Ive just got to win six rounds on the cards of the three officials; so Ill have to fight for six rounds, Ali told the Associated Press the day before the fight. cemeteries found in Norwich, Portland, Jamaica will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Rounds five, six and seven delivered a sobering and punishing message to Ali while allowing Berbick to separate himself on the scorecards and the statistics. According to Berbick, it was his gig as a matre d at a rowdy mess hall that led him to boxing. Berbick might have believed his words, but when he got the chance to dominate inside the ring he took it with both hands. Police did not have a motive and there was no word yet on what kind of weapon was used or how many people were involved in Berbick's death. Thanks to the rise of pay-cable outlets and pay-per-view platforms, the purses these fighters generated dwarfed those generated by Ali and they, too, became household names worldwide. Berbick vaulted to world prominence with a stunning ninth-round KO of former WBA titlist John Tate on the Roberto Duran-Sugar Ray Leonard I Brawl in Montreal card in June 1980, and since then he had gone 4-1 with four early-round knockouts, the most recent of which was a two-rounder against Conroy Nelson in July. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. When we left there that day, you knew it would never be the same because of what he brought to a fight from a writers perspective was unique and was never going to be matched. As if to underscore just how far Holmes had drifted from his days as a headliner in glitzy hot spots such as New York and Las Vegas, the low-rent press conference after the fight degenerated into one of the trashiest boxing highlights of the last 30 years. The REAL " Trevor Berbick" Story- His Life,Career,Conviction and Murder! Berbick finished with a professional record of 50-11-1, including 33 KOs, but ran into legal problems following the Tyson fight. Family members linked to this person will appear here. In his first title defence, Tate was shockingly poleaxed by Mike Weaver with only 45 seconds left in the 15th round. He told me to come on down and join them boxing. But as the round wore on, so did Ali. I came out all right for an old man. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? 2023 RING TV LIVE. Beverly Howell said Berbick's body was discovered around 6:30 a.m. in a church courtyard in Portland parish. Learn about how to make the most of a memorial. However, Berbick's title reign was brief. In the second, a wobbly Berbick shuddered every time Tyson connected, until, finally, barely 20 seconds into the round, a barrage of punches floored him. Trevor Berbick, a former opponent of Holmes, showed up at the post-fight press conference looking to stir the pot. A thudding left hook landed on the forehead and produced a delayed effect that would eventually give way to one of the most frightening examples of what a precise blow from a professional boxer can do to the nervous system. In a stroke of dubious luck, a warped Muhammad Ali chose Berbick for his comeback opponent. But then he got tired and he just couldnt (keep going). The fight went the distance with Berbick winning through a unanimous decision on points. But another legal mishap occurred and Trevor Berbick was once again deported from the U.S. in 2002 and returned to Jamaica. He had a gaping wound to his head. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Ali hadnt been a constant presence in the last couple of years, and it had been a while since the Holmes fight, Farhood observed. Berbick died on October 28, 2006 at the age of 52 years. A year later, Randy Turpin, who famously beat Sugar Ray Robinson, committed suicide after being declared bankrupt. Photo by Focus on Sport/ Getty Images. The Ali Era was over. The connection was deep, heartfelt and beyond debate. If you couldnt beat Trevor Berbick there was really no point in going on. After serving 15 months in prison, Berbick was deported from the United States. Please ensure you have given Find a Grave permission to access your location in your browser settings. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. He is a member of the BWAA and the International Boxing Research Organization. If Ali gets himself into prime shape, if everything falls into place during the fight and if he stays away from that big left hook he might shock the world one more time.. All rights reserved. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Following a first-round exit from the Olympics, Berbick eventually settled in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where boxing was an also-ran against not only hockey but curling as well. Sorry! If the slurring were due to permanent damage, it would be there all the time, he said, adding that fatigue and stress were the most common triggers. In June 1980, however, Tate was on the comeback trail, looking to put the Weaver loss behind him. O'Connor Mortuary 25301 Alicia Pkwy Laguna Hills, CA 92653 | FD 1293. Even hard-bitten veterans Bob Waters, Dick Young, Dave Anderson and Ed Schuyler were moved by the occasion. His body was found at the weekend in a pool of blood near his Port Antonio home. Oops, some error occurred while uploading your photo(s). While Berbick never seriously threatened Holmes, he underscored his ruggedness and raised his profile enough to qualify for another significant payday. The promoters just didnt understand the details. In round two, Berbicks steady pressure forced Ali to retreat more quickly than he wanted and his rights to the ribs during clinches inflicted damage that registered on Alis face. He was doing so much better than he did against Larry Holmes. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Maybe Ali was right about blaming the weight loss and the prescription drugs concealing his true ability in the Holmes fight. Now, he just wanted to get by. Legal Statement. San Jose, CA 95112. There was a problem getting your location. Though no longer able to contribute, Ali surely must have surveyed the scene, took it all in and exhaled in satisfaction. Verify and try again. Berbick was the last boxer to fight Muhammad Ali, defeating him in 1981 by unanimous decision. Quite literally. This was during the Vietnam War and a lot of guys there were going wacko; some guys were waiting to be shipped off to war, others were coming back all busted up, legs gone, nerves shot. Sure, Ali could never dethrone Holmes, but he might have a chance against Weaver, who was out-boxed by Tate for nearly the entire fight before a miraculous hook flattened Tate with 45 seconds left in the final round, they might have said to themselves. Berbick's death a homicide: police. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? The former fighter, believed to be 52, was pronounced dead by a doctor in the church courtyard. THE RING SHOP (CLICK HERE). Add to your scrapbook. That fight was like watching a mugging. GREAT NEWS! Trevor Berbick with his lawyer Heron Dale in 2003 Trevor Berbick with his lawyer Heron Dale in 2003 When Cassius Marcellus Clay broke into the professional boxing scene following his triumph in the 1960 Rome Olympics, the sport was hurtling toward the abyss. Lambert had known Trevor Berbick from the day he was born. 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. 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. And Tyson, conqueror of Berbick, is a convicted rapist and deep in debt. A jury Thursday found Harold Berbick, 21, guilty of murder and Kenton Gordon, 19, guilty of manslaughter in the death of Berbick, who was 54. 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. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. Berbick made his professional boxing debut at the age of 22 on September 27, 1976. Berbick had said before the fight that if Ali was hurt, he would let up on him. 0 cemeteries found in Norwich, Portland, Jamaica. As Berbick pounded away, Ali dug into that bag of tricks by widening his eyes and opening his mouth in mock duress. Drag images here or select from your computer for Trevor Berbick memorial. However, his first defense of that title would come against the 20-year-old undefeated sensation Mike Tyson, who was 27-0 with 25 of his victories coming by way of knockout. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. As Ali sat on his stool between rounds, his inner being was hard at work. The onetime Ali Circus appeared flat emotionally, for they knew Ali had shown woeful energy throughout the 11-week training cycle. Tel: 408-998-2226. Ali went through hell in his final professional round as Berbick, showing no mercy, threw 100 punches in round ten (86 of which were power punches), the most by an Ali opponent among fights counted. Im here, God!, Trevor Berbick was born in Port Antonio, Jamaica, in either 1952 or 1954, and spent five years in Guantanamo Bay as immigrant labour. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. I ended up beating the All-Marine heavyweight champ and winning the service tournament. His midnight-blue suit, gaudy tie, white pocket square kerchief, and sunglasses out of place among the pastel shirts, Zubaz, and tracksuits. Long before George Foreman made his miraculous return in the late 1980s, Trevor Berbick had been billed as The Fighting Preacher. He had even become an ordained minister at the Moments of Miracles Tabernacle in Nevada. Following the Ali bout, Berbick went on to win 10 of his next 12 fights, earning him a shot at Pinklon Thomas WBC heavyweight title in March 1986. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. In January 2003, The Guardian reported that he was on the run from police in his hometown of Port Antonio, accused of stealing a TV and stereo equipment. Ali, looking bored at times, said nothing as he shadowboxed while Berbick refused to look Ali in the eyes. His work has appeared in Inside HBO Boxing, Undisputed Champion Network, Remezcla, and Boxing Digest Magazine. (1) Not With a Bang, But a Whisper, by William Nack, Sports Illustrated, December 21, 1981, (2) Berbick Defeats Ali on Decision, by George Vescey, New York Times, December 12, 1981, (3) Ali Wants Weaver Title Bout, Associated Press, published in the Wilmington Morning Star, December 9, 1981, p. 1D, (4) Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times, by Thomas Hauser, Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 1991, p. 429, (5) Berbick Defeats Ali on Decision, by George Vescey, New York Times, December 12, 1981, (7) Berbick Pounds Out Decision Over Ali, by Michael Farber, Montreal Gazette, December 11, 1981, p. 15, (8) Not With a Bang, But a Whisper, by William Nack, Sports Illustrated, December 21, 1981, (9) Ali Wants Weaver Title Bout, Associated Press, published in the Wilmington Morning Star, December 9, 1981, p. 1D, (10) Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times, by Thomas Hauser, Simon and Schuster Paperbacks, 1991, p. 430, (11) The Curtain Closes on a Great Act: Alis Traumas in the Bahamas, by Dave Anderson, THE RING, February 1982, p. 37, GET THE LATEST ISSUE AT But there was also a dark side to Trevor Berbick. Berbick, always a rebel at heart, had other things in mind. 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. The fight was shown on closed circuit television and was available to about three million homes in the United States . However cocksure Berbick was outside of the ring, there was nothing he could do once the opening bell rang, although he tried shoving Tyson several times to assert his ruggedness. The lone defeat in that stretch came against WBC champion Larry Holmes, who was looking to break Tommy Burns all-time record of eight consecutive knockouts in heavyweight title fights. So did the promotion, which was beset with numerous financial and organizational problems. Canada actually attempted to deport him as well given his legal troubles but Berbick was able to win a judgment in court that allowed him to stay. I pray he never fights again, added referee Davey Pearl, who, along with Randy Shields, served as Dunphys color commentator. KINGSTON, Jamaica - A 20-year-old nephew of former heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick has been charged with killing him, police said Friday. Two fights later, he beat Muhammad Ali in Ali's last fight. It wasnt as horribly sad as you think it would be. In retrospect, all of us had done our mourning after the Holmes fight. When his immigration status in Canada lapsed, Berbick snuck back into the U.S. illegally. Despite competing in just 11 amateur bouts, he represented Jamaica at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, losing to eventual silver medalist, Mercia Simon. There is a problem with your email/password. He has been writing for Boxing News since 2015. An email has been sent to the person who requested the photo informing them that you have fulfilled their request, There is an open photo request for this memorial. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Try again later. In February 1992, Mike Tyson was convicted on rape charges and spent three years in prison. With Mills Lane tolling the count, Berbick again tried to rise, and again his legs mutinied beneath him, sending him dive-bombing to the canvas with a thud.