Trevor Berbick murdered

[Dirk]

Heavyweight champ Trevor Berbick found slain

 

Updated Sat. Oct. 28 2006 4:17 PM ET

 

CTV.ca News Staff

 

Former world heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick was murdered in his hometown in Jamaica this weekend by an attacker swinging a machete or a hatchet, police said.

 

Berbick earned a place in history as the boxer who ended the career of Muhammad Ali, when he defeated the legendary boxer in 1981. He went on to become the world heavyweight champion in 1986, but lost the title to Mike Tyson that same year.

 

Berbick, 51, was discovered at about 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning with a gaping gash in his head in a church courtyard in Norwich Village, about 233 kilometres east of Kingston, police said.

 

He had been seen at a party Friday night but there were few other details about his death.

 

A rash of murders and crime believed to be drug-related has been threatening Jamaica's once-thriving tourist trade.

 

Berbick first came to Canada representing Jamaica at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.

 

He married a Montrealer after the Games and the couple moved to Halifax, where he started his professional career, turning pro in 1977. He became a landed Canadian immigrant in 1979.

 

After winning the Canadian heavyweight title, he moved to Florida in 1984 and signed with boxing promoter Don King.

 

He defeated Pinklon Thomas to win the World Boxing Council heavyweight title in 1986, but lost the title eight months later to an up-and-coming 20-year-old Tyson.

 

Berbick's career boasted 50 wins, with 33 knockouts. He had 11 losses and 1 draw.

 

When he retired to Florida, a series of troubles with the law began. After serving 15 months in prison for a sexual assault against a family babysitter in 1992, the U.S. deported him for violating his parole in 1997.

 

He returned to Canada, but was ordered deported in 1998 after failing to pay income tax. But he was granted permission to stay for five more years by the Immigration and Refugee Board and was able to regain the Canadian heavyweight title.

 

His professional career ended in 2000 after winning a match against Canadian Shane Sutcliffe. A blood clot was discovered in his brain after the fight and he lost his boxing licence.

 

He moved back to the United States, but was deported again in 2002, when he returned to Jamaica.

 

Berbick has three children from his first marriage in Canada and three more from his second marriage in Florida.

 

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061028/trevor_berbick_061028/20061028?hub=Canada

[Nunavut Patrick]

Berbick was a big name in the 80s especially after the Ali thing. However, the best Canadian boxer (real Canadian) was George Chuvalo- the man Ali said was the toughest he ever faced.

 

As with many boxers, their lives are tragic. Chuvalo has had to suffer through two of his sons committing suicide.

 

Off topic, but I would never holiday in Jamacia.

[Dirk]

Berbick was a big name in the 80s especially after the Ali thing. However, the best Canadian boxer (real Canadian) was George Chuvalo- the man Ali said was the toughest he ever faced.

 

As with many boxers, their lives are tragic. Chuvalo has had to suffer through two of his sons committing suicide.

 

Off topic, but I would never holiday in Jamacia.

 

Nah, Lennox Lewis, mightn't be real (Canadian) but he's still Canadian.

[Dirk]

Is he the one Dave that Tyson hit and he completly lost it and went all over the ring?

 

Yeah, that's him.

[Nunavut Patrick]

Nah, Lennox Lewis, mightn't be real (Canadian) but he's still Canadian.

 

Wasn't he born in East Ham and moved over here (Kitchener- which was called New Berlin but renamed just after hostilities broke our in 1914. Named after Lord Kitchener. And the irony of this- biggest Oktoberfest celebrations in Canada are in Kitchener-Waterloo area) when he was 7.

 

No other country like Canada disowns hyphenated-Canadians when it all goes wrong.

[Dirk]

Wasn't he born in East Ham and moved over here (Kitchener- which was called New Berlin but renamed just after hostilities broke our in 1914. Named after Lord Kitchener. And the irony of this- biggest Oktoberfest celebrations in Canada are in Kitchener-Waterloo area) when he was 7.

 

No other country like Canada disowns hyphenated-Canadians when it all goes wrong.

 

Weren't you born in Canada then lived over here?

[MLB]

Berbick is the one Tyson knocked down three times with one punch. He was a decent fighter though, and probably would have won a world title if he was around today. Sad news.

[Nunavut Patrick]

Weren't you born in Canada then lived over here?

 

Yes. Born in 1968 (I was caeserian and was one of two babies delivered C-section that day- the other being the son of a Rabbi. Which is why a good Catholic like myself is circumsized).

 

Moved to Wallington, Surrey in 1969-1976

Ottawa six months in 1976

Den Haag 1976-1981

Ottawa 1981-2000

Nunavut 2000-2003

Ottawa 2003-4

Conception Bay South, Newfoundland 2004-5

Nunavut 2005-

 

I'm the woolyback's woolyback.

[Hermes]

Berbick is the one Tyson knocked down three times with one punch.

 

That statement demands an explanation.

[Guest molbyscorchio]

Witherspoon?

[derykw]

That statement demands an explanation.

 

 

Quite simply Tyson banged him one , Berbick hit the deck, half got up legs gave way hit the canvas again struggled back to his feet like a new born giraffe before succumbing to gravity for a 3rd and final time. Quite hilarious really.

[derykw]

Witherspoon?

 

Nah, with a knife.

 

The old ones are the best eh!

[Hermes]

Quite simply Tyson banged him one , Berbick hit the deck, half got up legs gave way hit the canvas again struggled back to his feet like a new born giraffe before succumbing to gravity for a 3rd and final time. Quite hilarious really.

 

Best one I remember was George Foreman when he put Joe Frazier down 6 times. One of the punches caught him right under the jaw and lifted Frazier 2 feet off the canvas. It was like a comedy sketch-remember Stan Laurel fighting the fella with the loaded glove?

[King Emlyn]

Shithouse

 

:D

[airbags]

Just after watching that fight on Youtube, maybe the wrong thread to be saying it in, but noticed how apt the prohecy of the commentator was in saying "the only thing that can beat Mike Tyson is Mike Tyson himself."

 

Could have been the greatest of all time, probably was the best ever during his short prime?

[King Emlyn]

Berbick was a big name in the 80s especially after the Ali thing. However, the best Canadian boxer (real Canadian) was George Chuvalo- the man Ali said was the toughest he ever faced.

 

As with many boxers, their lives are tragic. Chuvalo has had to suffer through two of his sons committing suicide.

 

Off topic, but I would never holiday in Jamacia.

 

Dylans "Who killed Davey Moore?" sums it up perfectly

[Paul]

1.27 into the clip

 

wobble wobble

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw8udQtqD6s

Christ, it's so easy to forget what an absolute animal Tyson was in the ring at the start of his career. I don't think I've ever seen a more dangerous or aggressive boxer. What a shame it all turned to shit.

[Rashid]

Tyson was simply untouchable - what a twat for throwing away his career like that. He earned £300M and blew it all. It is so sad....

[MLB]

My favourite is still Kostya Tszyu's knockout of Zab Judah. Pure comedy:

 

[MLB]

This one is a beauty as well. The Contender's K9 Bundrage against Sechew Powell:

 

[Remmie]

My favourite is still Kostya Tszyu's knockout of Zab Judah. Pure comedy:

 

I'm a little teapot......

[Remmie]

RIP Trev, absolutely shockingn what becomes of so many boxers after their career ends

[Remmie]

Could have been the greatest of all time, probably was the best ever during his short prime?

Absolute horse shit. Most over rated boxer of all time more like

[MLB]

Tyson is a bit like Hamed in that he's remembered more now for his bad performances than he is for his good ones. A prime Tyson would be a match for any heavyweight in history, although I do think he'd probably end up losing to the very best (Ali, Louis etc.) No shame in that though, and I still think he belongs in the all-time top 10.

[aikido]

Berbick was a big name in the 80s especially after the Ali thing. However, the best Canadian boxer (real Canadian) was George Chuvalo- the man Ali said was the toughest he ever faced.

 

As with many boxers, their lives are tragic. Chuvalo has had to suffer through two of his sons committing suicide.

 

Off topic, but I would never holiday in Jamacia.

 

Damn straight, Chuvalo probably had the biggest heart of any athlete I have ever seen. I remember my dad renting out boxing videos, when I was a kid growing up in Ireland, and I was always amazed how much punishment this man took from Ali and never fell down. He always moved forward and pressed the fight. Amazing athlete.

 

On a side note, I was in Vegas last month for a few days and Tyson has a training camp going on at one of the main hotels on the strip which is open to the public from 11am-1pm. I got there at 11:45am and the security guy said Tyson had wrapped it up early for the day. Said Tyson is a poor excuse for a boxer these days, all washed up and over the hill in Vegas.