text: RSR Looks Back at Trevor Berbick: A Most Unique Bridge in Heavyweight History | Ringside Report
  Over the years of following boxing I have always found it fascinating when a particular fighter bridges a gap between eras. Naturally the hand-off aspect is endemic to our sport as it is how men move forward and upward through the ranks. To me though, it is notable when a man manages to travel through those ranks and face some of the most extraordinary and sometimes legendary names of our sport. Such is of particular interest to me as I have long enjoyed reading their accounts of the marked differences between their great foes. It is indeed a rarity for any fighter to make it to the point where they share the ring with a fighter that will go down as an all-time great, even more so when they can do it against two or even three legendary all-timers.
  Looking back at a few examples of heavyweights that have managed to share the ring with other all-time great fighters, three notable names immediately came to memory. Two of them, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore are considered all-time greats today whereas the third, Trevor Berbick, is generally looked upon as one of the many alphabet title holders that took their turn at round-robin back in the tumultuous heavyweight period during the eighties, ultimately winding his long career down as a journeyman. No doubt many fans don't readily think of him but the reality is Berbick holds a unique place in heavyweight history.
  Ezzard Charles was born July 7 1921 in Lawrenceville Georgia even though it is commonly thought he was originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. In fact, Charles later went on to make his home base Cincinnati, hence his well known ring name "The Cincinnati Cobra". Charles turned professional in 1940. He served in the U.S. military during WWII which prevented him from pursuing his chosen field of trade in 1944 and 1945. Returning to boxing after the war, Charles hit his stride quickly defeating all-times greats Archie Moore, Joey Maxim and Charley Burley. In the case of Moore, Charles managed to defeat him three times, one of those victories coming by way of knockout. Unable to secure a much deserved title shot at the light heavyweight crown, "The Cincinnati Cobra" moved up to heavyweight, ultimately earning himself the opportunity to fight for the vacant National Boxing Association Heavyweight Title against Jersey Joe Walcott.
  Charles won the NBA Heavyweight Title in June of 1949 with a comprehensive fifteen-round decision over Walcott, firmly establishing for him the detail of become heavyweight champion. In the minds and hearts of the general public, Charles would have to defeat Joe Louis in order to firmly secure his place as the heavyweight champion. A little over a year after winning the title, Charles did just that, emphatically out boxing "The Brown Bomber" over fifteen to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.
  Having lost the heavyweight title to old foe Jersey Joe in the third of their four bout series by knockout in 1951, Charles began an arduous rebuild in the hopes of reclaiming the ultimate crown in all of sports. After losing the fourth and final bout to Walcott in an attempt to regain the championship, Charles went 11-3 before once again challenging for the heavyweight championship of the world, this time in 1954 and against the undefeated champion, the then much maligned slugger Rocky Marciano.
  Their first bout was a pitched back and forth affair in which "The Cincinnati Cobra" acquitted himself well, showing flashes of his former prime form. "The Brockton Blockbuster" however was not to be outdone, ultimately accelerating over the championship rounds and pulling out the decision win that enabled him to send Charles home disappointed. Three months later, they did it again, once again with Charles fighting well early and coming within moments of stopping a badly cut Marciano in round eight. If anything, in coming so close to one last shot at glory, Charles forced the greatness out of the wounded champion, ultimately succumbing to a vicious onslaught brought on by sheer desperation. In retaining the title in such a fashion, Rocky Marciano underlined his greatness, something many doubted he had up until that point, and he had Ezzard Charles to thank for pushing him into that realm. All told, Charles bridged the eras of Joe Louis and Rocky Marciano with all due respect given to Jersey Joe Walcott, another all-timer.
  Another notable great that has the dubious notation of having faced other all-time heavyweight kings in the ring, ultimately coming up short is none other than "The Old Mongoose", Archie Moore. Born in 1913 or 1916, depending on your source, Moore turned pro in 1938 or sometime just after the inventions of the flame, the wheel and electricity. After fighting eons with an inability to get a deserved title shot, and after retiring and returning on more than one occasion, "The Old Mongoose" won the World Light Heavyweight Title in December 1952. Of particular note during this leg of Moore's upwardly mobile career was the fact that he continuously kept busy with non-title bouts, often putting on weight in order to challenge the heavyweights and ultimately earning himself a top-ten ranking in that division.
  In September of 1955, Moore found himself across the ring from reigning heavyweight kingpin Rocky Marciano looking to upend the undefeated and seemingly unrefined slugger for all the marbles in what would turn out to be Marciano's swan song as a fighter. After a round of controlled aggression that denoted Moore's cagey ability to befuddle, "The Old Mongoose" managed to stun the collective media and crowd, not to mention Rocky, by dropping the iron-jawed champ in the second round, a move he later conceded as being a mistake. The plan had been to bank rounds early as Jersey Joe Walcott had hoped to do years before in losing the title to Marciano. Instead, by dropping Marciano so early in the fight, he made the mistake of rousing the champ's deep seeded and intense warrior instincts, which led to a relentless and merciless assault culminating ultimately in his demise in round nine. In trying to be a hero early against one of our sport's all-time great heavyweight champs, Moore met with an emphatic and brutal defeat.
  Subsequent to Rocky Marciano's decision to retire from boxing with a perfect record of 49-0, 43 KO's, Moore was matched with Floyd Patterson for the vacant heavyweight title, a bout which resulted in a fifth-round knockout loss. Years later, in 1962 after being stripped of his light heavyweight crown, he campaigned exclusively as a heavyweight. In his last fight of note, Moore was matched-up with a streaking young upstart from Louisville Kentucky named Cassius Clay. In the days and weeks before the bout, Clay's increasingly notorious lip work began to eat away at Moore, especially when Cassius predicted "Moore must fall in four" to the hungry media. In the bout itself, just as Clay predicted, "The Old Mongoose" was toppled in four. In all, Archie Moore's record stands at 183-24-10, 141 or 145 KO's, depending on your source. Amazingly what those numbers don't readily belie is the fact that Moore bridged eras, facing Marciano, Patterson and Clay, later know as Muhammad Ali.
  Lastly but certainly not of any insignificance is Trevor Berbick's unique career. Though not an all-time great, Berbick was definitely a talented fighter for his era, having resided firmly in the top-ten rankings at heavyweight for the lion's share of the eighties, not to mention having won a major world title, the WBC Heavyweight Title, in 1986. Perhaps Berbick's contribution as being a bridge to heavyweight history is the most unique. Having turned pro in September 1976, Berbick managed to underline his distinct value beyond his winning an alphabet title or managing to stay afoot the highest rated heavyweights of his time. He managed to face remnants of "The Greatest", handing Muhammad Ali a defeat in his last bout in December 1981.
  Before facing Ali, Berbick became a commodity of some note after unsuccessfully challenging the undefeated Larry Holmes for the WBC Heavyweight Title in April of that year. In that bout, Berbick pressed the champ, and although losing by a significant margin on all of the scorecards, he did manage to break "The Easton Assassin's" knockout streak. The showing earned him the Ali bout, which in turn kept the oft-hot and cold contender in the thick of the heavyweight picture for many years. An early 1986 opportunity against Pinklon Thomas earned him the WBC Title, and from that, Berbick was propelled into his next bout with an up and coming destroyer that would ultimately take his place among the pantheon of all-time greats.
  When the undefeated "Iron" Mike Tyson entered the ring on November 22 1986, the boxing world watched in anticipation as the compelling knockout artist turned-up the heat on Berbick, one of the most rugged and durable heavyweights of that period. What unfolded was the stuff of ring lore, as Tyson systematically forced the gritty veteran to become unglued in a disassembly which culminated in a three-knockdowns-knockdown. It was the type of win in which a ring star is born. It was the beginning of a new and exciting heavyweight era and Trevor Berbick was the poor fighter which brought that immutable point home.
  Berbick's contribution cannot be understated. The man shared the ring with all-time greats in Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson. He exited the sport with a record of 49-11-1, 33 kO's. Admittedly, he faced only a shadow of Ali, but the fact remains he exchanged leather with arguably the greatest of all former heavyweight champs on the night Ali indulged the rugged young upstart by pretending to have anything left. Taking Trevor's contribution even further, he faced a total of eight former or future heavyweight champs, including Hasim Rahman, not to mention S.T. Gordon, the WBC Cruiserweight Champion back when Berbick challenged him. Berbick also faced the former WBC Middleweight Champion, Iran "The Blade" Barkley, long after Barkley's star had faded and he decided to close out his career masquerading as a heavyweight.
  There can be no arguing that ten or even twenty years ago, titles were far easier to come by than they had been back in the days of Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore. The fact remains, however, Trevor Berbick managed something extraordinary and unique. He faced an all-time trio of great heavyweight fighters; figures that are revered today. For that and for his other notable ring exploits, Trevor Berbick will always hold a special place in heavyweight history. I hold that he may just have been the most unique bridge in all of heavyweight history. It's just too bad he isn't around to share it with us today.
  Professional Record: 49-11-1, 33 KO's
  1976-09-27 Wayne Martin Shediac, CA W TKO 5
  1976-11-23 Bobby Halpern Halifax, CA W TKO 3
  1977-01-09 Ace Lucas New Glasgow, CA W TKO 2
  1977-01-25 Joe Maye Halifax, CA W TKO 7
  1977-08-18 Willie Moore Halifax, CA W KO 4
  1977-09-08 Eddie Owens Halifax, CA W TKO 5
  1977-12-08 Eugene Green Halifax, CA W UD 10
  1978-06-28 Horst Geisler Halifax, CA W KO 1
  1978-08-01 Tony Moore Halifax, CA W TKO 6
  1978-09-12 Gregory Johnson Halifax, CA W KO 4
  1978-10-08 Greg Sorrentino Halifax, CA W TKO 7
  1979-04-03 Bernardo Mercado Halifax, CA L KO 1
  1979-05-26 Earl McLeay Glace Bay, CA W TKO 7
  vacant Canada Heavyweight Title
  1979-06-14 Leroy Caldwell Winnipeg, CA D PTS 10
  1979-12-11 Ngozika Ekwelum Halifax, CA W TKO 5
  1980-03-11 Johnny Warr Halifax, CA W SD 10
  1980-06-20 John Tate Montreal, CA W KO 9
  1980-08-27 Ron Rouselle Edmonton, CA W KO 1
  Canada Heavyweight Title
  1980-11-11 Chuck Findlay Halifax, CA W KO 1
  1981-01-31 Chuck Gardner Kingston, JM W TKO 3
  1981-04-11 Larry Holmes Las Vegas, US L UD 15
  1981-07-21 Conroy Nelson Halifax, CA W KO 2
  1981-12-11 Muhammad Ali Nassau, BS W UD 10
  1982-03-05 Gordon Racette Nanaimo, CA W TKO 11
  1982-06-11 Greg Page Las Vegas, US W UD 10
  1982-10-02 Renaldo Snipes Atlantic City, US L PTS 10
  1983-05-28 ST Gordon Las Vegas, US L UD 10
  1983-09-09 Ken Lakusta Edmonton, CA W KO 10
  1984-02-19 Mike Cohen Tampa, US W KO 4
  1984-03-13 Mark Lee Wembley, UK W PTS 10
  1984-09-01 Andros Ernie Barr Nassau, BS W TKO 4
  1984-11-28 Walter Santemore Atlantic City, US W UD 10
  1985-06-15 David Bey Las Vegas, US W TKO 11
  1985-08-10 Mitch Green Las Vegas, US W UD 12
  1986-01-17 Mike Perkins Atlanta, US W TKO 10
  1986-03-22 Pinklon Thomas Las Vegas, US W UD 12
  1986-11-22 Mike Tyson Las Vegas, US L TKO 2
  1987-07-31 Art Terry Fort Myers, US W TKO 5
  1987-10-29 Lorenzo Boyd Sunrise, US W TKO 3
  1987-11-24 Robert Evans Halifax, CA W UD 10
  1988-06-27 Carl Williams Atlantic City, US L UD 12
  1988-09-20 O T Davis Oklahoma City, US W KO 3
  1989-02-25 James Buster Douglas Las Vegas, US L UD 10
  1990-07-18 Jeff Sims Toronto, CA W TKO 6
  1990-12-14 Bobby Crabtree Hollywood, US W KO 5
  1991-08-02 Garing Lane Cannes, FR W PTS 8
  1994-03-12 Danny Wofford Spartanburg, US W PTS 8
  1994-07-30 Paul Phillips Cincinnati, US W KO 4
  1994-08-10 Marcellus Brown New Orleans, US W KO 2
  1994-09-13 Melvin Foster Westbury, US W SD 10
  1995-03-17 Jimmy Thunder Mounds View, US L PTS 12
  1995-08-25 Bruce Johnson Columbus, US W TKO 3
  1996-04-26 Ken Smith Westbury, US W TKO 4
  1996-09-18 Louis Monaco Westbury, US W UD 10
  1996-10-15 Hasim Rahman Atlantic City, US L UD 10
  1997-09-15 Lyle McDowell Edmonton, CA L SD 12
  vacant International Boxing Organization Inter-Continental Heavyweight Title
  1998-08-06 Ben Perlini Slave Lake, CA W UD 10
  1999-02-05 Shane Sutcliffe Montreal, CA W TKO 12
  1999-06-29 Iran Barkley Montreal, CA W UD 8
  1999-08-12 Tony LaRosa Slave Lake, CA L SD 8
  2000-05-26 Shane Sutcliffe Vancouver, CA W UD 12
  Posted in BOXING NEWS Tags: boxing, heavyweight, John Tate, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Trevor Berbick