Shannon Briggs

Shannon Briggs

Medal record
Competitor for  United States
Men's Boxing
Pan American Games
Silver	Havana 1991	Heavyweight

Shannon Briggs (born December 4, 1971) is an American former boxer who competed in the heavyweight division. After a successful amateur career in which he was a New York Golden Gloves and United States champion as well as a silver medalist at the 1991 Pan American Games, Briggs tuned professional in 1992 and defeated George Foreman via a controversial majority decision to become the lineal world heavyweight champion in 1997.^[1] After losing to Lennox Lewis by technical knockout in a bid for the WBC World Heavyweight Championship in 1998, he later won a number of regional titles during the 2000s before TKO'ing Siarhei Liakhovich for the WBO heavyweight strap in 2006. He would lose this belt to Sultan Ibragimov the following year, however, and took a vicious beating at the hands of Vitali Klitschko in his second attempt at the WBC title in what would be his last fight in October 2010.

He is the last American heavyweight to have held a major world title, and has acted in several films.

Early life

Born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, Briggs was homeless for a period in his childhood. At age 17, Briggs began training at Jimmy O'Pharrow's Starrett City Boxing Club in Brooklyn, NY.

Amateur career

Briggs became New York City Golden Gloves champion, New York State Champion, National P.A.L. Champion and finished second place as a Heavyweight at the Panamerican Games in 1991, losing the final to Félix Savón. In 1992 he became the United States Amateur Champion.

Professional career

Briggs began his career in 1992 and was undefeated in his first 25 fights. He suffered his first loss when he was knocked out in three rounds by undefeated Darroll Wilson in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1996. The fight was broadcast on HBO and was a showcase of young heavyweight fighters.

Following this loss, Briggs beat George Foreman for the Lineal heavyweight title; he then lost to Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title. In their 1998 fight, Briggs had Lewis in trouble early but lost by TKO in the fifth round.

Briggs competed briefly for the K-1 kickboxing promotion in 2004. In his lone kickboxing match, he knocked out Tom Erikson, a mixed martial artist with a background in collegiate wrestling, just over a minute into round one at the K-1 World Grand Prix 2004 in Saitama in Saitama, Japan on March 27, 2004.

Shannon won the WBO heavyweight title when he knocked out Sergei Liakhovich in the last round of a November 4, 2006, matchup. After a lackluster 11 rounds which left the Arizona crowd restless, Briggs was losing on all three judges' scorecards. Sensing urgency, Briggs pressed the fight in the 12th round and knocked Liakhovich down. Briggs subsequently trapped him on the ropes and continued his assault, knocking Liakhovich out of the ring. Liakhovich landed on a ringside table, and the referee stopped the bout. The official time was 2:59.

In his first title defense Shannon Briggs was to face Sultan Ibragimov on March 10, 2007; however, Briggs pulled out of the fight because he was diagnosed with "aspirational pneumonia." The fight was rescheduled fifty days later in Atlantic City on June 2, 2007, with a sluggish Briggs losing in a unanimous decision.

On October 16, 2010 Briggs fought in a WBC title challenge against Vitali Klitschko in the O₂ World at Hamburg. His entrance music for the fight was performed by DJ Structure the Spin Dr.^[2][3] During the fight Briggs took a severe beating and, after the fight, went down in his quarters. Brought to a hospital Briggs was initially treated in intensive care and found to have suffered a left orbital fracture, a broken nose, and a torn left biceps.^[4] In addition, he had another facial fracture above the right eye and a burst ear drum.

Briggs was promoted by Don King Productions and is self managed.

Outside the ring

Briggs is also an actor. He made his television acting debut on New York Undercover in 1995 and has since appeared in feature films Bad Boys II, with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, Transporter 2, and The Wackness.

Briggs also made an appearance on the Fugees' breakthrough album, The Score. He appears in the music video for rapper Thirstin Howl III's song "Surrounded By Criminals" (from his 2011 album Natural Born Skiller).

Shannon Briggs was summoned to US Federal Court District South Carolina on June 7, 2012, according to court documents Kali Bowyer, Briggs ex-publicist was awarded over $420,000.00 plus interest for her services.^[5]

Championships and awards

Boxing

• International Boxing Union
  • IBU World Heavyweight (+91 kg/200 lb) Championship

• New York Golden Gloves
  • New York Golden Gloves Heavyweight (+75 kg/175 lb) Championship

• North American Boxing Association
  • NABA Heavyweight (+91 kg/200 lb) Championship

• North American Boxing Organization
  • NABO Heavyweight (+91 kg/200 lb) Championship

• Pan American Games
  • 1991 Pan American Games Heavyweight (-91 kg/200 lb) Boxing Silver Medalist

• United States Boxing Association
  • USBA Heavyweight (+91 kg/200 lb) Championship

• United States national amateur boxing championships
  • United States Amateur Heavyweight (-91 kg/200 lb) Championship

• World Boxing Council
  • WBC Fecarbox Heavyweight (+91 kg/200 lb) Championship
  • WBC Latino Heavyweight (+91 kg/200 lb) Championship

• World Boxing Organization
  • WBO World Heavyweight (+91 kg/200 lb) Championship

Boxing record

Kickboxing record

Filmography

Film Credits

Television Appearances

^[7]

External links

• Official website
• Professional boxing record for Shannon Briggs from BoxRec
• Shannon Briggs at the Internet Movie Database
• K-1 Sport profile

References