Dwight Ritchie


Dwight Thomas Ritchie was an Indigenous Australian professional boxer. He held the Australian middleweight title from 2014 to 2015 and the IBF Youth junior middleweight title in 2017.

Boxing career

Ritchie, nicknamed "The Fighting Cowboy", boxed professionally as a junior middleweight and middleweight for ten years between 2009 and 2019, compiling a professional record of 19–2 and 4 no contests. Titles held by Ritchie during his career include the Victoria State middleweight title, the Australian middleweight title, the OPBF middleweight title, the WBF Asia Pacific middleweight title, the IBF Youth junior middleweight title and the IBF Australasian junior middleweight titles. In his last ring appearance on 14 August 2019, Ritchie lost his IBF Australasian title via ten-round unanimous decision to 14–0 Tim Tszyu at the ICC Exhibition Centre in Sydney, Australia.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
25Loss19–2 Tim TszyuUD1014 Aug 2019Sydney, Australia.png" />Lost IBF Australasian junior middleweight title
24Win19–1 Jung Hoon YangUD827 Apr 2019Melbourne, Australia.png" />
23Win18–1 Joel CamilleriUD103 Aug 2018Won vacant IBF Australasian junior middleweight title
22Win17–1 Emmanuel CarlosUD813 Apr 2018
21Win16–1 Shay BrockUD108 Dec 2018Won vacant IBF Youth junior middleweight title
20Win15–1 Peter OrlikTKO2 22 Apr 2017
19Loss14–1 Koki TysonUD1223 Nov 2016Osaka, Japan.png" />Lost OPBF middleweight title
18Win14–0 Hikaru NishidaUD127 Jun 2016Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan.png" />Won OPBF middleweight title
17Win13–0 Ryan WatersUD1021 Nov 2015Cronulla Sutherland Leagues Club, Sydney, Australia.png" />Retained Australian middleweight title
16Win12–0 Mark DalbyUD614 Aug 2015
15Win11–0 Joe ReaUD68 May 2015
14Win10–0 Dean MikeljUD1017 Oct 2014Won vacant Australian middleweight title
13Win9–0 Dean MikeljMD821 May 2014Eatons Hill Hotel, Moreton Bay Region, Australia.png" />
12Win8–0 Mohamed LabariUD830 Aug 2013Club Italia, Melbourne, Australia.png" />
11Win7–0 Athit PraditphonMD103 May 2013Won vacant WBF Asia Pacific middleweight title
10Win6–0 Suwicha RatidetUD81 Mar 2013
9Win5–0 Jody AllenTKO4 30 Nov 2012
8Win4–0 Michael HermannUD618 May 2012
7Win3–0 Leroy BrownUD822 Jul 2011Roller Skating Centre, Melbourne, Australia.png" />
6Win2–0 Ben CostelloUD818 Mar 2011Won vacant Victoria State middleweight title
5Win1–0 Jakkirt SuwunnalirtUD817 Apr 2010Griffith, Australia.png" />
4NC0–0 Andy ColgraveNC613 Nov 2009Veneto Club, Melbourne, Australia.png" />Originally UD win for Ritchie, later ruled NC due to Ritchie being underage
3NC0–0 Tomas VysokaiNC630 Oct 2009The Roundhouse, Sydney, Australia.png" />Originally SD win for Ritchie, later ruled NC due to Ritchie being underage
2NC0–0 Geoff FrazerNC425 Sep 2009Originally UD win for Ritchie, later ruled NC due to Ritchie being underage
1NC0–0 Wayne MartinNC416 Jul 2009Melbourne Town Hall, Melbourne, Australia.png" />Originally UD win for Ritchie, later ruled NC due to Ritchie being underage

Death

On 9 November 2019, during a sparring session with Michael Zerafa in preparation for Zerafa's rematch against Jeff Horn the following month in Australia, Ritchie took a body shot, retreated to his own corner and collapsed. Despite attempts to save him, he could not be revived and died. He was 27 years old and left behind a wife and three children.