Trevor Berbick
Trevor Berbick was a Jamaican Canadian professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 2000. He won the WBC heavyweight title in 1986 by defeating Pinklon Thomas, then lost it in his first defense in the same year to Mike Tyson. Berbick was also the last boxer to fight Muhammad Ali, defeating him in 1981.
As an amateur, Berbick won a bronze medal in the heavyweight division at the 1975 Pan American Games. In both his early and late professional career he held the Canadian heavyweight title twice, from 1979 to 1986 and 1999 to 2001.
Amateur career
At 21, Berbick represented his native Jamaica in the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada as a heavyweight boxer, despite having had only 11 prior amateur bouts. His lack of experience was evident as he lost to the eventual silver medalist, Mircea Şimon of Romania. However, he still displayed a lot of promise as a young heavyweight boxer. The previous year, in his only bout at the Pan American Games in Mexico City, Berbick lost a decision to future heavyweight champion Michael Dokes in the semi-finals, winning a bronze medal.Leroy Caldwell, a boxer who fought almost all notable top-ranked heavyweights of the 1970s and early 1980s, including several world champions, recalled that Berbick was his most talented opponent.
Professional career
Berbick left Jamaica after the Olympics. He opted to settle in Montreal and fight professionally out of Halifax. He won his first 11 fights before suffering his first pro loss to another rising contender, Bernardo Mercado, on April 3, 1979. As an amateur, Berbick had soundly beaten Mercado. However, with 10 seconds remaining in the first round of their only professional meeting, Berbick walked into a punch and was knocked out cold. Nevertheless, he remained in contention for the heavyweight title.A 1980 upset of ex-champ John Tate secured a title shot against Larry Holmes on April 11, 1981, but Berbick lost a 15-round unanimous decision. In his second fight after the loss, he beat 39-year-old Muhammad Ali in the final fight of Ali's career.
In 1982 he beat undefeated prospect Greg Page, and in 1984 he moved to Miramar, Florida and signed with promoter Don King. Wins over undefeated Mitch "Blood" Green and David Bey scored him another title fight, and he won the WBC world heavyweight title by upsetting Pinklon Thomas with an easy unanimous decision on March 22, 1986. However, his reign as champion would be brief.
On November 22, in his first defense of the title, Berbick took on Mike Tyson, who was looking to break Floyd Patterson's record and become, at the age of twenty, the youngest ever heavyweight champion. In the second round, Tyson dropped Berbick with a quick knockdown. Berbick was quickly overwhelmed by his opponent and late in the round, he went down again. The champion rose to his feet, but immediately stumbled backward and fell back to the canvas. Berbick tried twice more to make it to his feet but fell both times, and referee Mills Lane stopped counting and waved the fight off to end Berbick's reign as champion.
Along with Larry Holmes, Berbick is one of only two men in professional boxing history to have fought both Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
In 1991, he traveled to the UWFi promotion in Japan to fight Nobuhiko Takada in a "boxer vs. wrestler" bout. Berbick claimed that he had been double-crossed and that he had expected the fight to be like American kickboxing, but it turned out that the rules allowed Takada to kick Berbick below the belt. Berbick refused to mount any offense, instead repeatedly complaining to the referee as Takada kicked him repeatedly in the legs. Takada claimed victory by default when Berbick exited the ring.
Berbick resumed his boxing career in 1994, frequently fighting on the USA Tuesday Night Fights. He would score a mild upset over Melvin Foster but would go on to lose to prospects such as Jimmy Thunder and Hasim Rahman. He eventually fought his last bout in 2000 against Canadian journeyman Shane Sutcliffe, winning a 12-round unanimous decision. Afterwards, a CAT scan revealed a blood clot in his brain and his boxing license was revoked. His final professional record was 49 wins, 11 losses, and 1 draw.
Outside the ring
Berbick was a preacher at the Moments of Miracles Pentecostal church in Las Vegas.Rape conviction
Berbick was arrested on a number of occasions throughout his life and was sentenced in Florida to 5 years in prison for raping his children's babysitter in 1992. He served 15 months. In 1997, he violated his parole and was deported from the United States to Canada. Due to his legal issues, he also had problems staying in Canada, losing his landed immigrant status and being ordered back to Jamaica in 1999. Later in 1999 he won the right to remain in Canada.Feud with Larry Holmes
Berbick had a well-publicized feud with Larry Holmes, whom he fought in the ring in 1981. Their feud culminated in a public confrontation and brawl in 1991, which was caught on tape. After a verbal altercation indoors, Berbick was outside complaining about being kicked and punched by Larry Holmes when Holmes climbed atop a parked car and launched himself at Berbick. Holmes was furious with Berbick badmouthing his family. The footage ends as the two are separated by police and others.Retirement
Berbick retired in Florida to be with his wife and four children and started to train boxers at Kenny Barrett's Gym in Tamarac, Florida. Berbick's problems escalated. He was again deported from the U.S. on December 2, 2002.Death
On October 28, 2006, Berbick was murdered at a church in Norwich, Jamaica by an assailant wielding a steel pipe. He sustained repeated blows to the head and died at the scene.Police arrested two men, one of whom was Berbick's 20-year-old nephew Harold Berbick, in connection with the murder. They were interrogated at the Port Antonio police station in Portland early on the morning of October 29. Local residents indicated that the suspect was involved in a land dispute with Berbick. On November 3 it was reported that Berbick's nephew, 20-year-old Harold Berbick, and an unidentified 18-year-old man had been charged with his murder by Jamaican police. On December 20, 2007, Harold Berbick was convicted for the murder of his uncle. His alleged accomplice, Kenton Gordon, was convicted of manslaughter and both men were sentenced on January 11, 2008.
Harold Berbick was sentenced to life in prison; Kenton Gordon was sentenced to fourteen years in prison.
Trevor Berbick's body was buried at the Berbick Family Plot Norwich, in Portland, Jamaica.
Professional boxing record
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 61 | Win | 49–11–1 |  Shane Sutcliffe | UD | 12 | May 26, 2000 | PNE Agrodome, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Retained Canada heavyweight title |
| 60 | Loss | 48–11–1 |  Tony LaRosa | SD | 8 | Aug 12, 1999 | Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada | |
| 59 | Win | 48–10–1 | Iran Barkley | UD | 8 | Jun 29, 1999 | Molson Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 58 | Win | 47–10–1 | Shane Sutcliffe | TKO | 12, 0:44 | Feb 5, 1999 | Centre Pierre Charbonneau, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Won Canada heavyweight title |
| 57 | Win | 46–10–1 | Ben Perlini | UD | 10 | Aug 6, 1998 | Slave Lake, Alberta, Canada | |
| 56 | Loss | 45–10–1 | Lyle McDowell | SD | 12 | Sep 15, 1997 | Shaw Conference Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | For vacant IBO Inter-Continental heavyweight title |
| 55 | Loss | 45–9–1 | Hasim Rahman | UD | 10 | Oct 15, 1996 | Circus Maximus Showroom, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 54 | Win | 45–8–1 | Louis Monaco | UD | 10 | Sep 18, 1996 | Westbury Music Fair, North Hempstead, New York, U.S. | |
| 53 | Win | 44–8–1 | Ken Smith | TKO | 4, 1:05 | Apr 26, 1996 | Westbury Music Fair, North Hempstead, New York, U.S. | |
| 52 | Win | 43–8–1 | Bruce Johnson | TKO | 3 | Aug 25, 1995 | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 51 | Loss | 42–8–1 |  Jimmy Thunder | UD | 12 | Mar 15, 1995 | Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, Prior Lake, Minnesota, U.S. | For vacant WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title |
| 50 | Win | 42–7–1 | Melvin Foster | SD | 10 | Sep 13, 1994 | Westbury Music Fair, North Hempstead, New York, U.S. | |
| 49 | Win | 41–7–1 | Marselles Brown | KO | 2 | Aug 10, 1994 | Lakefront Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 48 | Win | 40–7–1 | Paul Phillips | KO | 4, 1:14 | Jul 30, 1994 | Myrl H. Shoemaker Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | |
| 47 | Win | 39–7–1 | Danny Wofford | PTS | 8 | Mar 14, 1994 | Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 38–7–1 | Garing Lane | PTS | 8 | Aug 2, 1991 |  Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Cannes, France | |
| 45 | Win | 37–7–1 | Bobby Crabtree | KO | 5, 2:00 | Dec 14, 1990 | The Diplomat, Hollywood, Florida, U.S. | |
| 44 | Win | 36–7–1 | Jeff Sims | TKO | 6, 2:15 | Jul 18, 1990 | Varsity Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada | |
| 43 | Loss | 35–7–1 | Buster Douglas | UD | 10 | Feb 25, 1989 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 42 | Win | 35–6–1 | O T Davis | KO | 3 | Sep 20, 1988 | Central Plaza Hotel, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. | |
| 41 | Loss | 34–6–1 | Carl Williams | UD | 12 | Jun 27, 1988 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | For USBA heavyweight title |
| 40 | Win | 34–5–1 | Robert Evans | UD | 10 | Nov 24, 1987 | Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 39 | Win | 33–5–1 | Lorenzo Boyd | TKO | 3, 1:48 | Oct 29, 1987 | Musical Theater, Sunrise, Florida, U.S. | |
| 38 | Win | 32–5–1 | Art Terry | TKO | 5, 1:33 | Jul 31, 1987 | Lee County Civic Center, North Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. | |
| 37 | Loss | 31–5–1 | Mike Tyson | TKO | 2, 2:35 | Nov 22, 1986 | Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Lost WBC heavyweight title |
| 36 | Win | 31–4–1 | Pinklon Thomas | UD | 12 | Mar 22, 1986 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Won WBC heavyweight title |
| 35 | Win | 30–4–1 | Mike Perkins | TKO | 10 | Jan 17, 1986 | Omni Coliseum, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. | |
| 34 | Win | 29–4–1 | Mitch Green | 12 | Aug 10, 1985 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Retained USBA heavyweight title | |
| 33 | Win | 28–4–1 | David Bey | TKO | 11, 2:30 | Jun 15, 1985 | Riviera, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. | Won USBA heavyweight title |
| 32 | Win | 27–4–1 | Walter Santemore | UD | 10 | Nov 28, 1984 | Broadway by the Bay Theater, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 31 | Win | 26–4–1 |  Andros Ernie Barr | TKO | 4 | Sep 1, 1984 | Nassau, Bahamas | Retained Commonwealth heavyweight title |
| 30 | Win | 25–4–1 | Mark Lee | 10 | Mar 13, 1984 |  Wembley Arena, London, England | ||
| 29 | Win | 24–4–1 | Mike Cohen | KO | 4 | Feb 19, 1984 | Hyatt Regency, Tampa, Florida, U.S. | |
| 28 | Win | 23–4–1 | Ken Lakusta | KO | 10, 1:52 | Sep 9, 1983 | Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Retained Commonwealth and Canada heavyweight titles |
| 27 | Loss | 22–4–1 | S. T. Gordon | UD | 10 | May 28, 1983 | Showboat Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 26 | Loss | 22–3–1 | Renaldo Snipes | UD | 10 | Oct 2, 1982 | Sands, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 22–2–1 | Greg Page | UD | 10 | Jun 11, 1982 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 21–2–1 | Gordon Racette | TKO | 11 | Mar 5, 1982 | Frank Crane Arena, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada | Retained Commonwealth and Canada heavyweight titles |
| 23 | Win | 20–2–1 | Muhammad Ali | UD | 10 | Dec 11, 1981 | Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Nassau, Bahamas | |
| 22 | Win | 19–2–1 | Conroy Nelson | KO | 2, 2:49 | Jul 21, 1981 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | Retained Canada heavyweight title; Won vacant Commonwealth heavyweight title |
| 21 | Loss | 18–2–1 | Larry Holmes | UD | 15 | Apr 11, 1981 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | For WBC, The Ring, and lineal heavyweight titles |
| 20 | Win | 18–1–1 | Chuck Gardner | TKO | 4, 1:12 | Jan 31, 1981 |  Kingston, Jamaica | |
| 19 | Win | 17–1–1 | Chuck Findlay | KO | 1, 2:47 | Nov 11, 1980 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 18 | Win | 16–1–1 | Ron Rouselle | KO | 1, 0:33 | Aug 27, 1980 | Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | Retained Canada heavyweight title |
| 17 | Win | 15–1–1 | John Tate | KO | 9, 0:22 | Jun 20, 1980 | Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |
| 16 | Win | 14–1–1 | Johnny Warr | 10 | Mar 11, 1980 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | ||
| 15 | Win | 13–1–1 |  Ngozika Ekwelum | TKO | 5, 0:01 | Dec 11, 1979 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 14 | Draw | 12–1–1 | Leroy Caldwell | 10 | Jun 14, 1979 | Convention Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | ||
| 13 | Win | 12–1 | Earl McLeay | TKO | 7, 2:07 | May 26, 1979 | Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada | Won vacant Canada heavyweight title |
| 12 | Loss | 11–1 |  Bernardo Mercado | KO | 1, 2:55 | Apr 3, 1979 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | For vacant WBC Continental Americas heavyweight title |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Greg Sorrentino | TKO | 1, 1:27 | Oct 8, 1978 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Gregory Johnson | KO | 4, 2:49 | Sep 12, 1978 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Tony Moore | TKO | 6, 0:01 | Aug 1, 1978 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Horst Geisler | KO | 1, 1:21 | Jun 28, 1978 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Eugene Green | 10 | Dec 8, 1977 | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | ||
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Eddie Owens | TKO | 5, 2:34 | Sep 8, 1977 | Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Willie Moore | 4, 2:04 | Aug 18, 1977 | Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | ||
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Joe Maye | TKO | 7, 2:50 | Jan 25, 1977 | Metro Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Michael Lucas | TKO | 2, 2:21 | Jan 9, 1977 | New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Bobby Halpern | TKO | 3, 2:05 | Nov 23, 1976 | Forum, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Wayne Martin | 5 | Sep 27, 1976 | Festival Arena, Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada |