A Look At Florida’s Top Boxers, Past and Present
Florida, especially South Florida, has long been known for its boxing circuit. This is thanks in part to Miami Beach’s 5th Street Gym, the many fights that have taken place in venues in Orlando and Miami, and in part thanks to the various boxing greats who have come from the Sunshine State. These include Jeff Lacy, Antonio Tarver and Roy Jones Jr, as well as several exciting newcomers.
Top Active Boxers from Florida
Several boxers currently on the circuit hail from Florida, and are worth keeping an eye on. If you’re looking for a crowd favourite, Roy Jones Jr. is a longstanding champion who is still fighting in the ring. He is ranked 8th in the world, and the odds of him winning a match are often favourable. On June 30th 2023, Jones Jr. won the first-ever Metaverse boxing match against NDO Champ in the seventh round.
On the other hand, you have newcomer Darrelle Valsaint, a Florida-born Haitian boxer who is making waves in the boxing world. With 9 wins and 0 losses in his professional career so far, he’s a safe bet. Valsaint was odds-on favourite for his last fight at the end of July against Daniel Aduku. He opened at -2500 to Aduku’s +1200 at many bookmakers featured in reviews on thesportsdaily.com, and predictions were right when Valsaint knocked Aduku out less than a minute into the fourth round.
Another fighter worth paying attention to is Chevelle Hallback – at almost 52 years old she is still fighting, and has not yet retired from boxing. Keep an eye out for any upcoming fights featuring the Fist of Steel, as they’re worth a watch.
Erikson Lubin is another fairly new entry to the boxing scene. Born in Orlando in 1995, this young boxer idolized the likes of Oscar De La Hoyer. He made his professional debut in 2013 and has an impressive 143-7 record.
Debuting on the professional circuit as a middleweight boxer in 2007, 18-year-old Keith Thurman won his match against Kensky Rodney with a first-round knockout. He continued to advance his career, until his first professional loss in 2019. After losing his fight to Manny Pacquiao, Thurman took a 31-month hiatus before returning to the ring in 2022.
Floridian Boxing Stalwarts
Holding the IBF super middleweight title between 2004 and 2006, and the IBO super middleweight title for 2005 and 2006, Jeff Lacy rose to fame thanks to his astounding knockout record, as well as phenomenal physique. He made his debut on the professional circuit in 2001 with a fight against Jerald Lowe, which he won by knocking him out in the first round. Lacy slowed down after a surprising loss to Joe Calzaghe in 2006, despite the odds being in his favour. He retired from the professional circuit in 2015.
Antonio Tarver entered the professional boxing arena in 1997, after winning bronze at the Olympics the year before. 14 of his first 16 fights were won by knockout, and as he built his career, this is the move he became most well known for.
Perhaps the most well-known example of this is when he gave a memorable one-punch knockout to Roy Jones in 2004. The odds were stacked against him as Roy Jones was the more experienced fighter, and had only been knocked out once in his previous run of 50 matches. However, after just two rounds, Tarver won the WBC and WBA (Super) titles despite these odds, which resulted in him becoming quite the celebrity.
