Buster Mathis

Buster Mathis
Data
Birth Name	Buster Mathis
Weight class	Heavyweight
nationality	US-american
birthday	June 11, 1943
place of birth	Sledge
Date of death	September 6, 1995
style	Left delivery
size	1.91 m
Range	1.93 m
Combat Statistics
Struggles	34
Victories	30th
Knockout victories	21st
Defeats	4th
draw	0
No value	0
Profile in the BoxRec database

Buster Mathis (* 11. June 1943 in Sledge , Mississippi ; † 6. September 1995 in Grand Rapids , Michigan ) was an American boxer in the heavyweight division and the father of Buster Mathis Jr. , who was also a heavyweight boxer and in 1995 against Mike Tyson boxed. He was trained by both Joey Fariello and Cus D'Amato , who also trained Mike Tyson.

Amateur career

Buster Mathis was a tall and heavy, technically but still very good, fast and agile boxer. He had a thoroughly successful amateur career. The 1.93-meter-long left-hand boom was American champion in 1964 with points wins over Jim Hall and Al Wilson and won the final of the US eliminations for participation in the 1964 Summer Olympics against Joe Frazier . However, Mathis could not compete in the Olympic Games due to a hand injury. 20-year-old Joe Frazier stepped in for him and won the gold medal.

Buster Mathis was the only boxer who could defeat Joe Frazier in the amateurs, he did it twice.

Professional career

His debut in professional boxing Mathis decided on June 28, 1965 to be when he was in Montreal Bob Maynard in the second round ko suggested. In 1966 he knocked out the completely inexperienced Chuck Wepner , who had only seven fights, in the third round.

In 1968 Mathis competed in Madison Square Garden for the vacant world title of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC for short) against Joe Frazier. Frazier took revenge for his two defeats with the amateurs and defeated Mathis by technical knockout in the 11th round. In February of the following year, Mathis met George Chuvalo , whose chin was considered one of the toughest, and hit him clearly and unanimously on points. A good six weeks later he boxed against Jerry Quarry and had to accept a clear point defeat.

In 1971 Mathis boxed at the Astrodome , Houston , USA , against Muhammad Ali for the NABF title , which Ali won six weeks earlier in a fight against Jimmy Ellis , and suffered another clear point defeat.

With an impressive technical knockout victory against the undefeated Claude "Humphrey" McBride (record 26-0-0) Mathis reported back. However, the late starter Ron Lyle , who had been unbeaten until then, knocked him out in Denver in 1972. After this heavy defeat, Buster Mathis ended his career.

Web links

• Buster Mathis in the BoxRec database