Dariusz Michalczewski


Dariusz Michalczewski is a Polish-German former professional boxer who competed from 1991 to 2005. He held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the WBA, IBF, WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles between 1994 and 2003, and the WBO junior-heavyweight title from 1994 to 1995.

Amateur career

Michalczewski came up through Poland's state-run sports program as a boy and had a successful amateur career. He achieved an amateur record of 139–11–2. Highlights of his amateur career include:
On 24 April 1988, while competing beyond the Iron Curtain in West Germany for the Polish national team, Michalczewski defected from the amateur team to stay in West Germany. Becoming a citizen of the now united Germany in 1991 and turning professional the same year, he was soon signed by Universum Box-Promotion, one of the leading boxing promoters in Europe. His aggressive style earned him the nickname "Tiger".

Professional career

Michalczewski turned professional in September 1991. He won the German International light-heavyweight title early on 13 February 1993, a title for foreign-born fighters based in Germany. He then won the IBF Intercontinental title on 22 May 1993.

Two-weight world champion

On 10 September 1994, Michalczewski, at 23-0, captured the WBO light-heavyweight title with a 12-round decision over defending champion Leeonzer Barber at Sporthalle, Alsterdorf, Hamburg, Germany. Between then and March 2003, Michalczewski made 23 successful defenses of his WBO title against 20 different boxers, and picked up three other belts along the way. Three months after beating Barber, he won the WBO cruiserweight title with a tenth-round knockout of Nestor Giovannini. However, he soon gave up that title to continue campaigning as a light-heavyweight.
In 1996, Universum Box-Promotion's conditioning coach Fritz Sdunek became head coach and replaced Chuck Talhami as Michalczewski's trainer, which resulted in a marked improvement in Michalczewski's performances.

Hill vs Michalczewski unification

On 13 June 1997, he defeated Virgil Hill over 12 rounds to add Hill's WBA, IBF and Lineal light-heavyweight titles to his own. However, Michalczewski soon lost both alphabet titles; Scandalously, the WBA immediately stripped him for displaying its belt along with that of the WBO. Michalczewski was then forced to relinquish the IBF title when he was unable to defend the title in a court-ordered defense against mandatory challenger William Guthrie within a little over a month after the bout with Hill.
After beating Hill, Michalczewski knocked out 14 consecutive opponents, all in defense of his Lineal/WBO titles. In 1998, he defeated Drake Thadzi, in 1999 he defeated Montel Griffin, and in 2000 he defeated Graciano Rocchigiani.

Going for Marciano's record

Michalczewski had a perfect record of 48-0 when he faced Julio César González of Mexico in defense of his title on 18 October 2003. Coming into the fight, he was within one victory of tying Rocky Marciano's record of 49 wins with no losses. A win also would have put him just one victory short of Joe Louis' all-time record for successful defenses at any weight class. However, as when Larry Holmes went for the same record against Michael Spinks, the now 35-year-old Michalczewski was unable to pull it off. He lost a controversial split decision to the 27-year-old Gonzalez at the Color Line Arena in Hamburg, and his career record dropped to 48-1.
Despite the loss, he still holds the record for the most consecutive successful world title defenses at light-heavyweight.

Final fight

In October 2004, it was announced that Michalczewski would come out of retirement to box France's Fabrice Tiozzo for the WBA light heavyweight title on 26 February 2005 in Hamburg. Michalczewski was stopped in six rounds, then announce his retirement in May 2005.
Michalczewski was to come out of retirement to fight German boxing icon Sven Ottke in Germany in May 2008, but the bout never materialized.

In popular culture

In 2003 Dariusz Michalczewski established foundation "Równe Szanse" which was aimed at supporting initiatives for youth from dysfunctional families. Since 2014 he supports the social campaign for civil union and the right for adoption by homosexual couples.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
50Loss48–2 Fabrice TiozzoTKO6, 2:0526 Feb 2005 Color Line Arena, Hamburg, GermanyFor WBA light-heavyweight title
49Loss48–1 Julio César González1218 Oct 2003 Color Line Arena, Hamburg, GermanyLost WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
48Win48–0 Derrick HarmonKO9 29 Mar 2003 Color Line Arena, Hamburg, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
47Win47–0 Richard HallTKO10 14 Sep 2002 Volkswagen Halle, Braunschweig, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
46Win46–0 Joey DeGrandisKO2 20 Apr 2002 Hala Olivia, Gdańsk, PolandRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
45Win45–0 Richard HallTKO11, 1:5015 Dec 2001 Estrel Hotel, Berlin, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
44Win44–0 Alejandro LakatosKO9, 1:355 May 2001 Volkswagen Halle, Braunschweig, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
43Win43–0 Ka-Dy KingTKO7, 0:2816 Dec 2000 Grugahalle, Essen, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
42Win42–0 Graciano RocchigianiTKO10, 3:0015 Apr 2000 Preussag Arena, Hanover, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
41Win41–0 Montell GriffinTKO4, 2:5928 Aug 1999 Stadthalle, Bremen, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
40Win40–0 Muslim BiarslanovTKO7, 1:413 Apr 1999 Stadthalle, Bremen, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light heavyweight titles
39Win39–0 Drake ThadziTKO9, 1:4512 Dec 1998 Ballsporthalle, Frankfurt, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
38Win38–0 Mark PrinceKO8 19 Sep 1998 Arena Oberhausen, Oberhausen, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
37Win37–0 Andrea MagiTKO4 20 Mar 1998 Ballsporthalle, Frankfurt, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
36Win36–0 Darren Zenner6, 3:0013 Dec 1997 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
35Win35–0 Nicky PiperTKO7, 3:004 Oct 1997 Stadionsporthalle, Hanover, GermanyRetained WBO and lineal light-heavyweight titles
34Win34–0 Virgil HillUD1213 Jun 1997 Arena Oberhausen, Oberhausen, GermanyRetained WBO light-heavyweight title;
Won WBA, IBF, and lineal light-heavyweight titles
33Win33–0 Christophe GirardTKO8 13 Dec 1996 Stadionsporthalle, Hanover, GermanyRetained WBO light-heavyweight title
32Win32–0 Graciano RocchigianiDQ7, 3:0010 Aug 1996 Wilhelm-Koch-Stadion, Hamburg, GermanyRetained WBO light-heavyweight title;
Rocchigiani disqualified for punching after a clinch
31Win31–0 Christophe GirardUD128 Jun 1996 Sporthalle, Cologne, GermanyRetained WBO light-heavyweight title
30Win30–0 Asluddin UmarovTKO5, 2:306 Apr 1996 Stadionsporthalle, Hanover, GermanyRetained WBO light-heavyweight title
29Win29–0 Philippe MichelUD127 Oct 1995 Festhalle, Frankfurt, GermanyRetained WBO light-heavyweight title
28Win28–0 Everardo Armenta Jr.KO5, 2:5919 Aug 1995 Eisstadion an der Brehmstraße, Düsseldorf, GermanyRetained WBO light-heavyweight title
27Win27–0 Paul CarloKO4, 2:4620 May 1995 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyRetained WBO light-heavyweight title
26Win26–0 Roberto DominguezKO2, 1:0511 Mar 1995 Sporthalle, Cologne, GermanyRetained WBO light-heavyweight title
25Win25–0 Nestor Hipolito GiovanniniKO10, 1:2517 Dec 1994 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyWon WBO junior-heavyweight title
24Win24–0 Leeonzer Barber1210 Sep 1994 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyWon WBO light-heavyweight title
23Win23–0 Melvin WynnKO2, 3:0528 May 1994 Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany
22Win22–0 David DavisKO7 23 Apr 1994 Sporthalle Bildungszentrum, Halle, Germany
21Win21–0 David VedderDQ119 Feb 1994 Sporthalle Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
20Win20–0 Sergio Daniel Merani9 20 Nov 1993 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyRetained IBF Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title
19Win19–0 Mwehu BeyaPTS1211 Sep 1993 Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, GermanyRetained IBF Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title
18Win18–0 Juan Alberto BarreroKO5 26 Jun 1993 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, Germany
17Win17–0 Noel MageeTKO8 22 May 1993 Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, GermanyWon vacant IBF Inter-Continental light-heavyweight title
16Win16–0 Pat AlleyKO43 Apr 1993 Sporthalle Wandsbek, Hamburg, Germany
15Win15–0 Ali SaidiKO10 13 Feb 1993 Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, Hamburg, GermanyWon German International light-heavyweight title
14Win14–0 Willie McDonaldKO2 12 Jan 1993 Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Germany
13Win13–0 Mike Peak88 Dec 1992 Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany
12Win12–0 Keith WilliamsTKO217 Nov 1992 Holstentorhalle, Lübeck, Germany
11Win11–0 Cecil SimmsKO27 Nov 1992 Sporthalle, Cologne, Germany
10Win10–0 Steve McCarthy3, 2:5929 Sep 1992 Legiencenter, Hamburg, GermanyMcCarthy disqualified for an intentional headbutt
9Win9–0 Sylvester WhiteTKO528 Aug 1992 Tivoli Eissporthalle, Aachen, Germany
8Win8–0 Richard Bustin4 27 Jun 1992 Hotel, Quinta do Lago, Portugal
7Win7–0 Terrence WrightTKO222 May 1992 Dinslaken, Germany
6Win6–0 Robert JohnsonTKO2, 2:414 Apr 1992 Düsseldorf, Germany
5Win5–0 Sean MannionTKO321 Feb 1992 Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany
4Win4–0 Yves MonsieurTKO4 28 Jan 1992 Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany
3Win3–0 Zoltan HabdaTKO2 10 Jan 1992 Saaltheater Geulen, Aachen, Germany
2Win2–0 Peter CenkiTKO215 Oct 1991 Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany
1Win1–0 Frederic Porter216 Sep 1991 Legiencenter, Hamburg, Germany