Johnny Bumphus

Infobox_Boxer


name = Johnny Bumphus


caption=
realname=
nationality = United States
nickname = Bump City
weight = Light Welterweight
birth_date = Birth date and age|1960|8|17|mf=y
birth_place = Tacoma, Washington
style = Southpaw
total = 31
wins = 29
KO = 20
losses = 2
draws = 0
no contests = 0

Johnny Bumphus (born August 17, 1960 in Tacoma, WA), is a former boxer who was world light welterweight champion.

Professional career

Dubbed "Bump City," Bumphus began his career as a hot prospect, winning his first 22 fights, including the Vacant WBA Light Welterweight Title with a decision win over Lorenzo Luis Garcia in 1984. Bumphus lost the belt in June of 1984 in Buffalo, New York to Gene Hatcher. Hatcher scored an 11th-round technical knockout that featured Hatcher knocking Bumphus down, then slipping and falling on a follow-up attempt, then throwing Bumphus down to the mat when both fighters clinched. A post-fight melee in the ring then ensued, as Hatcher was celebrating in triumph while the now-deposed champion was slugging away in frustration. The fight was named as Ring Magazine Upset of the year for 1984. In 1987 Bumphus took on Lloyd Honeyghan for the WBC and IBF Welterweight Title, but lost a 2nd round TKO. He retired after the loss, with a record of 29-2-0.

Towards the end of his boxing career he developed an addiction to cocaine, which he briefly kicked. When he returned to Tacoma's drug infested Hilltop neighborhood in 1989, he quickly became addicted to crack cocaine. In 1995, he spent a year in rehab, and then left Tacoma to work as a trainer for his former manager Lou Duva in West Palm Beach, Florida [http://www.boxingtalk.com/pages/free2202.htm] .

As a trainer, he has worked with Kassim Ouma and Emmett Linton.

Amateur career

Bumphus began boxing as an amateur at the age of eight out of the Tacoma Boys Club, and claimed a career amateur record of 341-16. [Citation
title = KO Closeup: Johnny Bumphus
journal = KO
page = 35
date = August 1983] He was one of four World Champions to begin boxing in Tacoma; Freddie Steele, Rocky Lockridge, and Leo Randolph, were the others.His amateur highlights were:
*1977 National AAU Featherweight Champion, decisioning Lee Simmons of Akron, OH, in the final.
*1979 National Golden Gloves Champion (132 lbs.), defeating Efrain Nieves at Indianapolis

Olympics

Bumphus qualified at 139 pounds and was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic boxing team [http://boxing.about.com/library/bl_oly_1980.htm] that perished in an air crash in Warsaw, Poland, on March 14, 1980 [http://www.astm.org/cgi-bin/SoftCart.exe/JOURNALS/FORENSIC/PAGES/JFS2002083_476.htm?E+mystore] . The team was en route to Warsaw, Poland for the USA vs. Poland Box-off as part of "USA vs. the World." event. Bumphus was not with the team. Among the USA Boxing teammates who were killed in the plane crash were Lemuel Steeples from St. Louis; Calvin Anderson from Connecticut; Paul Palomino - the brother of Carlos Palomino ; George Pimentel, and Olympic Coach, Sarge Johnson. Members of the team who were also not aboard included Bobby Czyz, Alex Ramos, and James Shuler [http://www.ikfkickboxing.com/RBF.htm] .

Bumphus earned his berth on the team with a win over Ronnie Shields. Bumphus did not compete in the Olympics, due to the U. S. boycott.

External links

* [http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=018262 Boxing Record]

References