Rocky Lockridge
Rick "Rocky" Lockridge (January 10, 1959 – February 7, 2019) was an American professional boxer.[2] He is perhaps best known for having handed Roger Mayweather his first defeat—a first-round knockout in just 98 seconds—earning him the WBA and lineal super featherweight titles.[3] He later won the IBF super featherweight title. He is also known from his 2010 appearance on the A&E television series Intervention.
| Rocky Lockridge | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Nickname(s) | Rocky |
| Weight(s) | Super featherweight Featherweight |
| Height | 5 ft 6 1⁄2 in (169 cm) |
| Reach | 68 in (173 cm) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | Rick Lockridge January 10, 1959 Tacoma, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | February 7, 2019 (aged 60) Gloucester City, New Jersey[1] |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 53 |
| Wins | 44 |
| Wins by KO | 36 |
| Losses | 9 |
Amateur career
Lockridge started boxing as an amateur out of the Tacoma Boys Club. Being one of four world champions to originate from Tacoma (including Freddie Steele, Leo Randolph and Johnny Bumphus), his highlights as an amateur include:
- 1977 National AAU Bantamweight Champion, stopping David Douglas of the U.S. Army in the second round of the final.
- 1978 National Golden Gloves Runner Up in Bantamweight Class
- 1978 Runner Up in National AAU Championships in Bantamweight Class, losing to Jackie Beard in Biloxi, MS
- Defeated in the quarter-finals of the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia by Fazlija Šaćirović (2-3)
Later years and death
For the last two decades of his life, Lockridge had drug problems. He became homeless and suffered a stroke which forced him to walk with a cane. He was featured on A&E's Intervention TV series, on which he claimed that the intervention and the help of his sons saved his life.[4] His appearance on the show is noted for a moment where his son Lamar says, "Because I know, somewhere deep down in my heart, I still love you," which caused Lockridge to break down crying hard enough to the point where he was almost yelling. This spawned the internet meme "Best Cry Ever".[5][2] He was also caught on video defending himself by knocking out a bully with a single one-two jab-cross combination near a convenience store.[6] In interviews, he expressed a desire to be drug-free, having stated that he had never been this clean, even in his fighting days. "I feel so good today that if I hadn't suffered the stroke I would go for a title shot," he stated. He was also interested in becoming a boxing trainer.
Lockridge died on February 7, 2019 at the age of 60, after being placed on home hospice care following another series of strokes. He was removed from life support about one week prior to his death.[1] Lockridge is survived by his three sons Lamar Lockridge, Raymond Dixon, and Ricky Lockridge Jr.
See also
- List of super featherweight boxing champions
- List of WBA world champions
- List of IBF world champions
References
- "Boxer Rocky Lockridge, Famous for 'Intervention' Scream, Dies at 60". MSN.
- "'Intervention' Viral Star Rocky Lockridge Dies, Boxing Legend Remembered". TMZ. February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2019.
- "Rocky Lockridge - Lineal Jr. Lightweight Champion". The Cyber Boxing Zone Encyclopedia.
- "Rocky". Intervention. Season 8. Episode 14. 2010-04-05. A&E Network. Archived from the original on 2011-09-08. Retrieved 2011-09-06.
- Best Cry Ever on YouTube
- Guy Picks Fight with Retired Boxer on YouTube
External links
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Roger Mayweather |
WBA super featherweight champion 26 Feb 1984– 19 May 1985 |
Succeeded by Wilfredo Gómez |
| Preceded by Barry Michael |
IBF super featherweight champion 9 Aug 1987– 23 Jul 1988 |
Succeeded by Tony Lopez |