Bruce Curry

Bruce Curry (born March 29, 1956, in Marlin, Texas), is an American former professional boxer. He was the WBC Super Lightweight Champion from 1983 to 1984.

Family

He is a member of a very traditional family in the boxing scene: he is the oldest of three brothers and all boxers (Bruce's younger brother Donald Curry is considered the most successful boxer in the family, having won four belts in the welterweight category (WBC, WBA, IBF and The Ring), and one in the light middleweight category (WBC), plus a spot in the International Boxing Hall of Fame).

Amateur career

Curry was a two-time Texas Golden Gloves Champion and runner-up to Sugar Ray Leonard at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials. Curry reportedly had an amateur record of 315-11. During his amateur career he was trained by Wesley Gale Parker.

Professional career

Curry turned professional in 1976 and won his first fourteen professional fights. On November 18, 1977, he fought Wilfred Benítez, the former WBA Junior Welterweight Champion. Curry knocked Benitez down three times but lost by a controversial ten-round split decision due to the scoring system.

He signed to fight Minoru Sugiya in Japan on January 26, 1978. He was then offered a rematch with Benitez, which would take place a mere 11 days later, on February 4. He decided to go take both fights. He knocked out Sugiya in three rounds and then flew back to the U.S. for the Benitez fight, which Benitez won by a ten-round majority decision. Benitez trained harder for the rematch and Curry was travel-worn. "I just wanted to get it done and go to bed," Curry said. "I should have sent out for coffee."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Curry won his next two fights and then lost back-to-back fights, getting stopped in nine rounds by Domingo Ayala and losing to Adolfo Viruet by a ten-round decision. Curry put together three straight wins and then fought Thomas Hearns, who was 19-0 with 18 knockouts. The 6' 1" Hearns stopped Curry in three rounds, however, the fight is best remembered in boxing circles as a rare but true example of "going down swinging," with Curry punching valiantly even as he fell to the canvas.

He won eleven of his next thirteen fights and then got his first world title shot. On May 18, 1983, Curry beat Leroy Haley by a twelve-round unanimous decision to win the WBC Super Lightweight Championship.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Curry's younger brother, Donald, won the WBA Welterweight Championship several months earlier. They were the first pair of brothers to hold world titles simultaneously. Another Curry brother, Graylin, was also a professional boxer.

Curry made two successful title defenses, knocking out Hidekazu Akai in seven rounds and winning a rematch with Haley by a twelve-round split decision. On January 29, 1984, Curry lost the title by a tenth-round knockout to Billy Costello.

On February 2, 1984, Curry was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, after he fired several shots at his trainer, Jesse Reid, following an altercation at a gym. He had fought with Reid after blaming him for his loss to Costello. Curry was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a concealed weapon.

Curry was found innocent by reason of insanity and ordered confined to a mental hospital until he was no longer a threat to society. He was released on March 26, 1985, after a team of three psychiatrists said he was no longer mentally ill.

Curry fought just one more time, defeating Tomas Garcia by a ten-round decision on April 29, 1986. He finished with a record of 35-8 with 17 knockouts.

Professional boxing record

Template:Abbr	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
41	Template:Yes2Win	33–8	Tomas Negro Garcia	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
40	Template:No2Loss	32–8	Billy Costello	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
39	Template:Yes2Win	32–7	Leroy Haley	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
38	Template:Yes2Win	31–7	Hidekazu Akai	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
37	Template:Yes2Win	30–7	Leroy Haley	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
36	Template:Yes2Win	29–7	Tyrone Rackley	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
35	Template:Yes2Win	28–7	Ronnie Shields	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
34	Template:Yes2Win	27–7	Danny Favella	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
33	Template:Yes2Win	26–7	Edward Nuno	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
32	Template:Yes2Win	25–7	Mark Ibanez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
31	Template:No2Loss	24–7	Steve Hearon	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
30	Template:Yes2Win	24–6	Pablo Gomez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
29	Template:Yes2Win	23–6	Alejo Rodriguez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
28	Template:Yes2Win	22–6	Andres Ramirez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
27	Template:No2Loss	21–6	Greg Stephens	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
26	Template:Yes2Win	21–5	Jimmy Jackson	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
25	Template:Yes2Win	20–5	Greg Stephens	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
24	Template:No2Loss	19–5	Thomas Hearns	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
23	Template:Yes2Win	19–4	Willie Rodriguez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
22	Template:Yes2Win	18–4	Clinton McKenzie	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
21	Template:Yes2Win	17–4	Wade Hinnant	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
20	Template:No2Loss	16–4	Adolfo Viruet	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
19	Template:No2Loss	16–3	Domingo Ayala	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
18	Template:Yes2Win	16–2	Monroe Brooks	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
17	Template:Yes2Win	15–2	Luis Resto	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
16	Template:No2Loss	14–2	Wilfred Benítez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
15	Template:Yes2Win	14–1	Minoru Sugiya	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
14	Template:No2Loss	13–1	Wilfred Benítez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
13	Template:Yes2Win	13–0	Julio Gomez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
12	Template:Yes2Win	12–0	Lion Furuyama	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
11	Template:Yes2Win	11–0	Rudy Barro	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
10	Template:Yes2Win	10–0	Juan Antonio Merlo	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
9	Template:Yes2Win	9–0	Buffalo Suzuki	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
8	Template:Yes2Win	8–0	Rafael Rodriguez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
7	Template:Yes2Win	7–0	Jimmy Jackson	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
6	Template:Yes2Win	6–0	Freddie Washington	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
5	Template:Yes2Win	5–0	Clarence Howard	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
4	Template:Yes2Win	4–0	Chris Gonzalez	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
3	Template:Yes2Win	3–0	Jorge Morales	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
2	Template:Yes2Win	2–0	Willie Hearne	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
1	Template:Yes2Win	1–0	Bruce Henderson	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small

See also

• Notable boxing families
• List of world light-welterweight boxing champions

External links

• Template:Boxrec