Chris Calvin: Tragedy In the Ring that Left One Fighter Dead and Another with the Killer Instinct Taken Away

(Calvin on the right)

I’m not a fan of the UFC. I appreciate it for what it is, for the skill that’s involved, for the commitment and determination of the combatants but I’ve never taken to it and, although I’ve devoted some time to it, it’s a sport that leaves me a little cold. I’m sure that there are those of you who would say I’ve missed something, and you are most probably correct, but there’s horses for courses and I’m just not that nag. To me, there is nobility in Queensberry Rules and, rightly or wrongly, I see that as the underlying integrity that separates professional boxing from the bloody rituals that unfold on the street.

That’s not to suggest that boxing isn’t a brutal sport, it certainly can be, but genuine fans who care about the game would never want to see a fighter unduly hurt and that extends to followers of all the contact sports whether it’s boxing, UFC, Martial Arts etc. Our hearts go out to the likes of Magomed Abdusalamov, Gerald McClellan and Michael Watson but what of the impact such tragedy had on the men who shared the ring with these poor souls. Mike Perez, who was my tip for the top, hasn’t won a bout since that fateful night with Magomed. Eubank was never the same fighter after his encounter with Watson and Barry McGuigan forever lost his edge after the death of Young Ali. But, for me, the devastating effects of losing so much in ‘victory’ can be found scattered all about the life of Chris Calvin.

“The Southern Rebel” was born in Nashville on August 8th 1958 and he came to the world with an inbuilt desire to do right by his fellow man. During his time in the US Navy, he compiled an amateur record of 120-10, 88 KO’s. He made the All Navy boxing team three times and was All-Military twice. When he got out of the service he followed in the footsteps of his father, who was also a lightweight fighter and former Captain of the Nashville Fire Department. Chris became a fire fighter and his will to preserve life became an outstanding feature of who he was. He once used mouth to mouth to save an elderly woman who had stopped breathing following a heart attack and, on another occasion, he almost died in a burning building when he risked his own life making his way through smoke and fire to ensure the safety of the team he had become separated from. He was allowed a punching bag at the station and he squeezed in fights between shifts in uniform. But Chris Calvin was a powerful Lightweight and he quickly came to the attention of the boxing world. In the early days, his career was tempered by his duty to the Nashville Fire Department but, when he made the decision to commit, he rose through the ranks quickly. He suffered a broken thumb in his 1982 bout with Robin Blake and dropped a decision because of it but he was back with a bang nine months later with a first round win over Anthony Murray.

By the time Chris stopped Brett Summers in May of 1985, he was a legitimate contender who had wowed the crowds in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. He was a hugely exciting fighter who had notched up 15 knockouts in his 16 wins and there were talks of him fighting Greg Haugen in a world title eliminator. But first he would face Detroit’s Shawn Thomas in Merriville, Indiana. Chris was a bookies favorite to take the bout and there would have been little gained for those who wagered on a knockout. Thomas had lost his last bout on points to the lightly regarded Vernon Buchanan but, at the time, he’d never been stopped and he could certainly finish in style. It was expected to be a bruising but entertaining bout but many lives would change that May night in 1985. Calvin had the better of Thomas from the opening bell and the Michigan man looked all but beaten going into the 7th. There was an exchange where both men went toe to toe and Chris landed some punishing blows. Thomas staggered onto the ropes and Calvin connected clearly with powerful shots compelling referee Stanley Berg to step in as Shawn Thomas slumped to the canvas. Tragically, he never got up. He suffered a blood clot to the brain and lapsed, immediately, into a coma. He died shortly afterwards.

A man lost his life in the ring that night and another left his heart behind him as he shuffled away dazed and distraught. There would be questions, of course, about his future in the sport but Chris needed to be objective. “I’ve got a family to support” he would say “a wife, two kids and another on the way. I’ve got to stay in the ring…I’m so sorry this happened”. He would get his crack at Haugen some months later but the bout was an exercise in caution and Chris was stopped by KO for the first time in his career. Haugen would go on to lift the IBF World Lightweight Title from Jimmy Paul and later take such scalps as Vinny Pazienza, Hector Camacho and Ray Mancini. Calvin’s career, on the other hand, would unravel woefully and he would never again rank amongst the boxing elite. When he retired in 1997, following an ill fated comeback, he did so without celebration or ceremony. He became a haunted figure who wore his guilt for the world to see. Many years later he gave an interview to Kerry Pharr and he opened up on the regrets that dogged his life. When asked about the fight a visibly distressed Calvin said “Yes sir..it stays in your mind. The guilt is there in fighting for money. I never got to tell the parents…I’m so sorry and everything”. When asked about his career after the Thomas fight, he lamented his lost potential and replied by saying “For boxers, they call it killer instinct and usually if I had someone hurt in the ring, I’d stay on top of them…I just…well it wasn’t in me no more”. The interview is on YouTube and, I warn you, it is hard to watch. Chris Calvin…so brilliantly talented…so terribly tragic.

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