Attention Canadian Boxing Commission: Stop This Madness Now – 51 Year Old Razor Ruddock Making Comeback After 14 Year Retirement
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By Travis Fleming
Former Tyson challenger and one of the most exciting heavyweights of the late 80’s and early 90’s, Donovan “Razor” Ruddock, is making his return to boxing after a 14 year retirement. Shockingly, the 51 year old is scheduled to fight on March 28th against an opponent yet to be determined at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Growing up in Canada, Ruddock was a favorite of my childhood. I fondly remember watching him put many an opponent’s lights out with “The Smash” which was the name given to his signature punch that was half left hook, half uppercut, 100 percent power. He was a big, powerful man at 6’3 and in his prime weighing between 230 and 240 lbs.
He is best known for giving a pre-jail Mike Tyson a couple of memorable challenges back in 1991. He hurt Tyson and even perforated his eardrum in the first fight before getting stopped prematurely. The controversy over the stoppage led to a rematch where he hurt Tyson but ultimately lost a clear decision.
Prior to fighting Tyson, Ruddock beat some very good heavyweights including former champs Mike Weaver, James “Bonecrusher” Smith and Michael Dokes. After the Tyson fights, he reeled off a stoppage of former champ Greg Page and a KO of undefeated prospect Phil Jackson. These wins set up a showdown with the great Lennox Lewis in 1992 where he was stopped in the 2nd round in arguably the last fight of Ruddock’s prime. Lewis was the underdog in this fight, he notched his most credible win and went on to be a great champion.
After losing to Lewis, Ruddock would take a year off and when he returned he won a unanimous decision over the unheralded Anthony Wade. He would take another year off after Wade before having his last fight at the contender level against former champ Tommy Morrison. In a very entertaining battle the two monstrous left hookers would go to war. Ruddock dropped Morrison in the first round and hurt Morrison badly in the sixth. When he moved in to try and finish off a clearly dazed Morrison in round 6, he would get dropped by a Morrison left hook and stopped in the ensuing rally from Morrison. This would be the last time Ruddock faced anyone of note and it was 20 years ago.
Ruddock took three years off after the Morrison fight and would stage a comeback that never amounted to anything between 1998 and 2001. He faced a string of journeymen, notching 8 straight wins. In his second last fight, a clearly shot Ruddock would struggle to get a split decision over Harold Sconiers, a guy he would have destroyed in his prime. At age 38 in 2001, Ruddock would have his last fight against journeyman Egerton Marcus where he would win a 10th round TKO and ride off into sunset with a win before retiring.
All in all, Ruddock faced 7 former or future world champs, notching 4 wins against 4 losses as he fought Tyson twice. He had a very good career, although he did stick around well past his best days.
Now, 33 years after his pro debut, 23 years past his prime and 14 years after his final fight when he was already considered a shot fighter, a 51 year old Ruddock is scheduled to make a return. It is absolutely absurd that a 51 year old man is being allowed to step in the squared circle after 14 years of inactivity and countless ring wars before that. In 2001, Ruddock wasn’t even a shell of his former self so are we now being expected to believe that he can enter a ring without endangering himself 14 years later, halfway to 100 years old? How is this even being allowed to happen?
It’s a sad truth that many fighters have no choice but to keep fighting and putting their health on the line well past their primes to put food on the table. Personally, I am unaware if Ruddock’s return is financially motivated, but if it is can some kind hearted Canadian please give this man a decent job? I loved watching Ruddock growing up and don’t want to see such a fantastic warrior risk getting badly hurt at 51 years old. I’m in no place to tell another grown man how to make a living or to suggest against him doing what he has to do in order to get by, but with all respect to Ruddock, he might need to be saved from himself. I only hope his return is of the exhibition, Mickey Rourke variety and it’s staged or against a guy with absolutely zero punching power.
