Amir Mansour

Amir Mansour
Mansour in 2011
Statistics
Nickname(s)	Hardcore
Rated at	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	Lavern Moorer July 25, 1972 Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Stance	Southpaw
Boxing record
Total fights	25
Wins	22
Wins by KO	16
Losses	2
Draws	1

Amir Mansour (born Lavern Moorer; July 25, 1972) is an American professional boxer who fights at heavyweight. Mansour has fought 25 fights and has won 22 of them, 16 by knock-out. His professional debut came back in 1997. But he only fought 9 fights, before he was sent to prison back in 2001, serving 8 1/2 years on a controlled substance charge. He entered a halfway house in March 2010 and resumed his boxing career in August 2010.

Professional career

Early career

Mansour made his debut at the age of 24 against another debutant Clifton Graham at the Cedar Beach Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania on July 12, 1997. Mansour knocked out Graham in round 1. Two months later, Mansour knocked out Malik Muhammad in two rounds. Mansour went undefeated in his next seven fights, with a record of 9 wins with 6 coming inside the distance. At this time, Mansour was 28 year old.

Comeback in 2011

Mansour vs. Ocgieng

At the age of 38, his first fight since 2001, Mansour returned to the boxing ring to defeat 36 year old Samuel Brown by knockout.^[1] Mansour stayed undefeated in his next four fights, winning them all by knockout. In May 2011, Mansour claimed the vacant World Boxing Foundation Intercontinental heavyweight title, knocking out Kenyan boxer Raymond Ochieng 1 minute and 45 seconds into the first round. This was his quickest victory recorded to date.

Mansour vs. Guinn, Mendoza

On August 19, 2011 he defeated former heavyweight contender Dominick Guinn by unanimous decision to win the NABO heavyweight title.

Mansour defended his title with a 6th round TKO on December 2, 2011 against the Colombian boxer Epifanio Mendoza at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, in Dover, DE.

On December 23, 2011, Mansour was sentenced to 14 months in prison for violating his probation.^[2]

Second comeback in 2013

Mansour came home from prison on July 12, 2012. Mansour started his road to redemption dedicating his life to family and helping children outside of the ring. While in the ring Mansour started his path to a becoming a world champion, resumed his boxing career on January 25, 2013 at the Dover Downs Hotel & Casino, where he faced Dominique Alexander. Mansour KO'd Alexander in only 24 seconds and improved his record to 17-0(13).^[3] His last fight took place on April 12, 2013 in Dover, Delaware, USA. His opponent was Jason Gavern.^[4] Amir Mansour won by a first round KO. Knocking down Jason Gavern four times.^[5]

Mansour vs. Harris

On August 23, 2013, Amir Mansour fought for three minor heavyweight titles. He defended his WBF Intercontinental and also won the vacant USBA & interim NABA Heavyweight titles. His opponent was journeyman veteran Maurice Harris. Mansour weighed in at 226. The fight marked his first scheduled 12 round fight. Mansour won the fight by a 12 round unanimous decision. The scores were 120-108, 120-108 and 116-112, all for Mansour.^[6]

Mansour vs. Price

On December 14, 2013. Mansour recorded a TKO against Kelvin Price in New Jersey. Rather than scoring the early knockout, a feat that he has grown used to, Mansour treated Price like a stubborn stump that required several hundred whacks before eventually going down.

Mansour vs. Cunningham

Mansour's first fight of 2014 was a huge step up in class, defending his USBA title against veteran Steve Cunningham. Mansour cut Cunningham above the left eye with a short right hook in the 2nd round. In the 5th round, Mansour knocked down Cunningham with a double right hook, then knocked him down a second time with a series of shots. Cunningham benefited from some very ponderous officiating by referee Smoger who counted very slowly then spent several seconds checking Cunningham after both counts, with the bell sounding to end the round after the second count. Mansour would swing wildly for the rest of the fight and Cunningham eventually made Mansour touch down with his gloves after a series of clean blows in the 10th and final round. The scores were 97-90 and 95-92 twice, all for Cunningham.^[7]

After losing the fight, Mansour immediately spoke to the press and instead of complaining about the judgement, he talked about his opponent's (Cunningham) young daughter who needed a heart transplant. As a result of the publicity, more than $20,000 was donated to a special fund for Cunningham's daughter.^[8]

Miscellaneous fights

Following his first loss as a professional, Mansour made a comeback in November 2014. He fought 35 year old Fred Kassi (18-2, 10 KOs) at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and was shown live on NBC Sports Network.^[9] In round 7, Mansour saw an opening and hit a counter right hook that put Kassi face first to the canvas, knocked out, ending the fight by knockout.^[10]

Mansour took six months out after knocking out Kassi and next fought in May 2015 in the main event of an ESPN Friday Night Fights card at the 2300 Arena, which was a sell out. Mansour fought American Joey Dawejko. The fight went the full ten rounds in what was described as a 'tactical battle of punchers', as Mansour won after the three judges scored it (96-94, 98-92, 97-93).^[11]

Mansour vs. Breazeale

On January 23, 2016, Mansour lost to Dominic Breazeale after he decided not to return from his stool after the 5th round. Although Mansour was ahead on all three judges scorecards (50-44, 50-44, 50-44), and also knocked down Breazeale in the third round for a 10-8 round, Breazeale however beat the count. Mansour had bit his tongue nearly in half in the second round and had trouble breathing through his nose and mouth as he entered the bout with a cold. He gave up on his stool.^[12] Although Breazeale lost every round, he remained undefeated and went on fight for the IBF World Heavyweight title against titleholder Anthony Joshua, losing via a 7th round stoppage.^[13]

Professional boxing record

References

1. phillyteamfreak (2010-08-28), Amir "Hardcore" Mansour vs. Samuel "Showtime" Brown August 27,2010, retrieved 2016-10-01
2. http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=30197&more=1[]
3. http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/early-results-from-dover-downs-3-164131
4. http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Ken/Hissner-041013-Amir-Mansour-Hardcore-Interview.htm
5. http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/mansour-destroys-gavern-186113
6. http://boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=674944
7. "Cunningham Shows Heart, Skill in Defeating Mansour - Boxing News". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
8. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/sports/with-a-new-heart-a-boxers-daughter-is-her-familys-toughest-fighter.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
9. "Mansour-Kassi Headlines on NBC Cable - The Sweet Science". Retrieved 2016-10-01.
10. "Amir Mansour speaks after spectacular KO win over Fred Kassi | Boxing News". 2014-11-11. Retrieved 2016-10-01.
11. "Mansour defeats Dawejko by unanimous decision". Retrieved 2016-10-02.
12. "Breazeale stops Mansour, fails to shine". Retrieved 2016-10-01.
13. "Anthony Joshua knocks out Dominic Breazeale in seventh round after Chris Eubank and George Groves win". Retrieved 2016-10-01.
14. http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=23704&cat=boxer

External links

• Professional boxing record for Amir Mansour from BoxRec