10 boxers that went to prison
10. Richard Towers.
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Standing at a massive 6'8" Richard Towers makes for a very intimidating figure in a boxing ring or anywhere for that matter. Currently Richard is a prospect in the heavyweight division of boxing; hard to imagine when you consider that he is a former gang member and has spent 13 years in prison for his involvement in the kidnapping of a man that was tortured with steam irons, guns, hammers, and a stun gun. The torture lasted for three days and although Towers played no part in the actual torture, he was found guilty as he had kidnapped the unnamed man.
9. Edwin Valero.
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One of the most exciting boxers of recent times Valero holds the record for the most consecutive first round knockouts (18 ) and had an immaculate record of 27(27)-0-0. In 2010 Valero was arrested on suspicion of murdering his wife Carolina after her body was found in a hotel room in Valencia, Carabobo. While in custody he allegedly admitted that he had killed his wife and it was also found that he had history of domestic violence.
The following day Valero was found hanging in his cell by prison guards, this lead to many conspiracies regarding the death. Many believe the police handed him the rope and let him hang himself while others believe they may have had a more hands on approach.
8. James Kirkland.
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Kirkland is a fighter that had massive potential in the ring but a trouble life outside. He compiled an extraordinary amateur record of 134-12 and some of the 12 losses were controversial. Kirkland started his professional career with a bang going 25-0 and knocking most of his opponents out with his incredible punching power. However, he was eventually haunted by the ghosts of his past as in 2009 he was sentence to two and a half years for an armed robbery he had committed in 2003.
After his release he returned to boxing with mixed results, being knocked out by Nobuhiro Ishida, a very light puncher from Japan and beating Alfredo Angulo only after Angulo had almost knocked him out in the first round. Fair to say isn't the same boxer he once was.
7. James Butler.
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Former world title challenger Butler always seemed destined to end up in Prison. On November 23, 2001 he was fighting Richard Grant in a charity match to raise money for the emergency services involved in the 9/11 attacks. Butler Lost the fight via decision and removed his gloves. He approached Grant as if to shake his hand in congratulations, but instead delivered a vicious right hook knocking him out cold. Grant required 23 stitches on his tongue and suffered a dislocated jaw while Butler served four months for the attack.
On April 2006 butler was sentence to 29 years in prison for the murder of Sam Kellerman after he beat him to death with a hammer then set his apartment alight. The motive for the killing is said to be because Kellerman was going to evict Butler from his apartment.
6. Mike Tyson.
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What do we have to write that you don't already know about Iron Mike Tyson? He tore the heavyweight boxing scene apart for a few years and is the youngest heavyweight champion of all time. His success was slightly hindered by some bizarre and very public incidents including the random release of his trainer, his short lived marriage, and his wife's claims that he was a manic depressive.
The biggest incident however was the sexual assault of Miss Rhode Island Desiree Washington on July 19, 1991. Tyson invited her to a party at his hotel room before pinning her down and sexually assaulting her. Tyson was sentenced to six years and a following four years of probation, but he was released after serving just three years.
5. Ike Ibeabuchi.
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Also known as the President or bizarrely the President of the World, Ike Ibeabuchi became a very powerful force in heavyweight boxing between 1994 and 1999 compiling an Impressive record of 20(15)-0-0. After one fight with the heavy punching David Tua, Ibeabuchi started complaining of headaches and claiming the he was haunted by demons, ghouls, and evil spirits that only he and his mother could see. In September of 1997 he abducted the 15 year old son of his former girlfriend and drove his car into a concrete pillar, injuring the boy severely. He was charged with kidnapping and attempted murder, however it was later decided that he was trying to kill himself and he was sentenced to 120 days in prison and a $500,000 fine.
In July 1999 Ibeabuchi was charged with sexual assault after people in an adjoining hotel room complained about loud noises coming from his room. When hotel staff arrived they found a half naked woman running towards them scared for her life and Ibeabuchi barricaded in the bathroom. Police set off pepper spray under the door to make him surrender then took him into custody. He was given two sentences, two to ten years for battery and three to twenty years for sexual assault to be served consecutively. Ibeabuchi will also be deported to his native Nigeria upon release.
4. Clifford Etienne.
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While serving 40 years for armed robbery (need I go on?) Etienne took up boxing as a way of passing the time but managed to compile an impressive prison record of 30-0. He was released after 10 years on good behavior and started on his path to becoming a professional boxer. His career was pretty good for someone who turned professional at 28 years old, going 29(20)-4-2 and having fought some of the best fighters in the world including the aforementioned Mike Tyson.
On August 10, 2005 his career came to an end after a cocaine fueled crime spree which included robbery, carjacking, kidnapping a family, and shooting at two police officers. He was sentenced to 160 years without the possibility of parole. However it's not all bad news for Clifford Etienne as his sentence was later reduced to 105 years.
3. Charles "Kid" McCoy.
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Born as Norman Selby, Charles McCoy was a world champion boxer and a very dirty one at that. He would elbow, head butt, and wrap his gloves in tape or sand paper to cut opponents easier. He retired in 1916 with a record of 87(65)-7-10. McCoy lived a contrasted life between being married ten times, working in theatre shows, and being a movie star when everyone was just starting to travelled to the Hollywood scene. He had a strong friendship with both Charlie Chaplin and director D. W. Griffith.
During the early 1920s McCoy became addicted heavily to alcohol and was broke. He met a wealthy woman named Teresa Mors who was going through a divorce and the two started a relationship together. On August 12, 1924 McCoy killed Mors with a single gunshot to the head. The next morning he held 12 people hostage at Mrs Mors antique shop, shooting one in the leg. McCoy was found guilty and spent 8 years in San Quentin prison. He was released in 1932 and worked a menial job at Ford Motor Company before taking his own life via an overdose of sleeping pills in 1940.
2. Tony Ayala, Jr.
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Ayala is another one from this list that was always going to end up in prison at some point. He once knocked an opponent to the ground then spat on him, and admitted to using heroin before 3 of his fights. However, his flaws were overlooked because he had something special in the ring, so much so that every big trainer that saw him said he was going to be one of the greatest boxers of all time, including Angelo Dundee who trained arguably thee greatest of all time Muhammad Ali.
His career was cut short one month before his 20th birthday as on January 1, 1983 he broke into the house of a young school teacher and sexually assaulted her. This was his 3rd strike as he had already been given probation for 2 previous sexual assaults, one that left his victim with a broken back. Although Ayala was only 19 at the time, due to America's repeat offenders law he was sentenced to 35 years in prison. He served 16 years and upon release he had 7 high profile fights, winning six and losing one which effectively ended his career.
In 2000 he was shot in the shoulder by a woman who's house he was robbing and served a brief jail sentenced, then in 2004 he was sentenced to ten years for speeding, driving without a license, and possession of pornography and heroin.
1. Dewey Bozella
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Bozella is unique to this list, having spent 26 years in prison for murdering Emma Crapser, a 92 year old in a botched robbery in 1977. What makes him unique is that he was in fact innocent of the charge made against him. During his time in prison he learned to box and dedicated his life to the prison boxing program. He vowed one day that the unjustified sentence would be overturned and he would would have just 1 professional right.
On October 28, 2009 Dewey Bozella walked free after it was discovered that crucial evidence that would have exonerated him had been hidden from the courts.
On October 15, 2011 a 52 year old Bozella made his professional debut, beating Larry Kopkins in a four round unanimous decision.
