In sad news, it has come to our attention that Bruce Seldon, the former WBA heavyweight champion, is currently down on his luck and homeless, living in a shelter in Newark, New Jersey. Daniel McDermott has organised a fundraiser and he has vowed to get 55 year old Seldon a job as a trainer in his gym once Bruce finds himself a home and is stable.
McDermott wrote the following message on behalf of Seldon:
Dear Boxing Community, Friends & Family
My very dear friend, former WBA Heavyweight Champion of the World, Bruce Seldon, has fallen on hard times. He is living in a shelter in Newark, NJ. I’m vigilantly working on helping his living situation every day. I have him set up with a social worker who is going to bring help & assistance to him to find him a better living situation through the state. I have work lined up for him as a trainer in my gym once he is in a stable place to live.
I set up this fundraiser for Bruce just so we can get him into an apartment for the time being til we find him something. Anything is better than a Newark shelter.
The shelter is literally on “Skid Row”. Bruce doesn’t drink or do drugs. Just down on his luck and broke. Typical boxers sorry, financial mismanagement & the sharks of the game didn’t help his journey to the World title!
I humbly ask you to give what you can so he can sleep safely in a bed that isn’t riddled with bed bugs and so he doesn’t have to keep one eye open at night
Anything helps. I thank you & Bruce thanks you!
Danny McDermott
It is sad indeed to think a top-class fighter, a former world champion, can be in such a bad state. Fans have, over the years, rallied round to help other fighters in a similar position, and already a substantial sum has been raised for Seldon.
Dubbed “The Atlantic City Express” during his ring career, Seldon is best known for his poor showing against Mike Tyson, when Seldon went down from a so-called “phantom punch,” but at his best, Seldon was a good fighter. Wins over Ezra Sellers, Ossie Ocasio, Jose Ribalta, and David Bey got Seldon noticed, but he was then beaten, back-to-back, by Oliver McCall and Riddick Bowe.
Seldon bounced back from the 1991 stoppage losses to defeat Jesse Ferguson, lose to Tony Tubbs, beat Greg Page and then, in April of 1995, Seldon defeated Tony Tucker to win the vacant WBA title. One retention followed, with Seldon stopping Joe Hipp – before Tyson came and ripped away Seldon’s belt. Seldon carried on, having a further 11 fights (seven wins), before he retired in 2009. Seldon’s final record reads 40-8(36).
He was never a great fighter, but Seldon was a good, honest pro. And he deserves far better than his current situation.
The GoFundMe page is found here
