Once the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, Forth Worth’s Donald Curry today celebrates his 64th birthday. At least we all hope Curry, who was known as “The Lone Star Cobra” during his ring career, has himself at least a small celebration today. For Curry, who was once called “the next Sugar Ray Leonard,” is reportedly going through some tough times today – both financially and, more seriously, mentally.
It was sadly reported back in January of this year how the former two-weight world ruler had been diagnosed with terrible brain disease Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome, and Don’s son, Donovan, launched an appeal for help, this to find health-care for his dad. It is of course nothing short of awful that as special a fighter as Curry found himself in such a position; as it is awful if ANY fighter does.
From Star to Stunning Upset
It is hoped Curry got/is getting the help he needs.
The older boxing fans sure remember Curry. An immensely skilled fighter who had great speed, almost impeccable timing, and devastating, sharp punching power, Curry was amazing to watch. Indeed, over the years 1983 to 1985, it looked as though Curry might never lose, that absolute greatness was his for the taking. At a perfect 25-0, the reigning, unified world welterweight champion was operating at the peak of his chilling powers – to the extent that there was some serious talk of Curry moving up to challenge the formidable Marvelous Marvin Hagler for the world middleweight crown.
After his brutal destruction of the accomplished Milton McCrory, Curry’s nasty knockout coming in round-two of their WBA/IBF/WBC/Ring Magazine unification showdown of December 1985, pretty much anything seemed possible for Curry. Anything, that is, aside from defeat.
But Curry had peaked, even though nobody could possibly have known it. And so it was that, in one of the biggest, still talked about upsets ever witnessed, massive 8/1 underdog Lloyd Honeyghan somehow managed to batter Curry to a sixth-round corner retirement defeat in September of 1986. Curry said weight problems played a part in his defeat, and the 25 year old soon moved up to the 154 pound division.
Legacy of a Fighter Who Burned Bright
Curry did win himself another world title, this the WBC light-middleweight title; but not before he was on the receiving end of one of the classic one-punch knockouts of the decade. The late, great Mike McCallum timed things beautifully in the fifth-round of his WBA title defence, with McCallum sending Curry, who thought he was out of range, down and out with a sizzling left hook to the head.
It’s quite amazing that Curry did manage to go on to beat Gianfranco Rosi to become a two-weight champion after suffering such a heavy defeat. Curry was no longer the same almost supernatural force he had been as a welterweight, but he still had a lot of fight in him. After losing the WBC ’54 belt to Rene Jacquot, who decisioned him in France in February of 1989, Curry did make the move to middleweight he had threatened to make against Hagler. Curry was stopped by IBF champ Michael Nunn and then, in a drop back down to 154, Don was stopped by reigning WBC champion Terry Norris.
Curry would fight just twice more, with him going 1-1 in his final year in the ring, this being 1997. Sadly, like too many fighters we could mention, Don Curry carried on fighting for far too long, and today he is paying what could be called the ultimate price for having done so.
But at his electrifying best, when he truly was the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound, Curry helped make this sport the great, shining, magnificent thing it is.
