Trevor Berbick's Last Appearance

In a room that is referred to amusingly as my study there is a large framed poster showing all but one of Muhammad Ali’s 61 professional contests. The contests are represented by gloves, across which are written the opponent’s name, the date, the result and the location. The gloves recording Ali as a three-time winner of the world heavyweight championship are in gold. The remainder are in red.

There is one missing. The poster was published shortly before Ali fought and lost to Trevor Berbick in the Bahamas in 1981, his last appearance in the ring.

It was one of two events that gave Berbick a name in boxing before he was brutally killed in Norwich, Jamaica ten days ago. The other was in 1986 when Berbick went down three times from a single devastating left, before he staggered into the arms of referee Mills Lane.

Berbick’s was a tortured life. In 1976, after only 11 amateur bouts, he represented Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Montreal. After deciding to settle in Canada, Berbick turned professional and won 11 fights before he was seen off in the first round by Bernado Mercado in 1979.

That loss summed up Berbick’s career. He found fame by association. Ali was threadbare when his career came to a sad end in 1981 in the Bahamas, Berbick beating a shadow of the greatest heavyweight of all time.

In keeping with Ali’s pathetic attempt to prolong a career that had clearly been over for some time, it was a bizarre promotion that saw threats against Don King’s life and no guarantee that fighters on the undercard would be paid. On the day of the fight there was no ring bell until a cow bell was borrowed from a local farmer. It was the most chaotic promotion involving name fighters ever staged and a sad end to Ali’s tumultuous career.

Berbick spoke to Ali before the contest. “Do your best because I don’t want to hurt you,” he said. When the ten-round decision was announced in his favor he cried in the ring. “I’m going to win the world championship,” he said hugging Ali. “You are my superior. I’m going to do it for you. You’ve inspired me since I was a kid. I love you man. You’re a true brother. Thank you and bless you. You made me.”

By the time Don King and HBO organised a tournament to find a legitimate heavyweight champion Berbick was an ordained minister. He showed up at King’s hotel room door brandishing a bible. “The Lord is on your side,” Berbick told him. “Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward on the wicked.”

Berbick took the WBC belt from Pinklon Thomas in 1986 before Mike Tyson ripped in from him. Covering that fight for the London Independent, I wrote, ‘By the time Trevor Berbick could see clearly again and the awful clamour had gone from his head, Mike Tyson was being proclaimed heavyweight champion of the world. At 20 years 4 months and 22 days, Tyson had become the youngest heavyweight champion in history.’

Comparisons were pointless because the young New Yorker appeared to be unique. It was difficult to imagine that anyone had hit harder at such blinding speed and Berbick lasted just 5 minutes and 37 seconds.

Berbick’s life went into a tailspin. In 1987, he withdrew from a scheduled fight with Frank Bruno, blaming a back injury and in 1992 the father of six children was sentenced to four years in prison for sexually assaulting a family babysitter. After serving 15 months he resumed his career in 1994 at the age of 38.

Berbick’s final fight came in May 2000 when he outpointed Shane Sutcliffe in defence of the Canadian heavyweight title. His plan, at 45, to box again for a world title was thwarted when a CAT scan revealed a blood clot on his brain.

Deported twice from the US and once from Canada for parole violations Trevor Berbick will be remembered less for a respectable record of 50 wins, 11 defeats, one draw and 33 knockouts than the violent end to his life.