Tiger Flowers

Titles: Middleweight champion 1926 

Record: 115-14-6 with 21 no decisions  

Born: August 5, 1895 in Camille, Georgia (USA)

Years active: 1918-1927 

Nickname: The Georgia Deacon


Theodore Flowers was the first black middleweight champion who reigned as 
champion between Harry Greb and Mickey Walker. His demeanor could have 
been different from the two men either. A devoutly religious man was said 
to have lost faith after loosing the title to hard drinking Walker said
"I'm puzzled and hurt as to how the lord could have let me down". Before 
every fight Flowers would repeat Psalm 144: "Blessed be the Lord my 
strength which teacheth my hand to war and my fingers to fight". Tiger was 
not a big  puncher but he knew all the tricks of the game and was shifty, 
hard to hit and very tough in the clinches. Flowers was a southpaw and 
started to box in 1918 with a work rate that would characterize his career, 
in 1924 he had 36 fights alone. Like many other black men of his times he 
had to fight men who cross the color barrier which also meant he would
have to fight much bigger men. Flowers even fought the legendary black 
heavyweight Sam Langford with a predictable knockout loss as the result. 
His first 25 fights saw him go undefeated but another legendary fighter 
Panama Joe Gans ended that streak also with a knockout. Flowers in fact 
did not have a great chin and some knockout losses dotted his record. But 
he also faced the best which can lead to losses. A unjust decision loss to 
former champion Mike McTigue provoked a outcry which got Flowers a deserved 
title shot. Now 8 years of fighting any man who would get in the ring
with him Flowers finally got a title shot against Harry Greb. They met in 
a packed Madison Square Garden in New York City and a ugly foul plagued bout 
ensued after Flowers hurt Greb in the first round. Flowers battles through 
2 bad cuts to win a unanimous decision win. A rematch 4 months later
ended in the same fashion. In what was most likely a racially motivated 
decision Flowers lost the title to Mickey Walker that saw the Illinois 
Athletic Commission investigate the result. A rematch clause in the contract 
was ignored and for the next years Flowers fought on going undefeated in 26
of 27 fights without getting a rematch, including 2 draws with Maxie 
Rosenbloom. 4 days after knocking out heavyweight Leo Gates Flowers 
underwent eye surgery to remove scar tissue above them and died while under 
anesthesia.



Tiger Flowers

Career record: 115 W, 14 L, 6 D, 21 ND, 1 NC (53 K.O's)


1918
       Billy Hooper                  Brunswick, Ga                 KO 11
       Kid Fox                                                     KO  2
       "Battling" Henry Williams                                   W 20
       Battling Hazel                                              KO  8
       Rufus Cameron                                               W 10
       Battling Mims                                               W 15
1919
       Battling Mims                                               W 10
       Rough House Baker                                           KO  3
       Billy Hooper                                                W 20
1920
       Tiger Moore                                                 KO  2
       Andy "Kid" Palmer                                           KO  3
       Sailor Darden                                               W 15
       Battling Mims                                               W 10
1921
       Billy Hooper                                                W 10
       Battling Mims                                               W 10
       "Mexican" Kid Brown                                         KO  8
       Battling Troupe                                             KO  3
       "Mexican" Kid Brown                                         KO  2
       Whitey Black                                                KO  1
       Battling Mims                                               W 10
       Kid Williams                                                KO  3
       "Mexican" Kid Brown                                         KO  1
Oct 24 Whitey Black               Memphis, Tn                      W  8
Oct    Battling Gahee             Atlanta, Ga                      W 10
Nov  7 Battling Gahee             Memphis, Tn                      W  8
Dec 15 "Panama" Joe Gans          Atlanta, Ga                      KOby 5
1922
       "Evansville" Jack Ray                                       KO  2
       Kid Norfolk                                                 KOby 3
Feb 21 Gorilla Jones              Juarez, Mx                       KO  4
Mar  7 Jim Barry                  Juarez, Mx                       D 15
Mar 21 "Mexican" Kid Brown        Juarez, Mx                       KO  1
Mar 28 Jim Barry                  Juarez, Mx                       KO  5
Apr 11 Billy Britton              Juarez, Mx                       W 15
May  9 Lee Anderson               Juarez, Mx                       KOby  7
May 16 Frankie Murphy             Juarez, Mx                       W 15
Jun  5 Sam Langford               Atlanta, Ga                      KOby 2
Jul 26 Jamaica Kid                Covington, Ky                    TKOby 2
Aug 22 Andy "Kid" Palmer          Juarez, Mx                       W 15
       Kid Paddy                                                   KO  1
       Kid Davis                                                   KO  1
       Battling Norfolk           Memphis, Tn                      D  8
       Battling Gahee             Memphis, Tn                      W  8
       Eddie Palmer               Memphis, Tn                      W  8
Dec 13 Eddie Palmer               New Orleans, La                  TKO 10
Dec 22 Frankie Carbone            Juarez, Mx                       W D.Q 10
1923
Feb 21 Bob Lawson                 Nashville, Tn                    W  8
Feb 28 Battling Mims              Nashville, Tn                    W  8
Mar 19 "Evansville" Jack Ray      Nashville, Tn                    KO  3
Apr 20 Jamaica Kid                Toledo, Oh                       ND 12
May  8 Kid Norfolk                Springfield, Oh                  KOby 1
May 15 Tom King                   Juarez, Mx                       W 15
May 25 "Panama" Joe Gans          Toledo, Oh                       ND 12
Jul  3 James "Tut" Jackson        Atlanta, Ga                      W 12
Jul 18 James "Tut" Jackson        Springfield, Oh                  ND 12
Jul 31 Whitey Black               Detroit, Mi                      ND 10
Sep  3 Jamaica Kid                Atlanta, Ga                      W 10
Sep 17 "Fireman" Jim Flynn        Mexico City, Mx                  TKOby 5
Nov 27 George Robinson            Atlanta, Ga                      D 12
Dec  6 Rufus Cameron              Albany, NY                       KO 4
Dec 28 Sailor Darden              Atlanta, Ga                      W 12
1924
Jan 23 Herbert Moore              Nashville, Tn                    KO  2
Jan 30 Sam Goodrich               San Antonio, Tx                  W 12
Feb 18 Bob Lawson                 Toledo, Oh                       TKO 10
Feb 24 Battling Gahee             Barberton, Oh                    ND 12
Mar  3 Jamaica Kid                Fremont, Oh                      ND 12
Mar 19 Bob Lawson                 Nashville, Tn                    KO 6
Mar 29 Lee Anderson               New York, NY                     W 12
Apr  9 Dave Thornton              Nashville, Tn                    KO 2
Apr 19 Jimmy Darcy                New York, NY                     W 10
Apr 29 George Robinson            Atlanta, Ga                      W 12
May  3 Ted Jamieson               New York, NY                     W 12
May 14 Willie Walker              New York, NY                     KO  7
Jun 14 Joe Lohman                 New York, NY                     W 12
Jun 20 Battling Gahee             Fremont, Oh                      ND 10
Jun 27 Jamaica Kid                Grand Rapids, Mi                 ND 10
Jul  3 Lee Anderson               Atlanta, Ga                      W D.Q 11
Jul 21 Jamaica Kid                Covington, Ky                    W D.Q 3
Aug  2 Jack Townsend              New York, NY                     KO 11
Aug 12 Oscar Mortimer             San Antonio, Tx                  KO  4
Aug 21 Harry Greb                 Fremont, Oh                      ND 10
Sep  1 James "Tut" Jackson        Martin's Ferry, WV               KO  8
Sep 15 Jamaica Kid                Columbus, Oh                     ND 12
Sep 22 Lee Anderson               Columbus, Oh                     ND 12
Sep 29 James "Tut" Jackson        Canton, Oh                       KO  2
Sep 30 Battling Gahee             Zanesville, Oh                   TKO  4
Oct 11 Jamaica Kid                New York, NY                     TKO  9
Oct 21 Cleve Hawkins              Atlanta, Ga                      KO  3
Oct 23 Joe Lohman                 Hamilton, Oh                     W D.Q 4
Nov  1 George Robinson            New York, NY                     W 12
Nov 10 Jerry Hayes                Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  2
Nov 10 Hughie Clemons             Philadelphia, Pa                 KO  2
       -The previous 2 bouts were held the same date
Nov 27 Clem Johnson               Canton, Oh                       ND 12
Dec  1 Battling Gahee             Columbus, Oh                     KO 2
Dec  9 Johnny Wilson              New York, NY                     TKO 3
Dec 15 Jack Townsend              New York, NY                     KO 5
Dec 26 Frankie Schoell            Buffalo, NY                      D  6
1925
Jan  1 Joe Lohman                Brooklyn, NY                      TKO 3
Jan  5 Billy Britton             Boston, Ma                        TKO 4
Jan  7 Dan O'Dowd                Providence, RI                    TKO 6
Jan 16 Jack Delaney              New York, NY                      KOby 2
Jan 28 Tommy Robson              Boston, Ma                        TKO 8
Jan 29 Bill Savage               Providence, RI                    KO  1
Feb  2 Ted Moore                 Newark, NJ                        ND 12
Feb  5 Jamaica Kid               Dayton, Oh                        KO 10
Feb 14 Jackie Clark              New York, NY                      TKO  5
Feb 16 Lou Bogash                Boston, Ma                        L D.Q 3
Feb 26 Jack Delaney              New York, NY                      KOby 4
Mar 16 Sailor Darden             Toledo, Oh                        ND 12
Mar 20 Lou Bogash                Boston, Ma                        W 10
Apr 29 Sailor Darden             Savannah, Ga                      KO  5
May  4 Battling Mims             Macon, Ga                         KO  5
May 18 Pal Reed                  Boston, Ma                        W 10
May 26 Lou Bogash                Bridgeport, Ct                    W 10
Jun  4 Jock Malone               East Chicago, In                  ND 10
Jun  8 Lee Anderson              Philadelphia, Pa                  W 10
Jun 20 Lee Anderson              New York, NY                      W D.Q  3 
Jun 26 Jack Stone                Elizabeth, NJ                     KO  4
Jul 20 Pat McCarthy              Boston, Ma                        W 10
Jul 24 Lou Bogash                Aurora, Il                        ND 10
Aug 21 "Allentown" Joe Gans      Grand Rapids, Mi                  ND 10
Aug 28 Jock Malone               Boston, Ma                        W 10
Sep  7 Ted Moore                 Cleveland, Oh                     NC  6
       -The referee stopped the fight
Oct 23 Jock Malone               St. Paul, Mn                      ND 10
Oct 28 Chuck Wiggins             East Chicago, In                  ND 10
Nov 30 Benny Ross                Buffalo, NY                       W  6
Dec 10 Frank Moody               Boston, Ma                        W 10
Dec 23 Mike McTigue              New York, NY                      L 10
1926
Feb 26 Harry Greb                New York, NY                      W 15
       -Middleweight Championship of the World
Apr 16 "Allentown" Joe Gans      Wilkes-Barre, Pa                  W 10
Jun 18 "Young" Bob Fitzsimmons   Jersey City, NJ                   ND 10
Jun 28 Ray Neuman                Boston, Ma                        W 10
Jul 11 Lee Anderson              Juarez, Mx                        KO  2
Jul 24 Eddie Huffman             Los Angeles, Ca                   W 10
Aug 10 Battling McCreary         Atlanta, Ga                       W D.Q 3
Aug 19 Harry Greb                New York, NY                      W 15
       -Middleweight Championship of the World
Sep 16 Happy Hunter              Memphis, Tn                       KO  3
Oct 15 Maxie Rosenbloom          Boston, Ma                        L D.Q 9
Nov 22 Eddie Huffman             Chicago, Il                       W 10
Dec  3 Mickey Walker             Chicago, Il                       L 10
       -Middleweight Championship of the World
1927
Jan  3 James "Tut" Jackson       Grand Rapids, Mi                  KO 10
Jan 22 Leo Lomski                Los Angeles, Ca                   L 10
Jan 24 Lee Anderson              Denver, Co                        W  4
Feb 18 Lou Bogash                Boston, Ma                        W 10
Mar 29 George "Soldier" Jones    Atlanta, Ga                       KO  1
Apr 29 Chuck Wiggins             Buffalo, NY                       W 10
May 13 Chuck Wiggins             Grand Rapids, Mi                  ND 10
May 27 Eddie Huffman             Boston, Ma                        W 10
Jun 17 Bob Sage                  Detroit, Mi                       W 10
Jul  4 Maxie Rosenbloom          Chicago, Il                       D 10
Jul 28 Bing Conley               Norwalk, Ct                       W 10
Aug 11 Harry Dillon              Portland, Or                      W 10
Aug 16 Jock Malone               Seattle, Wa                       W  6
Sep  1 Joe Anderson              New York, NY                      W 10
Sep 30 Pete Latzo                Wilkes-Barre, Pa                  W 10
Oct 17 Joe Lohman                Canton, Oh                        W 10
Nov  9 Maxie Rosenbloom          Detroit, Mi                       D 10
Nov 12 Leo Gates                 New York, NY                      TKO 4