Wesley Page Watson Jr. (born September 16, 1962, in

Bristol, Tennessee Bristol is a city in the State of Tennessee. Located in Sullivan County, its population was 26,702 at the 2010 census. It is the twin city of Bristol, Virginia, which lies directly across the state line between Tennessee and Virginia. The ...

) died January 4, 2021, in

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...

). He was an American

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

best known for his successful amateur boxing career.

Early years

Watson, former Howard Career Center and Dickinson High basketballer, fought of

. He played three years of varsity basketball at Howard before transferring to Dickinson High his senior year, where he was a starter on 'Coach Jim Realer's Rams. Watson never fought officially before he joined the military in August 1981, two months after he graduated from Dickinson. "I first started boxing in April 1983," said Watson in an interview. Though his actual first fight appeared to be an unsanctioned fight against fellow Howard teammate named Arthur Carter, for which they both were being detained in the school disciplinarian's office. Lee Roy DeShazor, school disciplinarian, told, "When I walked into Lee Roy's office and saw Watson crying, I was completely shocked, and also a little disappointed," said Lee, never dreaming that a few years later Wesley Watson would surface as a national, amateur, super heavyweight boxing champion.Watson met his match in Delaware
''The Morning News from Wilmington, Delaware'', December 22, 1985, p. 43. Charlie Messina, fight promoter manager, said Watson lived on Washington Street before joining the Army. "I remember he came to the West Center City Community Center one night and sparred against

Henry Milligan Henry "Hammerin' Hank" Milligan (born September 16, 1958, in Camden, New Jersey) is a retired professional boxer from the United States. His highest achievement came in amateur boxing, when he was ranked #9 heavyweight in the world by the AIBA in F ...

," Messina said.Fighting for the U.S. Army
''The Morning News from Wilmington, Delaware'', November 7, 1984, C8.

Military service

Wesley Watson started boxing while serving in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

, he was stationed in

Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...

, his latest military rank was

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...

Amateur career

Watson became the 1985 U.S. Army and inter-service super heavyweight champion, 1985 National AAU Super Heavyweight Champion (201 lbs. or more), representing the Army. He qualified to the All-American Boxing Team by the United States Amateur Boxing Committee. Watson qualified for the

1986 Goodwill Games The 1986 Goodwill Games was the inaugural edition of the international multi-sport event created by Ted Turner, which was held from 5 – 20 July 1986. The main stadium was the Central Lenin Stadium in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. The Game ...

, but neither he nor the remaining eight Army boxers, who qualified for the U.S. Goodwill Team, participated in the Games for non-specified political reasons.

Highlights

Unsanctioned match-up (+201 lbs), Howard Career Center,

, 1980: *Lost to Arthur Carter Local match-up (+201 lbs),

Charlotte Speedway Charlotte Speedway was the site of NASCAR's first Strictly Stock Series (now NASCAR Cup Series) race on June 19, 1949. The Daytona Beach Road Course held the first race sanctioned by NASCAR in 1948. The track was a few miles west of the NASCAR ...

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, June 1983 (debut): *Defeated ? by split decision, 3–2 All-Army Championships (+201 lbs), 1984: *(no data available) United States Armed Forces Championships (+201 lbs),

Little Creek, Virginia Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt * ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film *The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...

, November 1984: *(no data available) USA−Argentina Duals (+201 lbs), Maude Cobb Activity Center,

Longview, Texas Longview is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and county seat of Gregg County, Texas, Gregg County; a small part of Longview extends into the western portion of neighboring Harrison County, Texas, Harrison County. Longview is located in East Tex ...

, January 1985: *Defeated

Juan Antonio Díaz Juan Antonio Díaz (born 5 July 1961) is an Argentine boxer. He competed in the men's heavyweight event at the 1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as ...

(Argentina) KO 1 National Championships (+201 lbs),

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mari ...

, November 1984: *1/2: Lost to

Nathaniel Fitch Nathaniel Fitch Sr. (born October 31, 1956) is an American former heavyweight boxer best known for his stellar amateur boxing career. Early years "Years ago I was at a Boys Club and some guys took my bike and my brothers went to retrieve it and ...

by majority decision, 1−4 USA−USSR Heavy Duals (+201 lbs),

Sands Hotel and Casino The Sands Hotel and Casino was a historic American hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, United States, that operated from 1952 to 1996. Designed by architect Wayne McAllister, with a prominent high sign, the Sands was the sevent ...

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

, October 1985: *Defeated Valeriy Abadzhyan (Soviet Union) RSCI 2 All-Army Championships (+201 lbs), 1985: *(no data available) United States Armed Forces Championships (+201 lbs),

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune () is a United States military training facility in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Its of beaches make the base a major area for amphibious assault training, and its location between two deep-water ports ( Wilmingt ...

, November 1985: *(no data available) National Championships (+201 lbs),

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, December 1985: *1/2: Defeated Kevin Ford RSC 2 *Finals: Defeated Sinclair Babb by unanimous decision, 5–0 Local match-up (+201 lbs), 1986: *Defeated Alex García by split decision, 3–2 National Championships (+201 lbs),

Civic Center A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, the ...

Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat, seat of government of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, metropo ...

, April 1986: *1/2: Defeated George Kilbert Pierce DQ 3 *Finals: Lost to Alex García by majority decision, 1−4 World Champ Box-offs (+201 lbs),

Caesars Tahoe Bally's Lake Tahoe (formerly Park Tahoe, Caesars Tahoe, and MontBleu Resort Casino) is a casino hotel in Stateline, Nevada. It is owned by Edgewood Companies and operated by Bally's Corporation. The property includes a casino and a 438-room hotel ...

Lake Tahoe, Nevada Lake Tahoe (; was, Dáʔaw, meaning "the lake") is a freshwater lake in the Sierra Nevada of the United States. Lying at , it straddles the state line between California and Nevada, west of Carson City. Lake Tahoe is the largest alpine lake ...

, April 1986: *Finals: Lost to Alex García RSC 2 District of Columbia Mayor's Cup Invitational Tournament (+201 lbs),

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, July 1986: *Defeated Anthony Green KO 2 USA−USSR Middle & Heavy Duals (+201 lbs), ARCO Arena,

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, July 1986: *Lost to

Aleksandr Miroshnichenko Aleksandr Viktorovich "Alex" Miroshnichenko (, russian: Александр Викторович Мирошниченко; 26 April 1964 – 19 May 2003) was an ethnic Russian Kazakhstani professional boxer. As an amateur he represented the Sovie ...

(Soviet Union) KO 1 Watson finished his amateur career with a record of 42 wins, 7 losses. He was rated the #1 American amateur superheavyweight by the United States Amateur Boxing Federation in February 1987.USAABF Amateur boxing ratings
''Lowell Sun'', February 23, 1987, p. 23. He turned pro soon after being discharged from the Army.

Professional career

Watson turned pro in 1987 and won his first 10 bouts before stepping up in class and losing to

Bernardo Mercado Bernardo Mercado (January 16, 1952 – June 11, 2021) was a Colombian professional boxer briefly ranked as the top contender for the title of champion in 1980 by the WBC. Born in Montería, Colombia, Mercado won a bronze medal in the light-heav ...

in 1988. After another string of victories he faced

Michael Dokes Michael Marshall Dokes (August 10, 1958 – August 11, 2012) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1976 to 1997, and held the WBA heavyweight title from 1982 to 1983. As an amateur he won a silver medal in the heavyweight division ...

but lost via third-round TKO. In December 1989, he fought an exhibition against

Gerry Cooney Gerald Arthur Cooney (born August 24, 1956) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 1990, and challenged twice for world heavyweight titles in 1982 and 1987 (for the WBC and lineal title in 1982 and 1987, and for the ...

. In his next fight he was TKO'd by

Ray Mercer Raymond Anthony Mercer (born April 4, 1961) is an American former professional boxer, kickboxer, and mixed martial artist who competed from 1989 to 2009. Best known for his boxing career, Mercer won a heavyweight gold medal at the 1988 Summer ...

and retired. He returned to the sport five years later but retired again after two victories.

Professional boxing record

, - , align="center" colspan=8, 17 Wins (13 knockouts, 4 decisions), 3 Losses (3 knockouts, 0 decision

, - , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Result , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Opp Record , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Opponent , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Type , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Round , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Date , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Location , align="center" style="border-style: none none solid solid; background: #e3e3e3", Notes , - , Win , , align=left, Dwayne Hall , TKO , 1 , 16 Apr 1996 , align=left,

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, William "Gladiator" Campudani , KO , 1 , 19 Dec 1995 , align=left,

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, "Merciless" Ray Mercer , TKO , 5 , 15 Jan 1990 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left, Michael "Dynamite" Dokes , TKO , 3 , 24 Aug 1989 , align=left,

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Anthony Green , KO , 1 , 12 Jun 1989 , align=left,

Erlanger, Kentucky Erlanger is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in Kenton County, Kentucky, Kenton County, Kentucky, United States. It had a 2010 United States Census, 2010 census population of 18,368. Erlanger is part of the Cincinnati metropolita ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Randy Davis , KO , 2 , 22 May 1989 , align=left,

Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Warren County, Kentucky, United States. Founded by pioneers in 1798, Bowling Green was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. As of the 2 ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, James Holly , KO , 2 , 13 May 1989 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Danny Sutton , PTS , 10 , 24 Mar 1989 , align=left,

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Larry Givens , UD , 8 , 12 Nov 1988 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Loss , , align=left,

, TKO , 1 , 13 Aug 1988 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, John "The Salt" Morton , PTS , 10 , 23 Jul 1988 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Frankie Hines , TKO , 1 , 25 Jun 1988 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Calvin "Concrete" Jones , TKO , 2 , 16 Jan 1988 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Jeff Burg , TKO , 1 , 28 Nov 1987 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, "Mean" Joe Adams , TKO , 3 , 19 Nov 1987 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Darryl Rouse , TKO , 4 , 29 Sep 1987 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Wesley Smith , PTS , 6 , 19 Sep 1987 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Ray Sims , TKO , 2 , 24 Aug 1987 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Mark "The Spark" Green , KO , 1 , 11 Jul 1987 , align=left,

, align=left, , - , Win , , align=left, Troy Whitehead , KO , 1 , 9 May 1987 , align=left,

, align=left,

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Wesley 1962 births Living people Boxers from Tennessee Heavyweight boxers People from Bristol, Tennessee American male boxers