Jeremy Bates (born January 12, 1974) is an American

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

. Nicknamed "The Beast", Bates was a moderately successful fighter who fought several other journeyman fighters of his era. Bates has become something of a "comeback" opponent for veteran fighters such as Holyfield, Golota, and Meehan.

Professional boxing career

Early career

Bates turned professional in 1999 and fought mainly journeyman fighters, losing to prospect

Andre Purlette Andre Purlette (born 4 November 1973) is a Guyanese former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2009. Known as "Tombstone", Purlette turned pro in 1992 and won his first 32 bouts, including a victory over Jimmy Thunder. He later lost to v ...

in 2001. Bates later lost to Sedreck Fields,

Kirk Johnson Kirk Cyron Johnson (born June 29, 1972) is a Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 1993 to 2010, and challenged once for the WBA heavyweight title in 2002. Amateur career Johnson represented Canada at the 1992 Olympics in Bar ...

, Leo Nolan, Brian Minto, and Ray Austin before his first retirement.

The Evander Holyfield fight

Bates was persuaded to postpone his retirement when he was given an opportunity to fight four-time heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield. On August 18, 2006, in a 10-round bout at the American Airlines Center in

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

, 44-year-old Holyfield dominated the fight which was stopped in the second round after he landed around 20 consecutive punches on Bates. The events prior to, and the fight itself, are documented in Evander Holyfield's book 'Becoming Holyfield'.

Retirement from boxing

Bates retired with a record of 21 wins, 13 losses and 1 draw, with 18 wins by knockout. Post boxing, Bates began a successful career as a full-time insurance sales professional. Bates is currently employed at the United States Enrichment Corporation. (USEC) is a Uranium gaseous diffusion plant in Portsmouth OH.

Coming out of retirement

Bates would come out of retirement to face

Guillermo Jones Guillermo Jones (born May 5, 1972) is a former Panamanian professional boxer. He held the WBA cruiserweight title from 2008 to 2012, and challenged twice for the WBA super welterweight title in 1998. Professional career Jones made his professi ...

Andrew Golota Andrzej Jan Gołota (; born 5 January 1968), best known as Andrew Golota, is a Polish former professional boxer who competed from 1992 to 2013. He challenged four times for a heavyweight world title (by all four major sanctioning bodies), and as ...

, Odlanier Solis, Kevin Rainey, and most recently Kali Meehan. All of those fights, with the exception of Bates' bout with Kevin Rainey, would be losses. Currently, Bates' record stands at 23 wins, 17 losses and 1 draw, with 19 wins by knockout.

Professional boxing record

Professional wrestling

Bates made his

professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...

debut on November 15, 2008, in

Ashland, Kentucky Ashland is a home rule-class city in Boyd County, Kentucky, United States. The largest city in Boyd County, Ashland is located upon a southern bank of the Ohio River at the state border with Ohio and near West Virginia. The population was 21,6 ...

, at Ohio Championship Wrestling's ''November Reign'', where he defeated Vinnie Viagra. He defeated "The Driller" Eddie Browning on December 13 at OCW's ''Season's Beatings''. Bates got his third victory at OCW on January 10, 2009, at the ''New Year's Bash'' by defeating NWA All-Star Wrestling Heavyweight Champion "Pretty Boy" Stan Lee. Bates made his wrestling debut at an arena where he is undefeated in the boxing ranks, the Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse in Huntington, West Virginia, at 304 Wrestling's ''Battlefront''. He defeated Vinnie Viagra in that outing. Bates is now in training to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. His progress is being documented in a YouTube series called "Being the Beast".

References

External links

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ESPN Article on Bates
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bates, Jeremy 1974 births Living people Boxers from Kentucky Heavyweight boxers American male boxers