Pinklon Thomas (born February 10, 1958) is an American former

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 fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...

who competed from 1978 to 1993. He was boxing's first 'Centennial Champion' (1886-1986) and held the WBC

heavyweight Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling. Boxing Professional Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...

title from 1984 to 1986. He is considered one of the best boxers of his generation. He beat former heavyweight champions Mike Weaver,

Tim Witherspoon Tim Witherspoon (born December 27, 1957) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1979 to 2003. He was a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBC title in 1984, and the WBA title in 1986. He beat heavyweight ...

James Tillis James Tillis (born July 5, 1957) is an American former professional boxer and actor. Known as "Quick", he was known for his remarkably fast hand speed for a man of his size and build. A natural southpaw, Tillis turned around to orthodox midway ...

and future cruiserweight champion Alfonso Ratliff. He also drew with future WBA Heavyweight Champion

Gerrie Coetzee Gerhardus Christian Coetzee OIB (8 April 1955 – 12 January 2023) was a South African professional boxer who competed from 1974 to 1986, and in 1993 and 1997. He was the first African in history to ever fight for, and win, a world heavyweight ...

. Thomas was known for his pink boxing trunks and a powerful left

jab A jab is a type of punch used in martial arts. Several variations of the jab exist, but every jab shares these characteristics: while in a fighting stance, the lead fist is thrown straight ahead and the arm is fully extended from the side of t ...

Early life

A native of

Pontiac, Michigan Pontiac ( ') is a city in and the county seat of Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located roughly northwest of downtown Detroit, Pontiac is part of the Metro Detroit, Detroit metropolitan area, and is vari ...

, who also lived on military bases in

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

and

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, Thomas eventually settled in

Orlando, Florida Orlando ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Orange County, Florida, United States. The city proper had a population of 307,573 at the 2020 census, making it the fourth-most populous city in Florida behind Jacksonville, Florida, Jacksonville ...

Professional career

Thomas turned professional after just three

amateur An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...

fights. Thomas took on a number of contenders and champions before his first championship; After a win over multiple time world title challenger

, in 1983, Thomas took Gerrie Coetzee to a draw, who later that year won the WBA heavyweight belt, and defeated the eventual WBC cruiserweight champion, Alfonso Ratliff By 1984, with a record of 24–0–1, he would get his first world title shot against reigning WBC

champion

in August 1984, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Thomas won the WBC Heavyweight Championship with a hard-fought 12-round battle over "Terrible" Witherspoon. Ten months later, he defended his title against ex-champion Mike Weaver, stopping Weaver with a single punch in the eighth round. Thomas lost the WBC title to Trevor Berbick in March 1986 by a decision.

Thomas vs. Tyson

Thomas came back and reeled off three ko wins before setting up a May 1987 challenge to WBC and WBA Heavyweight champion

Mike Tyson Michael Gerard Tyson (born June 30, 1966) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1985 and 2024. Nicknamed "Iron Mike" and "Kid Dynamite" in his early career, and later known as "the Baddest Man on the Planet", Tyson i ...

. Although Thomas allegedly took the fight with a serious shoulder injury, he enjoyed success outjabbing Tyson. After a long break for a torn glove, action resumed in the 6th round in which Tyson had regained his energy and Tyson knocked Thomas out with a brutal fifteen punch salvo, knocking the extremely durable Thomas down for the first and only time in his career. Although he got up inside the count, the fight was waved off.

Later career

Thomas went in and out of retirement over the following years, taking fights against top contenders. In December 1988 he returned from a 19-month layoff to fight #1 heavyweight contender

Evander Holyfield Evander Holyfield (born October 19, 1962) is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed championship (boxing), undisputed champion in the cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight division ...

. Thomas looked rusty as he was outmatched over 7 rounds, and the fight was stopped. Long-time trainer Angelo Dundee advised Thomas to retire and stopped working with him. Thomas returned in 1990 to outpoint Curtis Isaac over 10 rounds, before being outpointed himself by the erratic and unpredictable Mike "The Bounty" Hunter. A few months later he fought

Riddick Bowe Riddick Lamont Bowe (born August 10, 1967) is an American former professional boxer and professional kickboxer who competed between 1989 and 2008 in boxing, and from 2013 to 2016 in kickboxing (Muay Thai). He held the undisputed world heavyweig ...

and pulled out after 8 rounds. Bowe would go on to defeat Holyfield and become undisputed world heavyweight champion. In February 1991 he took on hard hitting heavyweight

Tommy Morrison Tommy Morrison (January 2, 1969 – September 1, 2013) was an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist who competed from 1988 to 2009. Best known for his left hook (boxing), hook and formidable punching power, Morrison won the World ...

but was cut and shaken up in the opening round, and the fight was stopped in between rounds. Morrison went on to win the WBO belt. Thomas attempted one final comeback in 1992, winning twelve fights before outpointing Craig Payne. In his final fight in January 1993 he was upset by journeyman "Poncho" Carter. A comeback fight in 1999 with old foe

was not to be, because a fight with

Larry Holmes Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 2002 and was world heavyweight champion from 1978 until 1985. He is often considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. ...

for the winner could not be confirmed.

Retirement

Thomas now has a foundation, Project P.I.N.K. (Pride in Neighborhood Kids), and is a motivational speaker.

Professional boxing record

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Pinklon 1958 births Living people Boxers from Michigan Sportspeople from Pontiac, Michigan World Boxing Council champions American male boxers African-American boxers World heavyweight boxing champions International Boxing Organization champions 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen