Richie Giachetti (April 20, 1940 – February 3, 2016) was an American

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

trainer who worked with a number of world champions including

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. ...

and

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 ...

. He was born in

Uniontown, Pennsylvania Uniontown is the largest city in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The population was 9,984 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, southeast of Pittsburgh. History southeast of ...

. Giachetti first began working in boxing in 1961 and also helped Don King in his first promotion with

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and social activist. A global cultural icon, widely known by the nickname "The Greatest", he is often regarded as the gr ...

. Most famous for guiding Holmes to the heavyweight championship, he trained many other top fighters of the 1970s and 1980s including Earnie Shavers, Aaron Pryor and Greg Page. When

was dethroned as heavyweight champion by James "Buster" Douglas in 1990 in a 10th-round knockout in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, King inserted Giachetti as Tyson's trainer. Giachetti trained Tyson for his next four fights, those against

Henry Tillman Henry Durand Tillman (born August 1, 1960) is an American former professional boxer. He won a Gold at the 1984 Olympics as a Heavyweight. He scored notable wins over Cruiserweight Champions Uriah Grant and Tyrone Booze. Early life Tillman was ...

, Alex Stewart, and the two fights against Donovan "Razor" Ruddock. Giachetti later returned to Tyson's corner for his second fight against

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 ...

, the infamous "bite fight". Giachetti also trained two times world cruiserweight champion Jean Marc Mormeck and worked with another top cruiserweight Steve Cunningham and Sal Cenicola in the late 1980s. He worked on several

Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...

movies and worked with Stallone on boxing promotions in the New York City area. Giachetti died February 3, 2016, at the age of 75 in Lodi, Ohio.

References

American boxing trainers American people of Italian descent 1940 births 2016 deaths People from Uniontown, Pennsylvania {{Mike Tyson