Bruce Curry

Bruce “Curry Fuji” Curry is an American former professional boxer from Texas who competed chiefly at light welterweight, also known as super lightweight. Born in Marlin on 29 March 1956 and associated with Fort Worth throughout his career, he held the World Boxing Council title from May 1983 to January 1984. Records of his final total differ: the supplied record and BoxRec list 34 wins and eight losses, with no draws and 17 wins by knockout, while Wikipedia’s bout table lists 33 wins and eight losses. Contemporary reports used yet another total. His title results and the course of his career are clear despite that discrepancy.

Curry had an extensive amateur career. He won Texas Golden Gloves honours and reached the light welterweight final at the 1976 United States Olympic trials, where Sugar Ray Leonard beat him. He turned professional on 9 September 1976 with a points victory over Bruce Henderson in Los Angeles. He won his first thirteen contests before meeting Wilfred Benítez at Madison Square Garden in November 1977. Curry put Benítez down three times but lost a split decision over ten rounds, a result that drew considerable argument. He took a rematch less than three months later, only nine days after stopping Minoru Sugiya in Japan, and Benítez again won on points.

Those early contests placed Curry among strong opposition before he had settled into a title run. In April 1978, he stopped Monroe Brooks to win the North American Boxing Federation light welterweight championship. Defeats to Domingo Ayala and Adolfo Viruet interrupted his progress. In 1979 he beat Clinton McKenzie and Willie Rodriguez, then moved up to face the unbeaten Thomas Hearns. Hearns stopped him in the third round. Curry returned to light welterweight and continued to rebuild, although Greg Stephens and Steve Hearon also beat him before he reached world title level.

A twelve round decision over Ronnie Shields in November 1982 brought Curry the United States Boxing Association super lightweight title. The following May, he challenged Leroy Haley for the WBC championship in Las Vegas. Haley had taken the belt from Saoul Mamby and defended it twice, but Curry won a unanimous decision to become world champion. His younger brother Donald was already a welterweight champion, making Bruce and Donald the first brothers to hold world boxing titles at the same time. Their brother Graylin also boxed professionally.

Curry’s first defence took him to Osaka in July 1983, where he stopped Hidekazu Akai in the seventh round. Haley returned as challenger that October. Curry used his jab to control the early exchanges, survived a difficult fifth round and cut Haley beside the left eye in the eighth. After twelve rounds, he retained the title by split decision. Two judges favoured Curry, 115–113 and 116–114; the third scored it 115–113 for Haley. The close verdict was Curry’s second and final successful defence.

Billy Costello took the championship from him in Beaumont, Texas, in January 1984. Curry was knocked down and stopped in the tenth round. Days later, following an altercation with his trainer Jesse Reid at a Las Vegas gym, Curry was arrested after firing a shot. He was subsequently found not guilty by reason of insanity and admitted to a psychiatric hospital. He was released in 1985. These events interrupted his boxing career, and there is no sound basis for attributing his conduct to any single fight.

Curry boxed once more, beating Tomas García on points in April 1986, and did not return to professional competition. He is remembered principally for his disputed first meeting with Benítez, his resilience through several setbacks and his WBC championship reign. His two victories over Haley gave that reign substance; the title reign, which he once shared with his brother Donald, gave it a unique place in boxing history.