Crawford Ashley

Biography

Born Gary Crawford on May 20, 1964, in Leeds, England, Crawford "Chilling" Ashley was a professional boxer who competed in the super middleweight, light heavyweight, and cruiserweight divisions from the 1980s to the 2000s. Throughout his career, Ashley captured multiple titles and faced some of the most notable fighters of his era.

Ashley turned professional in March 1987, scoring a second-round TKO victory over Steve Ward. Early in his career, he suffered a defeat against future world cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson in May 1988. However, Ashley bounced back and made a name for himself in October 1989 when he shocked the British boxing world by stopping the unbeaten Carl Thompson (8-0-0) in the sixth round.

In February 1991, Ashley travelled to Düsseldorf, Germany, to challenge the undefeated Graciano Rocchigiani (30-0-0) for the vacant European light heavyweight title. Despite a valiant effort, Ashley lost a controversial split decision. Rocchigiani would become the IBF world super-middleweight and WBC world light-heavyweight champion.

Undeterred by the setback, Ashley captured the vacant British light heavyweight title in his next bout, defeating Roy Skeldon in seven rounds. He successfully defended his title against Jimmy Peters (1st round TKO) and Glazz Campbell (8th round TKO) before challenging for the vacant European title again, this time against Yawe Davis in Italy. The fight ended in another controversial result, with the judges scoring it a unanimous draw.

A surprise opportunity arose for Ashley to face the unbeaten Michael Nunn for Memphis's WBA world super-middleweight title. Despite being weight-drained at 168 pounds, Ashley put up a commendable effort before succumbing to body shots in the sixth round.

Ashley returned to action against former WBC world light heavyweight champion Dennis Andries, who was campaigning at cruiserweight. However, Ashley retired after the fourth round. Returning to his natural weight class, Ashley challenged Nicky Piper, a two-time former world title challenger, for the vacant British light heavyweight title. Defying the odds, Ashley dropped Piper in the sixth round and won by unanimous decision.

The impressive victory over Piper earned Ashley a second world title shot, this time against WBA world heavyweight champion Virgil Hill in Primm, Nevada. Although Ashley fought valiantly, he lost by unanimous decision.

Undeterred, Ashley reeled off eight consecutive wins, including a third-round knockout of Roberto Dominguez (20-3-0) to claim the vacant European light heavyweight title in Liverpool. He successfully defended his title against Pascal Warusfel in Alfortville, France, before suffering a shocking second-round TKO loss to Norway's Ole Klemetsen in London, relinquishing his European crown.

Ashley defended his British light heavyweight title with victories over Monty Wright and Tony Booth (Also collecting the vacant Commonwealth belt). He recaptured the European title for a second time, defeating Mohamed Siluvangi in nearby York.

In a highly anticipated clash, Ashley faced future world light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods for the British, Commonwealth, and European titles. The fight marked the end of Ashley's light heavyweight career, as he suffered an eighth-round TKO defeat.

After two low-key bouts, Ashley challenged Sebastiaan Rothmann for the WBU world cruiserweight title in Dagenham, England. However, he was knocked out in the eighth round, marking the end of his professional career with a record of 33 wins, 10 losses, and one draw.

Throughout his career, Crawford "Chilling" Ashley displayed remarkable resilience and a willingness to take on the toughest challenges. Despite falling short in his world title pursuits, he left an indelible mark on British and European boxing, capturing multiple regional titles and engaging in memorable battles against some of the best fighters of his generation.