Greg Richardson

Greg Richardson, known as “The Flea”, is an American former world champion who boxed in the super-flyweight, bantamweight and super-bantamweight divisions. Born in Youngstown, Ohio, on February 7, 1958, he fought from an orthodox stance and was listed at approximately 5ft 7½in, with a reach of about 71 inches. Richardson completed a 14-year professional career with 31 victories, eight defeats and one draw from 40 contests. Only four of his wins came by knockout, an unusually modest figure for a successful world champion, but one which accurately reflected a boxer who depended upon movement, timing and judgement rather than force.

Richardson had a substantial amateur apprenticeship before entering the paid ranks. He began boxing as a boy and was credited with taking part in 275 amateur contests. In 1974 he won both the National AAU and National Golden Gloves flyweight championships and represented the United States at the inaugural World Amateur Championships in Havana. There he defeated Joseph Sheppard of Trinidad and Tobago before losing on points to Venezuela’s Alfredo Pérez. That schooling remained evident throughout Richardson’s professional career. He was quick on his feet, economical with his punches and difficult to catch cleanly when allowed to establish his rhythm.

His professional debut came at Niles, Ohio, on February 22, 1982, when he stopped Al Dunlap in the opening round. Any notion of an easy passage was removed in his next contest, when Henry Lee knocked him out in the first round. Richardson recovered from that reverse and progressed steadily through the American bantamweight ranks. In September 1984 he upset Harold Petty to win the North American Boxing Federation bantamweight championship, then retained it against the experienced Alfonso López and James Manning. Those victories established him as a serious contender rather than merely another clever Youngstown boxer with a good amateur record.

Richardson moved into the super-bantamweight division in 1985 and defeated Oscar Muniz for the United States Boxing Association title. Successful defences followed against James Tolliver, Robert Shannon and Darryl Thigpen. His first world championship opportunity came against Australia’s unbeaten Jeff Fenech in Sydney on July 10, 1987. Fenech’s pressure and strength prevented Richardson from settling into his customary boxing pattern, and the American was knocked out in the fifth round. A points defeat by the unbeaten Jesse Benavides followed later that year. Richardson’s position had slipped, but his career was far from finished.

He rebuilt his standing through a demanding sequence of contests. He defeated former bantamweight champion Gaby Canizales in 1989 and travelled to Jakarta in March 1990 to beat another former world champion, Ellyas Pical, on points. Returning to bantamweight, Richardson won the USBA championship from Eddie Rangel in November 1990 despite being knocked down in the fifth round. These were useful victories against seasoned men and earned him a challenge for Raúl Pérez’s World Boxing Council title.

Pérez had held the championship for nearly 28 months and entered their contest at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood on February 25, 1991, with a record of 48 victories, one defeat and two draws. Richardson refused to be drawn into a stationary exchange. He used his jab, shifted laterally and scored with quick counters before moving out of range. Pérez continued to advance but couldn't impose himself consistently. Richardson won a unanimous 12-round decision, the judges returning scores of 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112. At 33, and nine years after turning professional, he had become the WBC bantamweight champion.

His first defence was made at the same arena on May 20 against Victor Rabanales. It was a closer and less orderly affair. Rabanales applied persistent pressure but lost two points for fouls, deductions which proved important when Richardson retained the title by split decision. Four months later, on September 19, Richardson travelled to Moriguchi, Osaka, to meet Joichiro Tatsuyoshi. The Japanese challenger had completed only seven professional contests but fought with uncommon confidence and enjoyed vigorous home support. Tatsuyoshi attacked the body, restricted Richardson’s movement and steadily increased the pace. By the tenth round Richardson was tiring and absorbing combinations with diminishing reply. His corner retired him before the eleventh. The official cards after ten rounds—97-92, 97-93 and 98-91—confirmed the challenger’s command of the contest.

Richardson dropped to super-flyweight and received another world-title opportunity against South Korea’s Sung-Kil Moon in Seoul on October 31, 1992. He completed the 12 rounds but lost by majority decision, and his skill made the contest competitive without securing the verdict away from home. He continued boxing for nearly four more years. A victory over Armando Castro in Youngstown followed a draw with Miguel Espinoza in 1993. In February 1995 Richardson outpointed Edel Geronimo over 12 rounds in Honolulu to win the WBA Penta-Continental bantamweight title. Defeats to Petrica Janos Paraschiv in Romania and the unbeaten Juan Carlos Ramirez in Mexico brought the final stage of his career. Ramirez stopped him in six rounds on July 5, 1996, after which Richardson retired.

Richardson’s world-title record was two victories and three defeats, while his opposition included Fenech, Pérez, Rabanales, Tatsuyoshi, Moon, Canizales, Pical and Benavides. He was never a damaging puncher, but his quick reactions, long reach, footwork and ability to collect rounds made him a difficult assignment over championship distance. After leaving professional boxing, he remained involved in the sport in Youngstown, training amateur fighters and working with youth programmes in local gyms. He was also part of an athletic family: former professional boxer Durrell Richardson and American football player Keiwan Ratliff are his nephews. His championship reign was brief, but his record shows a fighter willing to travel, take on difficult contests, and rely on boxing craft against some of the leading smaller men of his period.