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Jean Marie Emebe

Light Heavyweight · Retired · France

Jean Marie Emebe

At a glance

Born
August 17, 1955 (age 71)
Nationality
France
Birthplace
Yaounde, Cameroon
Division
Light Heavyweight
Height
6ft 0in (183 cm)
Stance
Orthodox
Pro debut
July 3, 1976
Retired
March 4, 1995

Story

Boxing Only · Updated Jul 8, 2026

Jean Marie Émébé, born on August 17, 1955, in Yaoundé, Cameroon, began his professional boxing career on July 3, 1976, with a fifth-round knockout victory over Kone Idrissa in Douala, Cameroon. Standing 6 feet tall and fighting orthodoxly, Émébé quickly made a name for himself in the light-heavyweight division.

After an initial 12-fight winning streak, all by knockout, he secured the African Boxing Union Super Welterweight and Middleweight titles. However, his momentum was halted with a loss of disqualification to José Lozano in Libreville, Gabon. Undeterred, Émébé rebounded with eight consecutive victories, including a notable win over former world title challenger Johnny Davis in April 1984.

This success led to a WBA World Light Heavyweight Title bout against Marvin Johnson on September 20, 1986, in Indianapolis. Despite a valiant effort, Émébé suffered a 13th-round TKO due to severe swelling around his eyes.

Émébé earned a second world title opportunity on April 3, 1988, when he challenged Virgil Hill for the WBA Light Heavyweight Title in Bismarck, North Dakota. Unfortunately, he was stopped in the 11th round.

Throughout his career, Émébé faced several world-class opponents, including Murray Sutherland and Lindell Holmes. He concluded his professional journey on March 4, 1995, with a sixth-round TKO loss to Eric Nicoletta in Le Havre, France.

Émébé's final record stood at 27 wins (23 by knockout) and 7 losses.