CLIFFORD ETIENNE

'Clifford Etienne' (born March 9 1972 in Lafayette, Louisiana), also known as "The Black Rhino", fought as a heavyweight boxer in the United States. He is currently serving a 15 year prison sentence.

Contents

Background

Professional career

Rise to the Top

Demise

Trouble Outside the Ring

References

External links

Background

Etienne took up boxing while serving a 10 year prison sentence for armed robbery and won the state prison boxing championship. While in prison he was a member of the "Gunslingers" prison boxing team in Louisiana and reportedly had an unprecedented 30-0 prison record.

Professional career

Upon being paroled from prison in 1998 he became a professional boxer; he won 29 matches (20 knockouts), lost 4, and drew 2.

Rise to the Top

Etienne was named 2000's "Most Exciting Fighter to Watch" in the heavyweight division by The Ring Magazine, largely the result of his unanimous decision over then-undefeated Lawrence Clay Bey. The fight was widely considered to be one of the best heavyweight matches of that year. He also beat Lamon Brewster, the future WBO heavyweight champion, on points after ten rounds in May 2000. He landed a contract with Showtime and his stock began to rise, but it quickly fell after an upset loss to Fres Oquendo, who stopped Etienne in the eight round of their fight in March 2001.
After re-building some of his lost stature with wins, he was catapulted to the world's stage in a 2003 fight against Mike Tyson, where Etienne suffered a first round knock-out after only 49 seconds after being caught with a right hand.

Demise

After the loss to Tyson, Etienne's future seemed to be that of a journeyman opponent. Calvin Brock stopped Etienne in the third round in January 2005.
Etienne's last fight was against Nicolay Valuev. The giant Russian, who went on to become the WBA champion, stopped Etienne in the third round of their fight in Bayreuth, Germany in May 2005.

Trouble Outside the Ring

On August 11 2005, Fightnews.com reported Etienne's ring career likely over with the following story:
:Well known heavyweight Clifford Etienne was arrested Wednesday in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on charges of armed robbery, kidnapping and the attempted murder of a police officer. Etienne allegedly robbed a local business, car-jacked a vehicle containing a woman and her children, then pulled a gun on police officers. He is being held in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison with a $70,000 bond.
On June 22 2006, following his trial in Baton Rouge, Etienne was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison for a cocaine fueled crime spree that included robbing a check cashing business, carjacking and kidnapping a family, and attempting to shoot two policemen [1]. Prosecutors say that Etienne will not be eligible for parole.

References

★ Mike Tyson KOs Clifford Etienne

★ Tyson knocks out Etienne in 49 seconds

★ Etienne arrested

★ Heavyweight boxer Etienne arrested

★ Clifford Etienne “The Black Rhino” Sentenced to 150 Years in Prison

External links

★ Clifford "Black Rhino" Etienne official website

★ Clifford Etienne's career boxing record