Boxing’s Greats of the States | Delaware: Dave Tiberi

Boxers come from every corner of the globe. Sometimes, fighters are products of their environment, favoring styles prevalent in the country or state from which they hail. Various regions of the United States are considered factories for great fighters, though that certainly is not the case with each state. In this weekly Sherdog.com series, the spotlight will shine on the best boxer of all-time from each of the 50 states. Fighters do not necessarily need to be born in a given state to represent it; they simply need to be associated with it. For example, all-time great heavyweight legend Joe Louis was born in Alabama, but he is identified almost universally with Detroit.

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Delaware has never been known for producing great boxers, but the history of the Sweet Science in the “Blue Hen State” runs a little deeper than some might expect. Case in point: Dave Tiberi.

Born in New Castle, Delaware, Tiberi rose through the middleweight and super middleweight ranks, though he never scored a signature victory. However, his determination and grit allowed him to eventually challenge for the IBF middleweight crown on Feb. 8, 1992 at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Most expected Tiberi to get blown away by then-champion James Toney, but he channeled his inner Chuck Wepner and gave the man they call “Lights Out” all he could handle.

Toney, who was undefeated at the time, retained his title via controversial split decision after 12 grueling rounds. It was the high point of Tiberi’s career, as he never fought again. He retired with a 22-3-3 record and seven knockouts, forever remembered for the fight he put up and the upset he nearly scored against an all-time great.

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