Rear View Mirror: Maurice Blocker

Rear View Mirror: Maurice "Thin Man" Blocker

GBN's columnist, Donald C Stewart, takes a look into his rear view mirror at the life and career of Maurice Blocker

He sent Marlon Sterling into retirement from his hospital bed whilst his own retirement came after two wins against Bobby Butters in 1995 and Hector Lopez in 1994.

Along the way, "The Thin Man" fought 40 times, beat 36 of his opponents and came away with the WBC, IBF and lineal world championships in 1990 and 1991 which included a remarkable act of kindness from a boxing colleague and close friend.

The Thin Man is Maurice Blocker, 36, 4, 20 KOs.

An orthodox tall 6 foot, 2 inches, he was born in Washington, DC in 1963 and became a professional in 1982. His debut professionally was in February 1982, against Leon Gardner in Atlantic City, registering a second-round stoppage win inside the distance – 4 rounds.

In his next 15 fights, he won them all – all, in Atlantic City. He fought so much, had he been able to croon, he would have been in danger of getting a residency! Of those first 16, 10, like his debut were won by knockout! It’s hard to hide such a prestigious knockout ratio so he was bound to be found.

His first title fight came in his 20th fight in Washington, on the 23rd of July 1985,  where he faced and beat Pedro Villella on points for the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) welterweight title. Having won his first belt, it was not going to be long before it was for far more serious titles.

It was in 1987 that he was fighting for his first world title against the UK’s Lloyd Honeyghan; it ended in his first loss, but it was not without some glory. 18th of April, at the Royal Albert Hall, the fight was for the WBC and IBF titles over 12 rounds. The shorter distance was believed to be Blocker’s undoing but Honeyghan’s saviour. It was his first foreign fighting trip as Blocker fought abroad for the first time. Honeyghan was wild that night and Blocker nearly came away with a win. The score cards were not really a true reflection of Blocker’s attempt at world glory, giving the fight to the home fighter by 3, 5 and 7 rounds. Honeyghan had continued his unbeaten record, but had it been an IBF sanctioned bout over 15 rounds Blocker would have won it as Honeyghan was done in by the end of the 12th. Think Ben Whittaker’s latest win…

Perhaps that loss was a blessing as Honeyghan’s scalp, though a big one at the time, is nothing on his record to sending Marlon Sterling into retirement when Blocker won the WBC and Lineal welterweight titles in 1990. Blocker used his height advantage and reach to win a majority decision and take the belts. In an interview with the LA Times later Blocker credited his win to a different mindset, he said, “Last time I went in to fight for the belt. This time I came to take the belt."

On the way to that night, the 19th of August 1990 in Reno, Blocker had amassed 8 straight wins, 6 by way of knockout – this was an exciting fighter to watch and one who really did deserve his world title chances.

It was not to be a long reign as he lost in his very next fight against colleague, Simon Brown in Las Vegas in March 1991. Having met in the gym and trained together, Brown and Blocker were great friends. Later in life, Brown was interviewed and reflected on the fight, “me and Maurice, we’re like blood brothers, whatever we do, we do together,” he said. “It came to a point that I had my title before Maurice had his and they set up for me to fight him. He was OK with it, and I was OK with it. As you see in the fight, I gave it my all and he gave it his all.”

Friendship was certainly left at the door, and Brown stopped his friend in the 10th round. The day after the fight with both families having dinner together, Brown followed up that with an incredible gesture – he vacated one of the two belts that had been on the line that night. The IBF belt was now available for his friend, Blocker, to fight Glenwood Brown for.

In October 1991, Blocker entered the ring against the second Brown, Glenwood, and left it holding the belt winning the title in a split decision with jabs, counter punches and just enough guile to take the fight in Atlantic City. In 1992, he successfully defended the IBF title against Luis Garcia, winning another split decision.

He then got in the ring for a fight at the weight division above his at super welterweight for the WBC title but lost to Terry Norris in Mexico City – you could argue that Blocker, after Honeyghan and now Norriss, did not travel well. It was 1993 and his career was now beginning to prepare itself for looking in the wrong direction.

Returning to his right weight division he then defended his IBF title in June 1993 against Felix Trinidad and was caught out and beaten by being knocked out in the 2nd round. Trinidad who was undefeated in 19 fights was an up-and-coming fighter at the time. Given the number of world title holders we have now who take less than 10 fights to win world titles, it might seem like Trinidad was a slow starter – this was his first world title fight in his 20th contest– but times were different then!

Blocker was now no longer considered for world title fights and as things began to fall to the wayside it is perhaps worthy of hearing the views expressed by his close friend and sparring partner of many years, Simon Brown who when asked who had the best jab and was the smartest, he fought in the ring said, Maurice Blocker. Why? Let him tell you, “I fought quite a few guys with a very good jab. Buddy McGirt had a very good jab, but it wasn’t a hard jab. Maurice had a strong, stiff jab that kept you at bay. Every time you made a move to get inside, he’d shoot that jab out there. Maybe ’cause we sparred for many years. I really had to chase him down to hurt him. Maurice was the type of fighter that was hard to hit.

His final fight was in Maryland on the 29th of April 1995 when he stopped Bobby Butters in the 5th round. His final legacy was one we can all debate but of an honest and decent fighter who held two versions of the world title and gave as much to the sport as anyone.