Hello Boxing enthusiasts, in this week's column I am going to talk about Tiger Flowers "Georgia Deacon" [119(56KO)-15-8]. His name was Theodore Flowers. He was born on August 5, 1895, in Camilla, Georgia, USA. He was an American professional boxer, who held the title of world champion in the middleweight division from February 1926 to December of the same year. He began his boxing career at the age of 23 in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA while working in a naval shipyard. After remaining undefeated in 19 bouts, he suffered his first loss in August 1921, at the hands of Panamanian Joe Gans, in the sixth round by way of KO.
By 1924 Flowers was considered Harry Greb's main challenger for the middleweight title by The Ring magazine. However, in late 1925, Flowers was defeated by Mike McTigue, the light heavyweight champion, in a 10-round fight by SD. The decision was highly controversial, as many pundits considered Flowers the rightful winner of the fight. In the month of February 1926, he got the chance to challenge the world middleweight champion, Harry Greb, at New York's Madison Square Garden. As the rounds progressed, the fight degenerated into a series of illicit actions by both fighters. The result went in favor of Flowers, in a 15-lap PTS race.
Flowers became the first African-American to be declared world boxing champion in that division. Greb got a rematch against Flowers, in August 1926, but Greb was defeated again, in a 15-round fight by SD. Subsequently, Flowers made his second title defense against Mickey Walker, played in Chicago, in December 1926, Flowers lost in a 10-round PTS contest. He lost his world title in this way, in another controversial decision of the judges, which was investigated by the Illinois Athletic Commission, although the result would not be modified.
During his boxing career, Flowers defeated Billy Hooper, Battling Mims, Jim Fain, Jack Moore, Kid Williams, Jack Ray, Frankie Murphy, Andy Kid Palmer, Kid Davis, Eddie Palmer, Franco Carbonero, Bob Leyson, Jamaica Kid, Kid Norfolk. , Panama Joe Gans, Rufe Cameron, Tut Jackson, Sailor Darden, Herbert Moore, Sonny Goodrich, Bob Lawson, Battling Gahee, Lee Anderson, David Thornton, Jimmy Darcy, Jorge Robinson, Ted Jamieson, Willie Walker, Joe Lohman, Jack Townsend, Oscar Mortimer, Cleve Hawkins, Hugh Clements, Jerry Hayes, Johnny Wilson, Dan O'Dowd, Tommy Roberto, Ted Moore, Jackie Clark, Lou Bogash, Jock Malone, Pat McCarthy, Allentown's Joe Gans, Benny Ross, Bob Fitzsimmons, Ray Neuman, Eddie Huffman, Chuck Wiggins, Bing Conley, Harry Dillon, Pete Latzo, Harry Greb, among others.
While the rematch with Walker was being negotiated in November 1927, Tiger underwent an operation to remove damaged tissue from his eyes, but he died in the procedure. Flowers was an austere and very religious person. He was known as the "Deacon of Georgia", and it is also said that he carried a Bible when he entered the ring. He passed away on November 16, 1927 in New York. Some 75,000 people watched the tour of his coffin through the city of Atlanta, Georgia. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.