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Cornelius Boza-Edwards
Cornelius Boza-Edwards
Born	27 May 1956 (age 68); Kampala, Uganda
Nationality	Ugandan
	Statistics
Weight(s)	Super featherweight; Lightweight;
Height	5 ft 8+1⁄2 in (174 cm)
Reach	71 in (180 cm)
Stance	Southpaw
	Boxing record
Total fights	53
Wins	45
Wins by KO	34
Losses	7
Draws	1

Cornelius Boza-Edwards (born Cornelius Bbosa; 27 May 1956) is a former professional boxer who is the former WBC Super Featherweight champion of the world.^[1] Born in Kampala, Uganda, he fought in both the super-featherweight and lightweight divisions. He emigrated from Uganda to England, where he lived for a long period. He now lives in the United States, where he trains other boxers.

Amateur career

Boza-Edwards started boxing at the age of nine in Uganda alongside other notable fighters such as Ayub Kalule and John Mugabi. He moved to England with his mentor Jack Edwards and continued to box firstly with the New Enterprise club in Tottenham and then the Fitzroy Lodge club in South London. He boxed for England but was overlooked for selection for the Olympic team after being beaten on points by Pat Cowdell in the 1976 ABA championships.

Boza-Edwards was given another opportunity when he was scheduled to compete as a featherweight boxer for Uganda in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. However, Uganda boycotted the Montreal Olympics, as did many other African countries. The boycott deprived him of the chance of competing in the Olympics.^[2]

Professional career

In 1976, Boza-Edwards turned professional with Mickey Duff as his manager and George Francis as his trainer. He changed his surname to Boza on the recommendation of Mickey Duff. As it was an easier name for the fans to remember and added Edwards out of respect for Jack Edwards his mentor.^[3]

Boza-Edwards won his first nine fights before suffering a loss to Des Gwilliam when he suffered a cut eye. He then went on an 18-fight winning streak and was offered a fight as a substitute against Alexis Arguello. He put up a spirited performance before being retired by his corner at the end of the eighth round. Arguello praised Boza-Edwards and said that he thought that he would become the champion after he had moved up in weight to the lightweight division. Boza-Edwards was actually boxing in the lightweight division at the time but moved down to the super-featherweight division.

WBC Super-Featherweight Champion

In 1981, Boza-Edwards won the WBC World Super-Featherweight Title from Rafael "Bazooka" Limón with a fifteen-round decision at Stockton, California. Limón, a Mexican, had made his infamous "You know what happens to British boxers when they face Mexicans" comment. In reference to the fight between Lupe Pintor and Johnny Owen, after which Owen had died.^[4]

He defeated Bobby Chacon after he retired at the end of the thirteenth round in his first and only successful defence. He lost the title three months later in an upset to Rolando Navarrete, by knockout in round five. Navarrete had come in as a late substitute for Limón and shocked Boza-Edwards by knocking him down three times, the final time he was counted out.

Later career

In 1982, Boza-Edwards won the European Super-featherweight title by defeating Carlos Hernandez of Spain after he retired in the fourth round. He then based himself in the United States and became a favourite on the television networks with his aggressive style of fighting.

He was meant to fight Bobby Chacon for the WBC World Super-Featherweight Title in 1983 but boxing politics meant that the WBC withdrew recognition of the fight, which went ahead anyway. Chacon won on points in a fight where both fighters were knocked down but needed 40 stitches afterwards. The fight was voted The Ring magazine Fight of the Year 1983. Following his loss to Chacon he fought Rocky Lockridge the former WBA super-featherweight champion and lost on points over ten rounds.

Boza-Edwards moved up to the lightweight division and earned a title shot against Héctor Camacho in 1986 for the WBC World Lightweight Title which he lost by decision over twelve rounds. His final shot at the title was in 1987 against José Luis Ramírez in Paris and he was knocked out in the fifth round of a fight for the WBC World Lightweight Title. Following this defeat he retired from boxing and became a trainer.

Personal life

Boza-Edwards first wife Jackie died from kidney failure six months after giving birth to their daughter Michelle in the UK. He was nearly lost to the sport of boxing as a result of his grief but decided to continue.^[5] He remarried after relocating to the US and he and his wife Rumiko have two daughters, Dominique and Jenna.

Mayweather Boxing Club

Boza-Edwards now runs the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, NV.^[6] He was inducted into the Nevada Boxing Hall of fame in 2014^[7]

Professional boxing record

53 fights	45 wins	7 losses
By knockout	34	4
By decision	10	3
By disqualification	1	0
Draws	1

Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	45–7-1	José Luis Ramírez	KO	5 (12)	1987-10-10	Zenith Palais, Paris	For WBC World Lightweight Title.
Win	45–6-1	Ali Kareem Muhammad	UD	10 (10)	1987-07-09	Felt Forum, New York
Loss	44–6-1	Héctor Camacho	UD	12 (12)	1986-09-26	Abel Holtz Stadium, Miami Beach	For WBC World Lightweight Title.
Draw	44–5-1	Terrence Alli	PTS	10 (10)	1986-03-30	Showboat Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Win	44–5	John Montes	UD	10 (10)	1985-07-14	Egypt Shrine Temple, Tampa
Win	43–5	Melvin Paul	KO	2 (10)	1985-04-14	York Hall, Bethnal Green
Win	42–5	Gary Gamble	RTD	4 (10)	1985-03-17	Egypt Shrine Temple, Tampa
Win	41–5	Charlie Brown	TKO	3 (10)	1984-10-13	Kings Hall, Belfast
Win	40–5	Guy Villegas	TKO	7 (10)	1984-06-17	Hyatt Regency, Tampa
Win	39–5	Trevor Evelyn	RTD	2 (10)	1984-02-19	Hyatt Regency, Tampa
Loss	38–5	Rocky Lockridge	UD	10 (10)	1983-09-09	Caesars Palace, Outdoor Arena, Las Vegas
Loss	38–4	Bobby Chacon	UD	12 (12)	1983-05-15	Caesars Palace, Sports Pavilion, Las Vegas	The Ring magazine's "Fight of the Year"
Win	38–3	Pedro Laza	TKO	9 (10)	1983-02-27	Showboat Hotel & Casino, Sports Pavilion, Las Vegas
Win	37–3	Blaine Dickson	UD	10 (10)	1983-02-27	Showboat Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Win	36–3	Roberto Elizondo	UD	10 (10)	1982-06-26	Showboat Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas
Win	35–3	John Verderosa	TKO	3 (10)	1982-04-24	Playboy Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City
Win	34–3	Carlos Hernandez	RTD	4 (12)	1982-03-17	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington	Won EBU Super Featherweight Title.
Win	33–3	Arturo Leon	RTD	4 (10)	1982-02-09	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington
Win	32–3	Juan Carlos Álvarez	TKO	3 (10)	1981-11-24	Wembley Arena, Wembley
Loss	31–3	Rolando Navarrete	KO	5 (15)	1981-08-29	Stadio de Pini, Viareggio	Lost WBC Super Featherweight Title.
Win	31–2	Bobby Chacon	RTD	13 (15)	1981-05-30	Showboat Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas	Retained WBC Super Featherweight Title.
Win	30–2	Rafael Limón	UD	15 (15)	1981-03-08	Civic Auditorium, Stockton	Won WBC Super Featherweight Title.
Win	29–2	Ramon Contreras	ud	10 (10)	1980-11-28	Sports Arena, San Diego
Win	28–2	Roberto Torres	TKO	2 (10)	1980-10-14	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington
Loss	27–2	Alexis Argüello	TKO	8 (10)	1980-08-09	Superstar Theater - Resorts Atlantic City
Win	27–1	Jose Manuel Velazquez	TKO	3 (10)	1980-07-12	Conference Centre, Wembley
Win	26–1	Ronnie Green	TKO	6 (10)	1980-06-28	Empire Pool, Wembley
Win	25–1	Jerome Artis	TKO	3 (8)	1980-06-07	Ibrox Park, Glasgow
Win	24–1	Benny Marquez	TKO	4 (8)	1980-04-22	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington
Win	23–1	James Washington	TKO	2 (8)	1980-04-01	Conference Centre, Wembley
Win	22–1	Fili Ramirez	TKO	7 (10)	1980-03-16	Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Win	21–1	Jose Luis Gonzalez	KO	3 (8)	1979-11-03	Kelvin Hall, Glasgow
Win	20–1	Fernando Jimenez	RTD	6 (8)	1979-06-24	Chapiteau de l'Espace Fontvieille, Fontvieille
Win	19–1	Godfrey Mwamba	TKO	2 (8)	1979-03-31	Independence Stadium, Lusaka
Win	18–1	Pedro Jimenez	PTS	6 (6)	1979-03-04	Teatro Ariston, San Remo
Win	17–1	Frankie Moultrie	SD	8 (8)	1979-01-13	Convention Center, Miami Beach
Win	16–1	Georges Cotin	TKO	1 (8)	1978-12-18	Hilton Hotel, Mayfair
Win	15–1	Godfrey Mwamba	TKO	3 (8)	1978-11-04	Lusaka
Win	14–1	George Feeney	PTS	8 (8)	1978-09-26	Empire Pool, Wembley
Win	13–1	Ethem Oezakalin	TKO	3 (8)	1978-07-19	Municipal Stadium, Bellaria
Win	12–1	Carlos Foldes	DQ	5 (8)	1978-02-21	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington
Win	11–1	Dil Collins	KO	5 (8)	1977-12-06	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington
Win	10–1	Bingo Crooks	PTS	8 (8)	1977-11-08	Empire Pool, Wembley
Loss	9–1	Des Gwilliam	TKO	6 (8)	1977-09-27	Empire Pool, Wembley
Win	9–0	Mario Oliveira	TKO	2 (8)	1977-06-14	Empire Pool, Wembley
Win	8–0	Tommy Glencross	TKO	2 (8)	1977-05-31	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington
Win	7–0	Billy Vivian	KO	1 (6)	1977-04-18	Hilton Hotel, Mayfair
Win	6–0	Godfrey Butler	KO	2 (8)	1977-03-16	Midland Sporting Club, Civic Hall, Solihull
Win	5–0	George McGurk	TKO	1 (6)	1977-02-14	Hilton Hotel, Mayfair
Win	4–0	Danny Connolly	TKO	2 (6)	1977-02-01	Royal Albert Hall, Kensington
Win	3–0	Tommy Wright	TKO	1 (6)	1977-01-25	York Hall, Bethnal Green
Win	2–0	Paul Clemit	TKO	3 (6)	1976-12-20	Manor Place Baths, Walworth
Win	1–0	Barry Price	KO	6 (6)	1976-12-13	Hilton Hotel, Mayfair	Professional debut

References

^ www.observer.ug/component/content/article?id=19030:-ex-world-champ-boza-humbled-by-hospitality
^ "Best I Faced: Cornelius Boza-Edwards". 4 May 2020.
^ Mickey Duff "Twenty & Out" Harper Collins 1999 ISBN 0-00-218926-7
^ "'The Ferocious Four' and their fights, ranked". 4 May 2020.
^ George Francis Trainer of champions Mainstream Publishing 1998 ISBN 1 84018 059 5
^ "Mayweather Boxing Club – Mayweather Promotions".
^ "Uganda's Boxing Legend | Cornelius Boza Edwards to be Inducted into Nevada's Boxing Hall of Fame | Welcome to the Ugandan Diaspora News Online".

External links

Boxing record for Cornelius Boza-Edwards from BoxRec (registration required)

Achievements
Preceded by Rafael Limón	WBC super featherweight champion 8 March 1981 - 29 August 1981	Succeeded by Rolando Navarrete
Awards
Preceded by Bobby Chacon UD15 Rafael Limón IV	The Ring magazine Fight of the Year L12 Bobby Chacon II 1983	Succeeded by José Luis Ramírez KO4 Edwin Rosario II