Ross Puritty

Ross Puritty is a heavyweight professional boxer from Oklahoma.

Personal life

Ross Puritty is a native of Norman, Oklahoma.

Professional Boxing career

Purrity made his professional debut on May 29, 1989, with a first-round knockout of Sergio Araujo. He then lost his second professional fight to Cleveland Woods. Through his first six professional fights Puritty had compiled a mediocre record of 3-3, and after thirteen professional fights he was doing even worse, falling to 6-7. By this time Puritty was considered nothing more than a useful journeyman who could be used as a trial horse for other young heavyweights. But Puritty was learning the art and science of boxing, and with time and experience his results began to improve.

A July 1994 match against Tommy Morrison, 41-2 at the time, was a turning point in Puritty's career, as he was outlanded and tired out near the end of the fight, but the bout was scored a draw after ten rounds on the strength of Puritty's two knockdowns of Morrison. [ [http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.php?title=Fight:8570 Tommy Morrison vs. Ross Puritty - Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia ] ] Puritty then went on a tear, winning his next ten consecutive bouts, all by knockout. Puritty had made his name and was now considered a top-tier opponent, earning matches against Hasim Rahman and Michael Grant (both of whom beat him), and against Jorge Luis Gonzalez and Joe Hipp, both of whom Puritty beat. Following the win against Hipp Puritty was matched against world title contenders Corrie Sanders, Larry Donald, and Chris Byrd, losing all three fights. Just when it appeared that his time as a contender was ending, Puritty upset the undefeated prospect Mark Hulstrom and future world champion Wladimir Klitschko in just 29 days in late 1998 on his way to a four fight win streak. [ [http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=5622&cat=boxer Ross Puritty ] ]

Since a draw with Frankie Swindell in January 2000 and as of this writing in April 2008, Puritty has compiled a pedestrian record of just 4-7-2, and his time appears to have passed. But overall Puritty has salvaged a very respectable career as a high-level journeyman and sometime contender for the heavyweight crown, amassing a career record of 31 wins and 20 losses with 27 wins coming by knockout. [ [http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=5622&cat=boxer Ross Puritty ] ]

Notable opponents

* Alexander Miroschnichenko (lost)
* John Sargent (lost)
* Brian Nielsen (lost)
* Kirk Johnson (lost)
* Tommy Morrison (drew)
* Hasim Rahman (lost)
* Michael Grant (lost)
* Jorge Luis Gonzalez (won)
* Joe Hipp (won)
* Corrie Sanders (lost)
* Larry Donald (lost)
* Chris Byrd (lost)
* Mark Hulstrom (won)
* Wladimir Klitschko (won)
* Lorenzo Boyd (won)
* Vitali Klitschko (lost)
* Timo Hoffman (lost)
* Attila Levin (lost)
* Alexander Dimitrenko (lost)
* "Fast" Eddie Chambers

Notes