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Michael Ayers (born 26 January 1965) is a British former boxer who was British lightweight champion between 1995 and 1997 and IBO world lightweight champion between 1999 and 2001.

Career

Born in London in 1965, Michael Ayers had a successful amateur career, winning the ABA lightweight title in 1987, before making his professional boxing debut in May 1989 with a win over Young Joe Rafiu. In June 1991 he beat Wayne Weekes to take the vacant BBBofC Southern Area lightweight title.

In October 1992 he stopped Scott Brouwer in the fourth round to take the WBC International title. He made a successful defence of this title in February 1993 against Danny Myburgh, setting up a challenge for Giovanni Parisi's WBO World lightweight title in April that year. Previously having a 100% record, Ayers suffered his first defeat with Parisi taking a unanimous points decision.

In February 1995 he beat Paul Burke to take the British lightweight title, stopping the defending champion in the sixth round. Over the next two years he made four successful defences, against Karl Taylor, Charles Shepherd, Dave Anderson, and Colin Dunne. He was due to fight again for the WBO World title in 1996 but the fight was postponed due to a shoulder injury sustained by the defending champion Artur Grigorian; a rescheduled fight in May 1997 was again postponed due to Grigorian's shoulder problems. The delays in getting to fight Grigorian led to Ayers relinquishing his British title in August 1997.

In March 1999 he stopped Luis Flores in the fourth round to take the vacant IBO World lightweight title. He made six successful defences of the World title, against Mkhuseli Kondile, Daniel Sarmiento, Tony Miller, Mehdi Labdouni, and twice against Wayne Rigby, the first of these voted 'British fight of the year' by Boxing News. A further defence against James Armah was cancelled due to a back injury sustained by Ayers. In November 2001 he moved up a weight to challenge for Sarmiento's IBO super lightweight title, losing via a unanimous points decision. Ayers relinquished his IBO lightweight title on 26 December, retiring from the sport.

Ayers returned to the ring in July 2003 to fight Jon Honney, but lost a six-round points decision, after which he retired for good.

References

1. Rendall, Jonathan (1993) "Boxing: Eubank labours to victory", The Independent, 21 February 1993. Retrieved 24 May 2015
2. "Sport in Short: Boxing", The Independent, 18 April 1993. Retrieved 24 May 2015
3. "Win sets Ayers up for record", Glasgow Herald, 1 April 1995. Retrieved 24 May 2015
4. "Boxing: Michael Ayers retains British lightweight title", The Independent, 21 November 1996. Retrieved 24 May 2015
5. "Boxing: Ayers frustrated by second postponement", The Independent, 29 May 1997. Retrieved 24 May 2015
6. "Ayers gives up his British title", Glasgow Herald, 27 August 1997. Retrieved 24 May 2015
7. McGreevy, Alex (1999) "Ayers to Rock Sarmiento", Daily Mirror, 2 October 1999
8. Lewis, Mike (2001) "Boxing: Sporting heroes ready to do battle again", The Independent, 24 February 2001. Retrieved 24 May 2015
9. Nugent, Pat (2001) "Boxing: Ayers holds onto his title", RTÉ, 14 June 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2015
10. "Schwer in line for Ayers clash", BBC, 13 July 2001. Retrieved 24 May 2015
11. Bernath, Clive (2001) "Ayers battered to defeat", secondsout.com, 10 November 2001. Retrieved 24 May 2015
12. Bernath, Clive (2003) "Time to call it a day ‘Shaka’", secondsout.com. Retrieved 24 May 2015

External links

Boxing record for Michael Ayers from BoxRec (registration required)

• 1965 births
• Living people
• English male boxers
• Lightweight boxers
• People from Tooting
• Boxers from the London Borough of Wandsworth