Rico Hoye

Rico Hoye
Statistics
Real name	Rico Hoye
Rated at	Cruiserweight
Nationality	American
Born	9 November 1974 Monroe, Michigan
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	28
Wins	24
Wins by KO	16
Losses	4
Draws	0

Rico Hoye is an American professional boxer who current competes in the Cruiserweight division. He resides Phoenix, Arizona, and is a former number one ranked light heavyweight contender (IBF) and a former world title challenger in the light heavyweight division. Hoye was a Cruiserweight division contestant in the fourth season of the Contender, boxing three 5-round bouts and one 8-round bout on Versus, winning three.^[1]

Early life and professional career

Hoye was raised in Monroe, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan. His father, Bobby Hoye (1951–1996) was a professional super middleweight contender. Rico was raised by his grandfather Robert Hoye (1930–1999) a United States Army and Golden Gloves middleweight boxer. Both his father and grandfather brought him to the gym as an infant and he first competed at 7 years old. As a teenager, he was trained by his grandfather, and he was able to amass a 68-12 amateur record, including junior Olympic titles and Golden Gloves titles in Toledo and Detroit, and was hopeful for an opportunity to make the 1992 Olympic team. At that time, however, his grandfather was injured and wasn't able to train him and he strayed from the sport and became involved in street activity around his Detroit neighborhood. In a 1992 altercation at 17 years old, he shot and killed someone and spent 9 years in prison. While in prison, both his father and grandfather died. Upon his release from prison, he immediately began seriously training and was soon back in the ring competing.^[2][3]

Hoye made his professional debut in June 2001 with a third round stoppage of Omar Pucci in Michigan. Over the next two years, Hoye scored twelve consecutive wins. He won the vacant IBA Continental Light Heavyweight title by decisioning Prince Badi Ajamu over 12 rounds in June 2003.

Defenses and challenges

Hoye made three defenses of his IBA regional title. He defeated Etienne Whitaker in October 2003, Donnell Wiggins in March 2004, and Montell Griffin in September 2004 in a bout which was also an International Boxing Federation eliminator for a world title shot.

In March 2005, the 18-0 Hoye traveled to England to challenge Clinton Woods for the vacant IBF title, losing on a fifth round technical knockout.^[4] In May 2007, Hoye challenged unbeaten Romanian boxer Adrian Diaconu for the WBC International light heavyweight title, an eliminator for the full WBC world title, and lost when the fight was stopped in the 3rd round.^[5]

Contender

In late 2008, Hoye moved up to the cruiserweight division to compete in the fourth season of the boxing reality show, The Contender.^[6][7]

Hoye defeated Mike Alexander and Joell Godfrey by decision in separate five round bouts. In the semifinal, Hoye lost by unanimous decision to Ehinomen Ehikhamenor of Nigeria. In February 2009, Hoye defeated Akinyemi Laleye by 8 round unanimous decision to win third place in the televised competition.^[8]

Return from retirement

Hoye, who lived in Los Angeles and then Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and children, operated a boxing and fitness gym in Phoenix during his four years of inactivity, working with clients on physical conditioning, including training such professional athletes as baseball player Troy O'Leary and football running back Marcel Shipp. Hoye has also sparred with heavyweights Wladimir Klitschko and Chris Arreola.

Hoye returned to the ring on November 2, 2013, at heavyweight with a 1st round TKO of Brandon Winner and then lost by unanimous decision to cruiserweight contender Lucasz Janik in Poland June 28, 2014.

Professional boxing record

24 Wins (16 knockouts, 8 decisions), 4 Losses (2 knockouts, 2 decisions)
Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	26-2	Łukasz Janik	UD	10	06/28/2014	Hala na Podpromiu, Rzeszów, Poland
Win	3-8	Brandon Winner	TKO	1	11/02/2013	Potawatomi Bingo Casino, Milwaukee	comeback at heavyweight after 4 year and 9 month layoff
Win	12-2	Akinyemi Laleye	UD	8	02/25/2009	Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Connecticut	Contender Season 4 3rd Place Fight. 79-72, 79-72, 79-72.
Loss	14-3	Ehinomen Ehikhamenor	UD	5	02/18/2009		45-50, 47-48, 46-49.
Win	9-1-1	Joell Godfrey	UD	5	02/11/2009		50-44, 49-45, 48-46.
Win	12-2	Mike Alexander	UD	5	01/12/2009		49-46, 48-47, 49-46.
Loss	23-0	Adrian Diaconu	TKO	3	05/09/2007	Studio Mel's, Montreal	WBC International/TAB Light Heavyweight Titles. WBC World Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator. Referee stopped the bout at 0:32 of the third round.
Win	17-6-1	Sam "Punching Policeman" Hill	TKO	10	11/10/2006	Quiet Cannon, Montebello, California	Referee stopped the bout at 2:15 of the tenth round.
Win	23-23-3	Derrick Whitley	UD	6	12/10/2005	Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut	59-55, 59-55, 60-54.
Loss	36-3-1	Clinton Woods	TKO	5	03/04/2005	Magna Centre, Rotherham, Yorkshire	IBF World Light Heavyweight Title. Referee stopped the bout at 2:59 of the fifth round.
Win	46-4	Montell Griffin	SD	12	09/16/2004	Kewadin Casino, Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan	IBA Continental Light Heavyweight Title. IBF World Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator. 116-112, 113-115, 116-112.
Win	27-4	Richard "The Destroyer" Hall	KO	4	05/15/2004	Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas	IBF World Light Heavyweight Title Eliminator. Hall knocked out at 1:10 of the fourth round.
Win	20-3-2	Donnell Wiggins	TKO	1	03/18/2004	Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, California	WBO NABO/WBC Continental Americas/IBA Continental Light Heavyweight Titles. Referee stopped the bout at 2:38 of the first round.
Win	15-58-3	Marris Virgil	KO	1	12/12/2003	Ford Community Center, Dearborn, Michigan	Virgil knocked out at 1:12 of the first round.
Win	29-10-2	Etianne Whitaker	TKO	2	10/11/2003	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan	WBO NABO/IBA Continental Light Heavyweight Titles. Referee stopped the bout at 1:22 of the second round.
Win	15-0-1	Prince Badi Ajamu	UD	12	06/05/2003	State Theatre, Detroit	IBA Continental Light Heavyweight Title. 118-109, 117-110, 118-109.
Win	10-16-3	Tyrone Muex	TKO	3	04/24/2003	Grand Casino Gulfport, Gulfport, Mississippi	Referee stopped the bout at 1:22 of the third round.
Win	19-9-2	Segundo Mercado	TKO	1	01/29/2003	Andiamo's Banquet Center, Warren, Michigan	Referee stopped the bout at 2:16 of the first round.
Win	5-1-1	Ayodeji Fadeyi	TKO	1	11/02/2002	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan	Referee stopped the bout at 1:47 of the first round.
Win	18-8-2	"Mr. Everything" Greg Wright	UD	8	09/27/2002	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Win	11-5-2	George Klinesmith	TKO	2	06/08/2002	Pyramid Arena, Memphis, Tennessee	Referee stopped the bout at 1:40 of the second round.
Win	15-34-2	Ruben Ruiz	TKO	2	04/19/2002	Auburn Hills, Michigan
Win	32-38	Kenny Snow	UD	6	01/31/2002	The Roostertail, Detroit
Win	1-12	Conley Person	KO	1	01/22/2002	Andiamo's Banquet Center, Detroit	Person knocked out at 1:21 of the first round.
Win	1-5-2	Vidal Middlebrook	TKO	1	12/21/2001	Youngstown, Ohio
Win	13-46-3	Marris Virgil	KO	2	11/23/2001	The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan	Virgil knocked out at 1:09 of the second round.
Win	3-3-1	Percel Banks	TKO	3	08/10/2001	Cobo Hall, Detroit	Referee stopped the bout at 2:59 of the third round.
Win	3-0	Omar Pucci	TKO	3	06/20/2001	Andiamo's Banquet Center, Warren, Michigan	Referee stopped the bout at 2:59 of the third round.

References