Not all heroes in boxing history are highly decorated champions sitting at the top of the rankings. Some heroes have remained partially in the shadows—fighters who, despite never reaching the sport’s highest peaks, have contributed to its greatness with feats that are sometimes overlooked but carry an incredible impact. One such hero is the protagonist of today’s story: his name is Dave Tiberi, an American boxer with clear Italian roots, of which he was immensely proud.
The year was 1992, and the American superstar James Toney was the IBF middleweight world champion. The previous year had been one to remember for him—he had taken the title from the highly skilled and heavily favored Michael Nunn by knocking him out after a memorable battle and had defended the belt three times, earning the prestigious Fighter of the Year award from The Ring magazine. His next title defense, scheduled for February 8 against the virtually unknown Dave Tiberi, was seen by most as nothing more than a routine tune-up fight before bigger and more meaningful challenges.
However, the Italian-American challenger paid no attention to the experts’ opinions and had a very different outcome in mind for the evening compared to what most expected. He entered the fight with an unremarkable record of 22 wins, 2 losses, and 3 draws, with only 7 KOs to his name. However, Tiberi had made tremendous improvements since his early professional days, partly thanks to daily sparring sessions with the phenomenal Bernard Hopkins.
His training camp for the title fight, held between Philadelphia and New York, was grueling. The dream of becoming a world champion and the firm determination not to leave the ring without the belt fueled his efforts, pushing him to give everything he had.
Finally, the long-awaited day arrived. The crowd in Atlantic City, gathered at the Trump Taj Mahal expecting to witness a dominant and straightforward display of power from the champion, was likely stunned by what unfolded in the main event.
A relentless and fearless Dave Tiberi, completely unfazed by his opponent’s reputation and undeniable technical skills, applied suffocating pressure from the opening bell. He threw an incredible volume of punches and forced the decorated titleholder into close-quarters exchanges with no respite.
James Toney, a natural counterpuncher who should have thrived against a volume puncher lacking knockout power, found himself uncomfortable almost immediately. Although he managed to shake Tiberi at the end of the first round, he quickly lost confidence and swagger, unable to find the space and timing to land his best shots.
Round after round, Tiberi—wearing trunks with the Italian flag clearly visible—delivered an unforgettable performance fueled by heart, pride, endless stamina, and surprising short-range technical skills. The CompuBox numbers, which showed him outlanding the champion 439 to 290, only partially reflected the clear and undeniable dominance that any impartial and knowledgeable spectator could not fail to recognize that night.
The decision, therefore, came as a cold shock to everyone. While one honest judge scored it 117-111 for Tiberi, perfectly aligning with what had taken place in the ring, the other two judges inexplicably handed the victory to Toney by a three-point margin, allowing him to retain his world title.
The scores were so baffling that ABC journalist Alex Wallau called the decision live on air “the most disgusting I’ve ever seen,” repeating the statement directly to the officially declared winner during the post-fight interviews. At the time, Toney insisted he had won fairly. It wasn’t until 17 years later, in an interview, that he finally admitted the rightful winner that night had not been him.
What made this case stand out from many other injustices in boxing history was what happened next. Senator William Roth, representing Delaware—Tiberi’s home state—launched an investigation into the fight. The probe revealed a shocking fact: the two judges who had awarded Toney the victory did not even have valid licenses to officiate bouts in New Jersey!
In an effort to clear the stain of controversy, Toney’s team did everything they could to arrange a rematch, even offering Tiberi half a million dollars along with a small percentage of the pay-per-view revenue. It’s worth noting that for the original fight, Tiberi had earned only $30,000—an amount far smaller than what was now being proposed, which could have been life-changing for him and his family.
However, Dave Tiberi had one condition: since the fraudulent nature of the judging panel had been proven, the disgraceful verdict had to be overturned, allowing him to enter the rematch as the rightful champion. Alternatively, he demanded at least the establishment of a national commission dedicated to protecting fighters and their careers, combating the practice of treating them like disposable commodities.
Neither of his requests was granted. As a result, not only did Tiberi turn down the rematch, but he also made an even more drastic decision—he never fought again. The pain of the injustice, which had undermined years of sacrifice, was overwhelming. But even more powerful was his belief in standing up for a principle and setting an example for change.
From that moment until today, the Italian-American fighter has never stopped fighting for his cause. And if, in 1999, the United States passed the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act—a law designed to protect fighters’ rights and health, assist state commissions in overseeing the sport, and promote fairness and integrity in boxing—it is also thanks to his relentless efforts and the lasting impact of his story.