Ashley Theophane
Encyclopedia
Ashley Theophane is an English professional boxer who competes in the welterweight division. He is the British and IBO international welterweight champion, he has a record of 28 wins against only 4 defeats and is a regular boxer on both sides of the Atlantic.
, London
on 3 June 2003 defeating Lee Bedell, he beat an experienced journeyman, Brian Coleman, in his next fight on 22 July 2003 and won a further five contests throughout 2004 giving him a record of 7-0 at the end of the year. In his first fight of 2005 on 26 March, Theophane suffered his first defeat to Judex Meema at the Empire Theatre in Hackney, losing on points over six rounds. The rest of the year had mixed results with four more wins including two contests with journeyman David Kehoe and a win each over Duncan Cottier and Jus Wallie but with another defeat, this time to Oscar Milkitas on 18 November, again on points although this time over 4 rounds. In his first fight of 2006 and now boasting a record of 11-2 Theophane drew with Daniel Thorpe at the Excel Arena in Londons Docklands. The rest of the year saw six more fights and six more wins including three victories fighting away from home in Germany
, the latter a win on 2 December against Omar Siala, was for the lightly regarded Global Boxing Council welterweight title at the IFCO Arena in Berlin
. At the end of the year Theophanes record stood at 17-2-1 and on the verge of a challenge for the British title.
in a British title eliminator at the Alexandra Palace
in Wood Green
, stopping him in the 7th round. The title opportunity was not to come however and Theophane traveled to Saint Lucia
for his next fight, a win over Marcos Hernandez on 16 November 10 months after his last contest with Bosworth. He finished the year with a return to the York Hall and a win over journeyman Rocky Muscas on 1 December. On 15 February 2008 Theophane traveled to Connecticut
in the United States
and fought his toughest opponent to date, the Frenchman Ali Oubaali. Despite having Oubaali down in the 6th round Theophane suffered his third defeat on points over 10 rounds to a man who had previously contested both the French national title and the full European title at super featherweight. He returned to the York Hall
on 15 June 2008 and returned to winning ways with a win over Geoffrey Munika and then headed back to the US for what would prove to be a biggest win of his career so far. The fight in Rochester, New York
on 31 July 2008 pitched Theophane against experienced former world champion DeMarcus Corley
and ended in an 8 round decision win for the Londoner. Despite the victory the year ended with Ashley once again fighting at the York Hall and beating journeyman Matt Scriven on 6 December, finishing the year with a record of 23-3-1.
Ashley's first fight of 2009 saw him beat former Commonwealth champion and European title challenger Craig Docherty
at the York Hall
and this was following up on 21 June with a win over rookie Mark Douglas for what would be his only fights of the year. On 26 February 2010 he returned to the states and fought the undefeated Danny Garcia
at the Don Haskins Convention Centre in El Paso, Texas
. The fight ended with a fourth career defeat for Theophane and with Garcia extending his winning record to 16-0 although only by a split decision. On 19 June 2010 Theophane returned to Germany
and to winning ways, picking up a title for good measure. The fight in Burghausen
represented a first contest of 12 rounds for Theophane and returned a majority decision for the Londoner against Harasch Hotaki from Afghanistan
for the IBO international welterweight title. Theophane followed the victory up on 30 July 2010 with another fight in the States, this time in Oklahoma
, and defeated the Dominican Republics
USBA welterweight title holder and former IBF world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez
for another majority decision this time over 10 rounds. On 10 October 2010 Theophane returned to England and scored a points victory over Willie Thompson in a show at the York Hall winning 60-55 in a six round contest.
, was making the third defence of the belt. Despite a slow start Theophane came on strongly in the second half of the fight and knocked Daws down twice in the 9th round, eventually winning 115-111, 115-111 and 115-112 on the judges scorecards. Prior to the fight with Daws, Theophane told how he had spent his time training between New York and London and sparring the likes of Dmitry Salita
, Steve Williams and Liam Walsh
. Speaking of his confidence in terms of winning the fight Theophane said "I feel like I am dropping down a couple of levels to face Daws but his team bombarded me and my management with emails when I was in America trying to organise this fight, so let’s get it on!". On 23 July 2011 Theophane made the first defence of his title beating Jason Cook
at the Wembley Arena with a 10th round stoppage. Following the fight Theophane signed a three year promotional deal with Hatton Promotions with Ricky Hatton describing him as a "world class boxer".
Early professional career
Thoephane made his professional debut at the York HallYork Hall
The York Hall is a health and leisure centre and one of Britain's best known boxing venues.The venue is situated on Old Ford Road in Bethnal Green, London, England. The hall, opened in 1929 with a capacity of 1,200, stages boxing as well as providing a gymnasium and swimming pool.The hall is owned...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 3 June 2003 defeating Lee Bedell, he beat an experienced journeyman, Brian Coleman, in his next fight on 22 July 2003 and won a further five contests throughout 2004 giving him a record of 7-0 at the end of the year. In his first fight of 2005 on 26 March, Theophane suffered his first defeat to Judex Meema at the Empire Theatre in Hackney, losing on points over six rounds. The rest of the year had mixed results with four more wins including two contests with journeyman David Kehoe and a win each over Duncan Cottier and Jus Wallie but with another defeat, this time to Oscar Milkitas on 18 November, again on points although this time over 4 rounds. In his first fight of 2006 and now boasting a record of 11-2 Theophane drew with Daniel Thorpe at the Excel Arena in Londons Docklands. The rest of the year saw six more fights and six more wins including three victories fighting away from home in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the latter a win on 2 December against Omar Siala, was for the lightly regarded Global Boxing Council welterweight title at the IFCO Arena in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. At the end of the year Theophanes record stood at 17-2-1 and on the verge of a challenge for the British title.
Boxing abroad
On 20 January 2007 Theophane defeated Alan BosworthAlan Bosworth
Alan Bosworth , is a professional boxer, using the nickname "Bozzy". He is a light welterweight, and a former British and European title challenger at the weight....
in a British title eliminator at the Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
in Wood Green
Wood Green
Wood Green is a district in north London, England, located in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated north of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of the metropolitan centres in Greater London.-History:...
, stopping him in the 7th round. The title opportunity was not to come however and Theophane traveled to Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
for his next fight, a win over Marcos Hernandez on 16 November 10 months after his last contest with Bosworth. He finished the year with a return to the York Hall and a win over journeyman Rocky Muscas on 1 December. On 15 February 2008 Theophane traveled to Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and fought his toughest opponent to date, the Frenchman Ali Oubaali. Despite having Oubaali down in the 6th round Theophane suffered his third defeat on points over 10 rounds to a man who had previously contested both the French national title and the full European title at super featherweight. He returned to the York Hall
York Hall
The York Hall is a health and leisure centre and one of Britain's best known boxing venues.The venue is situated on Old Ford Road in Bethnal Green, London, England. The hall, opened in 1929 with a capacity of 1,200, stages boxing as well as providing a gymnasium and swimming pool.The hall is owned...
on 15 June 2008 and returned to winning ways with a win over Geoffrey Munika and then headed back to the US for what would prove to be a biggest win of his career so far. The fight in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
on 31 July 2008 pitched Theophane against experienced former world champion DeMarcus Corley
DeMarcus Corley
DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley , is a boxer from Washington D.C., and a former WBO and USBA light welterweight champion. Corley also designs his own boxing attire.-Amateur career:...
and ended in an 8 round decision win for the Londoner. Despite the victory the year ended with Ashley once again fighting at the York Hall and beating journeyman Matt Scriven on 6 December, finishing the year with a record of 23-3-1.
Ashley's first fight of 2009 saw him beat former Commonwealth champion and European title challenger Craig Docherty
Craig Docherty
Craig Docherty is a Scottish professional boxer, best known for having held the Commonwealth Super-Featherweight championship and being one-half of the biggest Scottish fight since Jim Watt-Ken Buchanan....
at the York Hall
York Hall
The York Hall is a health and leisure centre and one of Britain's best known boxing venues.The venue is situated on Old Ford Road in Bethnal Green, London, England. The hall, opened in 1929 with a capacity of 1,200, stages boxing as well as providing a gymnasium and swimming pool.The hall is owned...
and this was following up on 21 June with a win over rookie Mark Douglas for what would be his only fights of the year. On 26 February 2010 he returned to the states and fought the undefeated Danny Garcia
Danny Garcia (boxer)
Danny Garcia is an American professional boxer.-Amateur highlights:*2006 U.S. national champion*2005 Tammer Tournament champion*2005 Under-19 national champion-Professional career:...
at the Don Haskins Convention Centre in El Paso, Texas
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
. The fight ended with a fourth career defeat for Theophane and with Garcia extending his winning record to 16-0 although only by a split decision. On 19 June 2010 Theophane returned to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and to winning ways, picking up a title for good measure. The fight in Burghausen
Burghausen, Altötting
Burghausen is the largest city in the Altötting district of Oberbayern in Germany. It is situated on the Salzach river, near the border with Austria. Its castle, atop a ridge, is the longest castle in Europe .- History :...
represented a first contest of 12 rounds for Theophane and returned a majority decision for the Londoner against Harasch Hotaki from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
for the IBO international welterweight title. Theophane followed the victory up on 30 July 2010 with another fight in the States, this time in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and defeated the Dominican Republics
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
USBA welterweight title holder and former IBF world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez
Delvin Rodriguez
Delvin Antonio Rodriguez is an Dominican professional boxer in the Super Welterweight division. He fights out of Danbury, Connecticut...
for another majority decision this time over 10 rounds. On 10 October 2010 Theophane returned to England and scored a points victory over Willie Thompson in a show at the York Hall winning 60-55 in a six round contest.
British champion
On 19 February 2011 Theophane won the British title at London's Wembley Arena. His opponent, the reigning champion Lenny DawsLenny Daws
Lenny Daws is a professional boxer, fighting out of Morden, England. He is a former two time British light welterweight champion and a former English light welterweight champion.-Early professional career:...
, was making the third defence of the belt. Despite a slow start Theophane came on strongly in the second half of the fight and knocked Daws down twice in the 9th round, eventually winning 115-111, 115-111 and 115-112 on the judges scorecards. Prior to the fight with Daws, Theophane told how he had spent his time training between New York and London and sparring the likes of Dmitry Salita
Dmitry Salita
Dmitry Salita is a Ukrainian-born Jewish-American boxer from Brooklyn, New York in the welterweight division.He has a 33–1–1 record, with 16 KOs. He is , and his reach is 69".He is a practicing Orthodox Jew, and became so after he moved to Brooklyn...
, Steve Williams and Liam Walsh
Liam Walsh (boxer)
Liam Walsh is an English professional left-handed boxer fighting in the super featherweight division. He is the current holder of the Commonwealth title at the weight and is one of three brothers, all of whom are professional boxers....
. Speaking of his confidence in terms of winning the fight Theophane said "I feel like I am dropping down a couple of levels to face Daws but his team bombarded me and my management with emails when I was in America trying to organise this fight, so let’s get it on!". On 23 July 2011 Theophane made the first defence of his title beating Jason Cook
Jason Cook (boxer)
Jason Cook is a professional boxer, who fights under the nickname "The Power". As an amateur, he won a silver medal for Wales at the 1994 Commonwealth Games. As a professional, he has fought as a lightweight, and has won both the European and IBO championships at the weight...
at the Wembley Arena with a 10th round stoppage. Following the fight Theophane signed a three year promotional deal with Hatton Promotions with Ricky Hatton describing him as a "world class boxer".