Cleveland Denny was a Guyanese

Guyana

Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...

 former boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

.

Amateur career

Denny represented Guyana

Guyana

Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...

 as a lightweight at the 1976 Olympic games

1976 Summer Olympics

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...

. He didn't compete due to his country boycotting over the inclusion of New Zealand. Denny technically had a first round bye, and lost to Bogdan Gajda of Poland on a walk-over.

Pro career

Denny turned pro in 1976 and was unbeaten in his first 11 pro fights, including a win over Jean LaPointe in 1977 for the Canadian lightweight title. Denny lost the belt the following year to Gaetan Hart by decision. On June 20, 1980, Denny lost via TKO in the rematch.

Death

Denny died of injuries sustained in a bout with Gaetan Hart

Gaétan Hart

Gaétan Hart is a former lightweight/welterweight boxer from Canada, who was a three time boxing champion from his country. He lost his only world title fight against Aaron Pryor in 1980...

 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, sixteen days after the bout. This bout was on the undercard of the first Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...

-Roberto Durán

Roberto Durán

Roberto Durán Samaniego is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....

 bout. After the loss, Denny's widow filed suit against Hart, the Montreal Athletic Commission and the Olympic Installations Board, and others..

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