Shannon Briggs, a professional boxer with a remarkable career, was born and raised on the challenging streets of Brooklyn. Throughout his adult life, he dedicated himself to the sport, amassing an impressive professional record of 51-6-1 with an astonishing 45 knockouts, 30 of which occurred in the first round. Briggs' devastating power and formidable fighting skills earned him widespread recognition, particularly for his thrilling victory over George Foreman, securing the Linear Heavyweight Title through a close decision.
Following his triumph over Foreman, Briggs faced off against Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title in 1998. Although he had Lewis in trouble early on, Briggs ultimately lost by TKO in the fifth round. Undeterred, Briggs continued to push forward, claiming the WBO heavyweight title in 2006 by knocking out Sergei Liakhovich in the final round of their November 4 matchup.
In his first title defense, Briggs was set to face Sultan Ibragimov on March 10, 2007, but unfortunately, he was diagnosed with "aspirational pneumonia" and withdrew from the fight. The bout was rescheduled for June 2, 2007, in Atlantic City, with Briggs ultimately losing in a unanimous decision.
On October 16, 2010, Briggs faced Vitali Klitschko in a WBC title challenge in Hamburg. Despite enduring a grueling 12-round beating, Briggs showed unwavering heart and toughness, refusing to back down despite suffering a left orbital fracture, another facial fracture, a broken nose, a burst ear drum, and a torn left bicep.
