Ralph Hollett
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
Nickname | The Heat |
| Nationality |  Canadian |
| Born | Ralph Richard J. Hollett November 24, 1952 Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | June 14, 2012 (aged 59) Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Weight | Middleweight |
| Boxing career | |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 30 |
| Wins | 19 |
| Win by KO | 9 |
| Losses | 10 |
| Draws | 1 |
Ralph Hollett (November 24, 1952 – June 14, 2012) was a Canadian former professional middleweight boxer and kickboxer who won the Canadian middleweight boxing title three times.
Early life
[edit]Ralph Richard J. Hollett was born on November 24, 1952, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.[1]
Kickboxing career
[edit]Hollett trained under Jim Maloney.[2] He reached the rank of black belt in karate, Uechi-Ryū, and jiu-jitsu.[1]
He competed against world middleweight full contact karate champion Bill Wallace in a non-title bout in June 1978 but was defeated by unanimous decision.[3]
On November 7, 1978, he suffered a knockout loss to kickboxer Jean-Yves Thériault for the Canadian middleweight full contact championship in Ottawa, Ontario.[4] He became the Canadian middleweight kickboxing champion on November 27, 1979, by defeating Thériault in their rematch. His punching advantage allowed him to rock the former champion multiple times, including a knockdown in the fifth round.[5]
Professional boxing career
[edit]Hollett made his debut as a professional boxer in 1977 without any amateur boxing experience.[6] His trainer was Tom McCluskey.
Hollett's bid for the eastern Canadian middleweight championship fell short in April 1979 when he dropped a points decision to Don Johnson at the Halifax Metro Centre (now Scotiabank Centre).[7]
His first main event came at 26, at which point he had compiled a 5–5 record across ten professional fights in two years.[8]
Taking the Canadian middleweight championship, January 1980
[edit]Hollett won the Canadian middleweight boxing title from Fernand Marcotte at the Halifax Metro Centre in January 1980.[6]
Losing the Canadian middleweight championship to Chris Clarke, April 1980
[edit]The Canadian Boxing Federation authorized his first title defense, pitting him against fellow Halifax fighter Chris Clarke, who was stepping up from the welterweight division.[9] He struggled against Clarke's fighting style, having never previously encountered a southpaw opponent.[10]
Taking the Canadian middleweight championship, September 1980
[edit]After losing his title by unanimous decision to the former Commonwealth welterweight champion in April 1980, he reclaimed his middleweight title in September by stopping Clarke with a knockout in the second round.[6]
Notable bouts during middleweight title reign
[edit]In January 1981, he faced Eddie Melo for the first time, retaining his Canadian middleweight championship.[11] Hollett successfully defended his middleweight title against former champion Fernand Marcotte at the Paul Sauvé Arena in June 1981.[12] The twelve-round bout ended in a ninth-round technical knockout when Marcotte couldn't come out for the next round.[13]
Hollett beat Elisha Obed of the Bahamas by unanimous decision in Halifax on August 25, 1981.[14] He had climbed to eighth in the World Boxing Council rankings by 1982.[15]
Losing the Canadian middleweight championship, January 1982
[edit]When the Canadian champion stepped on the scale before his January 1982 fight with Wayne Caplette, he came in over the 160-pound limit and was stripped of his title. Hollett, holding a record of 12–6–1, defeated 23-1 Caplette by unanimous decision.[16]
Taking the Canadian middleweight championship, June 1982
[edit]His June 1982 win against Bennie Briscoe was followed by a rematch TKO victory over Eddie Melo. He then claimed the vacant middleweight championship for the third time with a title-winning performance against Lancelot Innis.[6]
He lost his last four fights in 1983. These included a pair of unsuccessful title shots against Roy Gumbs for the Commonwealth Boxing Council middleweight title and a final career bout against Alex Hilton for the vacant Canadian middleweight championship.[6]
The former three-time Canadian boxing champion retired from boxing in 1985.[17]
Professional boxing record
[edit]| 30 fights | 19 wins | 10 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 9 | 4 |
| By decision | 10 | 6 |
| Draws | 1 | |
Personal life
[edit]His son, Roger Hollett, followed in his footsteps.[18]
Death
[edit]Ralph Hollett died in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, on June 14, 2012, at 59.[19] He suffered from cancer and had an inoperable tumor in his brain.[17]
Legacy
[edit]Hollett is a 2025 Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame inductee.[20]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Ralph Hollett Obituary - Halifax, NS". dignitymemorial.com. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Black Belt Hall Of Fame". mmnn.ca. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Wallace scores victory". The Moncton Transcript. June 6, 1978. p. 8. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Black Belt - Vol. 16, No. 12". books.google.ca. Active Interest Media, Inc. December 1978. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Kick-boxer defeated in Halifax". The Ottawa Citizen. November 28, 1979. p. 41. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ a b c d e "Ralph Hollett". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Lights out for Berbick". Calgary Herald. April 4, 1979. p. 78. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Tavern bouncer is new champ". The Hamilton Spectator. January 23, 1980. p. 25. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Ralph Hollett-Clarke Canadian title fight officially sanctioned". The Toronto Star. March 26, 1980. p. 12. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Clarke Stops Hollett". Daily Gleaner. April 30, 1980. p. 24. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Ralph Hollett vs Eddie Melo". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Ralph Hollett vs Fernand Marcotte". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ Herb Zurkowsky (June 16, 1981). "Marcotte's future in doubt after loss". The Gazette. p. 37. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Canadian middleweight champion Ralph Hollett of Halifax ..." upi.com. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Ralph plans to turn on heat". The Hamilton Spectator. January 20, 1982. p. 22. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Wayne Caplette vs Ralph Hollett". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ a b "Ex-boxing champ Hollett fighting cancer". cbc.ca. December 8, 2010. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Roger Hollett: His Father's Son". ufc.com. May 15, 2013. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Boxing legend Hollett loses fight with cancer". cbc.ca. June 15, 2012. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
- ^ "Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame Announces Inductee Class ..." sirc.ca. June 11, 2025. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
External links
[edit]- Boxing record for Ralph Hollett from BoxRec (registration required)