Eddie Mustafa Muhammad

Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, born Edward Dean Gregory on 30 April 1952 in Brooklyn, New York, and known as "Flame", is an American former professional boxer and boxing trainer. Boxing first under his birth name, he won two New York Golden Gloves championships, held the WBA light heavyweight world title in 1980–1981, and retired in 1988 with 50 wins, 39 by knockout, against 8 losses and a draw. He has since trained world champions and founded a union for professional boxers. ^{1 2}

He was born in Brooklyn, New York, on 30 April 1952. Boxing as Eddie Gregory, he trained at the Police Athletic League's Howard Houses in Brooklyn and won the New York Golden Gloves 147 lb Open Championship in both 1971 and 1972, defeating the future middleweight champion Vito Antuofermo in the 1971 final. ¹

The BoxRec encyclopedia records that he became a Muslim in the early 1970s and changed his name from Eddie Gregory after he won the WBA title in 1980; the Arabic article likewise describes him as an American Muslim boxer. The sources name no school of Islam for him, and none is recorded in his data record. ^{3 4}

Muhammad turned professional in 1972. In 1977 he challenged the WBA light heavyweight champion Víctor Galíndez and lost a unanimous decision. He won the title at his second attempt, stopping Marvin Johnson in eleven rounds in March 1980, and defended it twice before losing it to Michael Spinks by unanimous decision in July 1981. ^{1 3}

A 1983 rematch with Spinks for the undisputed title collapsed when Muhammad, over the weight limit, declined to lose the extra pounds and Spinks withdrew. In December 1985 he lost a narrow split decision to Slobodan Kačar for the vacant IBF light heavyweight title. After a brief 1988 comeback he retired for good. He also acted, playing Billy Fox in Raging Bull (1980) and himself in Body and Soul (1981). ^{1 3}

After retiring, Muhammad became a trainer, working with fighters including James Toney, Johnny Tapia, Zab Judah and Chad Dawson. In 2003 he founded the Joint Association of Boxers (JAB), a union for professional boxers affiliated with the Teamsters, saying its members should still have medical benefits and pensions when their fighting days end; by 2008 more than 2,000 boxers had signed up. ^{3 1}

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