Quick Facts
Biography
Owen LeFranc Beck (born 31 May 1976), nicknamed "What the Heck Beck," is a Jamaican former professional boxer who challenged for the WBA heavyweight title in 2006. He had an amateur record of 73 wins and 5 losses.
Career
Known as Owen "What the Heck" Beck, Beck began his career in 1998 by winning his first 24 fights, but all against limited opposition, the best being amateur star Derrell Dixon and undefeated Taurus Sykes.
This streak and a contract with Don King set up a WBC & IBF Heavyweight Title Eliminator bout against heavyweight contender Monte Barrett in 2005, and Beck was TKO'd in the 9th.
Since the loss, Beck has lost to Ray Austin, but beat cruiser journeyman Darnell Wilson to set up a shot against the former WBA Heavyweight Title holder Nikolay Valuev. Valuev defeated Beck, dropping him twice and winning via TKO in the 3rd. After he fought Valuev he made a comeback and won the fight against Ricardo Arce via 2nd Round technical knockout and had another fight against Marvin Hunt and beat him via first-round knockout.
He took a 19-month break from boxing before returning to the ring in June 2009.
He fought Andrew Greeley and won the match by split decision on 13 June 2009.
He fought Jermell Barnes on 21 August 2009 in a fight which he won by unanimous decision with the scores of 79-73, 77-75 and 80-72 all in favor of Beck. Also in late 2009 Owen enlisted a new trainer Clinton Barnes.
On 16 January 2010, Beck fought Manuel Charr and was TKO'ed in the tenth and final round with 16 seconds left on the clock.
On 16 April, Beck fought Tony Thompson in Memphis, Tennessee, and was knocked out at 2-minutes and 50-seconds of the 4th round.
Professional boxing record
| 42 fights | 29 wins | 13 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 20 | 10 |
| By decision | 8 | 3 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 42 | Loss | 29–13 | Ignacio Esparza | MD | 10 | 29 Oct 2016 | Arena Coliseo, Guadalajara | |
| 41 | Loss | 29–12 | Oleg Maskaev | TKO | 3 (10), 2:59 | 30 Dec 2012 | Sports Palace Quant, Moscow | |
| 40 | Loss | 29–11 | Deontay Wilder | RTD | 3 (8), 3:00 | 23 Jun 2012 | Killer Buzz Arena, Tuscaloosa, Alabama | |
| 39 | Loss | 29–10 | Sergey Rozhnov | UD | 4 | 8 Feb 2012 | Krylia Sovetov, Moscow | |
| 38 | Loss | 29–9 | Artur Szpilka | RTD | 4 (6) | 15 Oct 2011 | Spodek, Katowice | |
| 37 | Loss | 29–8 | David Rodriguez | KO | 3 (10), 2:02 | 24 May 2011 | Don Haskins Convention Center, El Paso, Texas | For vacant WBC FECOMBOX heavyweight title. |
| 36 | Loss | 29–7 | Cedric Boswell | KO | 9 (10), 2:29 | 7 Dec 2010 | Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Florida | For WBC Latino Heavyweight title. |
| 35 | Loss | 29–6 | Alex Leapai | TKO | 6 (10), 2:50 | 12 Aug 2010 | Southport RSL Club, Southport | |
| 34 | Loss | 29–5 | Tony Thompson | TKO | 4 (10), 2:50 | 16 Apr 2010 | The New Daisy Theatre, Memphis, Tennessee | |
| 33 | Loss | 29–4 | Manuel Charr | TKO | 10 (10), 2:44 | 9 Jan 2010 | Bordelandhalle, Magdeburg | |
| 32 | Win | 29–3 | Jermell Barnes | UD | 8 | 21 Aug 2009 | Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana | |
| 31 | Win | 28–3 | Andrew Greeley | SD | 8 | 13 Jun 2009 | Royal Oak Music Theatre, Royal Oak, Michigan | |
| 30 | Win | 27–3 | Marvin Hunt | TKO | 1 (6), 2:27 | 8 Nov 2007 | San Jose Fiesta, Nashville, Tennessee | |
| 29 | Win | 26–3 | Ricardo Arce | TKO | 2 (10), 1:40 | 28 Sep 2007 | Coliseo Olimpico de la UG, Guadalajara | |
| 28 | Loss | 25–3 | Nikolai Valuev | TKO | 3 (12), 2:44 | 3 Jun 2006 | TUI Arena, Hanover | For WBA heavyweight title |
| 27 | Win | 25–2 | Darnell Wilson | UD | 8 | 7 Jan 2006 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York | |
| 26 | Loss | 24–2 | Ray Austin | SD | 12 | 3 Sep 2005 | Gund Arena, Cleveland, Ohio | For vacant WBC–USNBC heavyweight title |
| 25 | Loss | 24–1 | Monte Barrett | TKO | 9 (12), 2:52 | 5 Feb 2005 | Savvis Center, St. Louis, Missouri | |
| 24 | Win | 24–0 | Troy Weida | TKO | 1 (10), 2:39 | 4 Sep 2004 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| 23 | Win | 23–0 | Vernon Woodward | TKO | 2 (8) | 18 Jun 2004 | Blackham Coliseum, Lafayette, Louisiana | |
| 22 | Win | 22–0 | Byron Polley | TKO | 1 (8), 2:43 | 15 May 2004 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| 21 | Win | 21–0 | Daniel Frank | TKO | 3 (10), 1:04 | 1 May 2004 | Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, Florida | |
| 20 | Win | 20–0 | Scott Conner | DQ | 2 (8), 2:57 | 15 Apr 2004 | Airport Convention Center, San Antonio, Texas | |
| 19 | Win | 19–0 | George Arias | UD | 12 | 20 Sep 2003 | Uncasville, Connecticut | Won vacant WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight title |
| 18 | Win | 18–0 | Mike Middleton | TKO | 1 (10) | 4 Jan 2003 | D.C. Armory, Washington, D.C. | |
| 17 | Win | 17–0 | Craig Tomlinson | TKO | 5 (10), 2:20 | 14 Dec 2002 | Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Rogério Lobo | TKO | 4 (8), 1:26 | 27 Jun 2002 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Chavez Francisco | KO | 1 (8), 2:28 | 30 Mar 2002 | Sovereign Center, Reading, Pennsylvania | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Franklin Edmondson | TKO | 5 | 25 Oct 2001 | South Carolina | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Roy Bedwell | KO | 2 | 9 Sep 2001 | Fairgrounds Arena, Nashville, Tennessee | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Ron Gullette | TKO | 2 | 28 Jun 2001 | The Plex, Charleston, South Carolina | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Sean Williams | TKO | 2 | 24 May 2001 | The Plex, Charleston, South Carolina | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Ramon Hayes | TKO | 2 | 12 Apr 2001 | Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, South Carolina | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | David Smith | TKO | 2 | 10 Mar 2001 | Virginia | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Ken Williams | TKO | 2 | 17 Feb 2001 | Radisson Hotel, Charleston, South Carolina | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Taurus Sykes | UD | 6 | 7 Oct 2000 | Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut | |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Rocky Bentley | TKO | 5 | 14 Sep 2000 | Nashville, Tennessee | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | James Holly | TKO | 2 | 26 Aug 2000 | Gallatin, Tennessee | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Derrell Dixon | UD | 4 | 25 May 2000 | Grand Casino, Tunica, Mississippi | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Lee Swaby | PTS | 4 | 11 Dec 1999 | Everton Park Sports Centre, Liverpool | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Luke Simpkin | PTS | 4 | 7 Aug 1999 | Goresbrook Leisure Centre, Dagenham | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Max Key | TKO | 1 | 12 Dec 1998 | Atlanta, Georgia |