Rico Hoye

Background

His father, Bobby Hoye (1951-1996) was a professional super middleweight contender. Both his father and grandfather brought him to the gym as an infant and he first competed at 7 years old.

Career

He resides Phoenix, Arizona, and is a former number one ranked light heavyweight contender (IBF) and a former world title challenger in the light heavyweight division. Hoye was a Cruiserweight division contestant in the fourth season of the, boxing three 5-round bouts and one 8-round bout on Versus, winning three. Hoye was raised in Monroe, Michigan and Detroit, Michigan.

In a 1992 altercation at 17 years old, he shot and killed someone and spent 9 years in prison.

Upon his release from prison, he immediately began seriously training and was soon back in the ring competing. Hoye made his professional debut in June 2001 with a third round stoppage of Omar Pucci in Michigan.

Over the next two years, Hoye scored twelve consecutive wins. Hoye made three defenses of his International Business Alliance regional title.

He defeated Etienne Whitaker in October 2003, Donnell Wiggins in March 2004, and Montell Griffin in September 2004 in a bout which was also an International Boxing Federation eliminator for a world title shot.

In March 2005, the 18-0 Hoye traveled to England to challenge Clinton Woods for the vacant IBF title, losing on a fifth round technical knockout. In May 2007, Hoye challenged unbeaten Romanian boxer Adrian Diaconu for the WBC International light heavyweight title, an eliminator for the full WBC world title, and lost when the fight was stopped in the 3rd round. In late 2008, Hoye moved up to the cruiserweight division to compete in the fourth season of the boxing reality show, The Hoye defeated Mike Alexander and Joell Godfrey by decision in separate five round bouts.

In the semifinal, Hoye lost by unanimous decision to Ehinomen Ehikhamenor of Nigeria.

Hoye has also sparred with heavyweights Wladimir Klitschko and Chris Arreola.

Achievements

• He won the vacant International Business Alliance Continental Light Heavyweight title by decisioning Prince Badi Ajamu over 12 rounds in June 2003. In February 2009, Hoye defeated Akinyemi Laleye by 8 round unanimous decision to win third place in the televised competition. Hoye returned to the ring on November 2, 2013, at heavyweight with a 1st round TKO of Brandon Winner and then lost by unanimous decision to cruiserweight contender Lucasz Janik in Poland June 28, 2014.