Ercole, Andy – Tiberi. The Uncrowned Champion

Description

Ercole, Andy ‘Tiberi. The Uncrowned Champion’ 1992 1st ed. 244 pages. SIGNED by Tiberi. VG in VG complete non-price clipped dust jacket. INSCRIBED by Tiberi: “Brian, May God richly bless all that you do. Your friend, David Tiberi 12/25/92.” Another VG+ in VG+ mylar complete non-price clipped mylar protected dust jacket. SIGNED by Tiberi on the title page.

Tiberi: The Uncrowned Champion is a sports biography written by Andy Ercole and Ed Okonowicz. Published as a hardcover edition by Jared Co. in late 1992, the book provides an immediate, deep-dive examination of one of the most controversial and explosive scandals in modern boxing history.

The 244-page book focuses on the life, career, and enduring legacy of Delaware middleweight boxer Dave “TNT” Tiberi. The narrative is split into two primary arcs: Rise from Humble Beginnings: The early chapters detail Tiberi’s childhood—including how he was named after the biblical hero David following his mother surviving a severe car accident—and his introduction to boxing at the age of five. It chronicles his strict training regimen, his deep reliance on his faith, and his hard-fought ascent through the professional boxing ranks. The Historic Scandal: The crux of the book centers on the events of February 8, 1992, during a nationally televised IBF Middleweight Championship match in Atlantic City. Tiberi fought the heavily favored, undefeated champion James “Lights Out” Toney. Despite Tiberi clearly dominating the match, unleashing devastating combinations, and even cutting Toney, the judges delivered an outrageous, highly contested split decision victory to Toney.

The authors capture how this single fight caused shockwaves from which “the boxing world… will never recover”. Rather than just a sports biography, the book serves as an expose on the sports politics of the early ’90s. Tiberi famously refused to ever fight again after the bout, turning down lucrative rematches because he refused to participate in a system he felt was fundamentally corrupt.

The text goes “beyond” the ring to highlight the federal investigations that followed, including a U.S. Senate subcommittee investigation prompted by the public outcry over the decision, making Tiberi a symbol for integrity and athletic martyrdom