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| Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Real name | Andrzej Gołota |
| Nickname(s) | "The Foul Pole" |
| Rated at | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Nationality |  Polish |
| Birth date | January 5, 1968 |
| Birth place | Warsaw, Poland |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 51 |
| Wins | 41 |
| Wins by KO | 33 |
| Losses | 8 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Competitor for Poland |
||
| Men’s Boxing | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Bronze | 1988 Seoul | Heavyweight |
| European Amateur Championships | ||
| Bronze | 1989 Athens | Heavyweight |
Andrzej Gołota, (born January 5, 1968 in Warsaw, Poland) better known as Andrew Golota, is a Polish professional boxer who has been involved in several controversial fights. He is the former IBF North American and WBA Fedelatin Heavyweight champion.
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Gołota had 111 wins in an amateur career that culminated in his winning a bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Gołota won other international amateur tournaments as well. In 1990, he married a U.S. citizen of Polish descent and moved permanently from Poland to the city of Chicago. His wife had lived in Chicago since the age of eleven.
Gołota's Olympic results were as follows:
In 1992, he turned professional, knocking out Roosevelt Shuler in three rounds. He had three more knockouts and then went the distance for the first time, defeating Robert Smith in six rounds. He won his next 16 fights by knockout.His wins included Bobby Crabtree and Jeff Lampkin. Following his KO of Crabtree he was featured in Ring Magazine's new faces section.Soon after, he faced a respected contender,Maron Wilson. Golota won a ten round decision. Gołota won his next five bouts by knockout. His opponents included Samson Po'hua and Darnell Nicholson, both of whom were considered fringe contenders at the time. The win over Po'hua was memorable for the moment in which Gołota bit Po'hua on the shoulder, two years before the infamous bite-filled rematch between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson.[1]
At this time, Gołota's management put him in the ring against former world Heavyweight champion Riddick Bowe, who had defeated Evander Holyfield at Madison Square Garden, on an HBO Boxing event.[citation needed] Though ahead on points, Gołota was disqualified and suffered his first loss when Bowe went to the floor in round seven after being hit with the last of several low blows throughout the fight. What ensued was a dramatic riot that left a large number of civilians and policemen injured, including Gołota himself, who was hit by a Bowe entourage man's two-way radio and required eleven stitches to close a cut on his head. The Riot was called Event of the Year by the Ring Magazine, the event has been named "Riot at the Garden".
The fight made a number of sports shows, including SportsCenter. The controversy of this fight created interest in a rematch. The rematch was on Pay Per View and Gołota once again led Bowe on the scorecards only to be disqualified in the ninth round, again for low blows. This fight also proved to be controversial, and a protest was filed by Gołota's camp to try to overturn the fight's result. Michael Katz, a sportswriter, coined the term Foul Pole for Gołota.
Both fights are featured on HBO's documentary Legendary Nights The Tale of Bowe Golota
Despite two losses in a row, Gołota became the WBC number one contender. On October 4, 1997, he received a shot at the world's Heavyweight championship against Lennox Lewis in Atlantic City,NJ. Gołota was knocked out in the first round.
Gołota, subsequently claimed that an injection of lidocaine for tendonitis in his right knee given to him by his physician shortly before the fight made him woozy and impaired his vision. As a result, he filed a medical malpractice suit against his physician, claiming that the injection had cost him the fight and a deal with HBO for $21 million to broadcast his next four to five fights.[2]
Gołota went on with boxing, and he beat former 2-time world champion Tim Witherspoon by decision before losing to Michael Grant by a knockout in ten in one of The Ring's 1999 fights of the year. Gołota scored two knockdowns of Grant in the first round. He was ahead on all three judges' scorecards in the tenth round when he himself was knocked down. When asked by referee Randy Neuman whether he wanted to continue, he shook his head twice and then haltingly answered "No."
In 2000, Gołota fought in China beating Marcus Rhodes with a third round knockout. Soonafter, he faced Mike Tyson.
Golota retired in the third round. However the result of the fight was changed to a no contest when Tyson failed a post fight drug test, testing positive for marijuana.
Following the Tyson fight, Gołota was inactive for nearly three years before returning to the ring on August 14, 2003. He scored a technical knockout of journeyman Brian Nix in the seventh round. On November 15, Golota knocked out Terrence Lewis in the sixth round at Verona, New York.
Gołota then received a second world title shot, fighting IBF world Heavyweight champion Chris Byrd at New York City's Madison Square Garden on April 17, 2004 The fight resulted in a draw.
On November 13 of that year, he received his second world title shot in a row. Despite two knockdowns of WBA world champion John Ruiz twice within the bout, he lost by unanimous decision.[3]
Golota received his third world title try in a row on May 21, 2005 against WBO world champion Lamon Brewster. Though heavily favored to win, Gołota lost when Brewster knocked him down three times inside the first round, prompting the referee to stop the bout.
June 9, 2007, he beat Jeremy Bates in the 2nd round by technical knockout.
Gołota fought Irishman Kevin McBride on October 6, 2007 in Madison Square Garden and won by TKO in the 6th round, winning the fringe title IBF North American Heavyweight champion.
On January 19, 2008, Gołota defeated Mike Mollo by unamious decision in 12 rounds for another fringe belt.
In January, 2009, Gołota lost by first round TKO to Ray Austin.
On October 24, 2009 in Łódź, Gołota fought Tomasz Adamek and lost by TKO in the 5th round. The event was hosted on Polsat TV, it was also broadcast live online on ipla.tv platform. It was the largest live transmission in the Polish internet[citation needed].
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