Markus Beyer (1971-2018)

Two-time German Olympian and three-time WBC Super Middleweight Champion Markus Beyer died yesterday “after a short and severe illness.” He was 47.

After representing Germany in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics and medaling at the ‘95 world amateur championships, Beyer made his professional debut in November of ‘96. He would go on to win the aforementioned super middleweight belt three times, amassing eight successful title defenses in those reigns. He defeated the likes of Richie Woodhall, Eric Lucas, Cristian Sanavia, and Danny Green during his 12-year career.

His last three fights saw him draw with Sakio Bika, fall to WBA champion Mikkel Kessler in a unification match, and win an eight-round decision over Murad Makhmudov after 1.5 years away. He retired in 2008 with a record of 35-3-1 (13 KO).

To commemorate his career, here is his 1999 battle with Woodhall, which won him the first of his three titles.