Brunch Boxing Remembers: Tiger Flowers
- Matthew Brown
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
02/11/2026
Tiger Flowers stood at the intersection of faith, skill, and history. Born Theodore Flowers on February 14, 1895, in Georgia, he became known across the boxing world as the Georgia Deacon. From 1918 to 1927, he built one of the most remarkable careers of his era and became the first African American world middleweight champion.
Flowers began his professional career at age 23 after working as a stevedore on the Georgia coast and later in a Philadelphia shipbuilding plant. He relocated to Philadelphia in 1918 and soon stepped into the ring for the first time, defeating Billy Hooper. He followed that debut with more than two dozen consecutive victories before suffering his first defeat to Panama Joe Gans. His rise was steady and hard earned.
A southpaw with quick feet and sharp timing, Flowers was fast and elusive. He avoided heavy punishment while landing crisp punches, earning comparisons to Harry Greb for his awkward and effective style. By early 1920 he was training under manager Walk Miller, and over the next several years he traveled the country facing a demanding schedule of opponents. Like many Black fighters of his era, he often struggled to secure bouts with white contenders and was forced to fight fellow Black boxers repeatedly to make a living. Still, he faced top competition, including Maxie Rosenbloom, Sam Langford, Kid Norfolk, Johnny Wilson, Jamaica Kid, and Mickey Walker.
Flowers combined showmanship in the ring with deep religious devotion outside it. He carried a Bible into the ring before each fight and recited a passage from Psalm 144. His calm demeanor and public faith earned him the nickname The Deacon. At a time when boxing was largely dominated by white champions and promoters, Flowers emerged as a respected and disciplined figure. He followed earlier pioneers such as George Dixon, Barbados Joe Walcott, Joe Gans, and Jack Johnson, and added his own chapter to that legacy.
By 1924, The Ring magazine rated Flowers the number one contender for middleweight champion Harry Greb. He earned his opportunity despite a controversial decision loss to light heavyweight champion Mike McTigue in a bout widely believed to have favored Flowers. On February 26, 1926, before 16,311 fans at Madison Square Garden, Flowers dethroned Greb by decision to claim the world middleweight title. He defeated Greb again in an August rematch to defend his crown.
His reign was brief but significant. On December 3, 1926, in Chicago, Flowers lost the title to Mickey Walker in a bout many observers felt he controlled. The decision sparked controversy and was investigated by the Illinois Athletic Commission, though the result stood. Determined to regain the championship, Flowers sought a rematch throughout 1927 while remaining a leading contender. He twice fought Maxie Rosenbloom to draws and continued adding to his record.
Flowers fought his final bout on November 12, 1927, defeating Leo Gates. Shortly after, he was hospitalized in New York for surgery to remove scar tissue from around his eyes. Complications from the procedure led to his death on November 16, 1927, at just 32 years old.
Over a career that spanned less than ten years, Flowers compiled a record of 119 wins, 15 losses, and 8 draws, with 55 knockouts. Some accounts credit him with 136 wins and 56 knockouts, totals that reflect the enormous volume of his work. He held the world middleweight title from 1926 until his death in 1927 and secured notable victories over Harry Greb and Mickey Walker. His achievements proved that African American fighters could compete and succeed at the highest level of the sport.
Flowers was inducted into The Ring Hall of Fame in 1971, the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1976, the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990, and the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993. His legacy endures not only as a champion, but as a trailblazer whose skill, dignity, and faith left a lasting mark on boxing history.
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