James Tillis

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James Tillis
James "Quick" Tillis - The Fighting Cowboy
Born	James Theodore Tillis (1957-07-05) July 5, 1957 (age 66) Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Quick The Fighting Cowboy
Statistics
Weight(s)	Heavyweight
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Reach	80 in (203 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	65
Wins	42
Wins by KO	31
Losses	22
Draws	1
No contests	1
Website	jamesquicktillis.com

James Tillis (born July 5, 1957) is an American former professional boxer and actor. Known as "Quick", he was known for his remarkably fast hand speed for a man of his size and build.^[1] A natural southpaw, Tillis turned around to orthodox midway in his amateur career. His left remained the stronger hand and for that reason, he had a powerful jab and left hook, together with the ability to switch stances while fighting.^[1] Tillis challenged for the WBA world heavyweight title in 1981, but was defeated in a fifteen-round unanimous decision fight against Mike Weaver. Tillis was the first man to go the distance with Mike Tyson in 1986, breaking his knockout-streak and giving him a relatively close fight, nearly a draw, with two of three judges scoring the fight 6-to-4.^[1] (in the words of Hall of Fame's Gil Clancy, Tillis was "one punch" away from victory.^[2]) He holds notable wins over Ron Stander by TKO in the 7th round in 1980, and the hard punching Earnie Shavers by ten-round decision in 1982. Tillis fought for the last time in 2001 at the age of 44.