Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, 32-year-old Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti is no longer the rising prospect he was once touted as. Still, an actual legitimate contender currently ranked as the world’s fifth-best active cruiserweight by The Ring magazine.
Those wondering how he earned his nickname “The Beast ” should glance over his professional record, where 14 of his 18 victories have ended via knockout. Brute force and a reputation with his gym partners for relentless intensity, devotion, and perseverance demonstrate how he became “The Beast”.
Tabiti found a love for the sport of boxing in 2006 when his stepfather highlighted his competitive nature and willingness to be the best at everything. A combination of speed, effortless footwork, and fight intelligence delivered an ultra-impressive 32-6 amateur record.
As a student of the game, Tabiti will pay homage to the styles of Holyfield, Roy Jones, and Floyd Mayweather – legends of boxing who inspired his technique whilst raising his overall awareness and ring IQ.
When making his professional boxing debut on July 19, 2013, the Chicago kid needed little introduction to the limelight when he knocked out Andrew Howk in the first round. The same fate would be repeated for his next nine opponents, who all fell victim to “The Beast” and his knockout power.
Training under the tutelage of Mayweather Sr., Jeff Mayweather, and Otis Pimpleton has undoubtedly assisted Tabiti’s rise. Still, we can’t ignore his late arrival in life to a boxing gym and how he’s rapidly broken into the top-10 rankings. Having already fought for a championship – top-tier experience is under his belt – despite not winning the belt – and this is imperative for his career. And despite this 2019 IBF title loss to Yuniel Dorticos, he returned in style with a knockout win over Mitch Williams.
“It’s been a wonderful experience,” Tabiti commented when asked about his career. “I’m a little surprised how far I’ve come so quickly. It’s a little overwhelming at times when I think about it.”
Floyd Mayweather has touted Tabiti as a future world champion, and these motivating beliefs have hit home with the American native.
“When someone like Floyd says those things about you, it motivates you to work even hard,” Tabiti said. “I know nothing is handed to you in boxing. You’ve got to work for it and earn it.”
The speed, reflex ability, and explosive punching power of Tabiti make him a unique pugilist for his size. Under the knowledgeable Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas, you can guarantee he isn’t finished with his championship aspirations.
Tabiti: Statistics and Betting Odds
Weight: Cruiserweight
Height: 6 ft 1 in
Reach: 76 ½ in
Born: Omotunde Andrew Tabiti, September 20, 1989 (age 32) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Stance: Orthodox
Professional fights: 19
Wins: 18
Wins via Knockout: 14
Losses: 1
Tabiti has a loyal following in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois. For his supporters taking their backing to the Illinois sportsbooks, it’s been a profitable gambling tenure when backing “The Beast”.
For example, in Illinois, where Illinois bets are leading the charts. Since 2016, there have been countless opportunities where bookmakers have underestimated the likelihood of Tabiti winning the contests. He closed with -125 odds, Versus Keith Tapia, as $125 bettors earned an easy $100 profit. And again, in 2017, when facing Cunningham, opening odds of -280 became a viable betting approach.
With a near-unblemished record, it’s not difficult to understand why Floyd and those around Tabiti have faith in his pursuit of capturing gold. His rise through the ranks saw him win the NABF Cruiserweight title in 2016, retain the title in 2017, and retain it once more in 2017 whilst capturing the USBA cruiserweight title from Steve Cunningham.
However, the pinnacle for Tabiti was the IBF title held by Yuniel Dorticos. Unfortunately, after successfully defeating Ruslan Fayfer in the World Boxing Super Series quarter-final, the Chicago-born boxer could not get through Dorticos in the semi-final to capture the vacant championship – losing his first-ever professional contest.
Despite this, Tabiti remained composed and focused on becoming a champion, and taking his first loss was nothing but a learning curve. Championship gold is a feat that’s entirely accomplishable with the mind state and work rate he presents in the gym, so don’t expect this to be the last time you hear from “The Beast”.