(Photo: library.nd.edu)

Boxer Theodore "Tiger" Flowers was born on Aug. 5, 1895, in Georgia.

Flowers became the first Black boxer to earn the world middleweight championship title. His boxing career began at age 23 and quickly earned a reputation for his fighting style and religious convictions, as he was known to recite a passage from Psalm 144 before every match. Outside of the ring, Flowers served as a deacon in his church and his high profile made him one of Black Atlanta’s most prominent figures of the day.

After a short but explosive career, Flowers died at just 32 years old while undergoing an operation to remove scar tissue from around his eyes. Flowers was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1993.

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