Philadelphia middleweight Curtis Parker at 17 had hopes to make the 1976 USA Olympic champion after winning the PA Golden Gloves but he didn’t make it. The following year in 1977 he not only won the PA Golden Gloves but took the National Golden Gloves championship.
Parker turned professional in December of 1977 and in his thirteenth fight defeated fellow Philadelphian Willie “The Worm” Monroe, 38-7-1, over 10 rounds. Just two years prior to this Monroe defeated “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler. In his very next fight he defeated former WBC Light Middleweight champion Elisha Obed, 76-8-4, stopping him in the 7th round at the Philadelphia Spectrum.
In Parker’s next fight he defeated “Philly Killer” David Love, 32-16 who came to Philadelphia and defeated “Bad” Bennie Briscoe, Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts, Monroe and Perry Abney. It was Parker’s first bout in Atlantic City, NJ. “I could have beaten anyone that night in celebrating my 21st birthday,” said Parker.
Two months later Parker made it 17 straight wins in winning the USBA Middleweight Title defeating Mike Colbert, 29-4-1, over 12 rounds in Atlantic City. In his next fight he would taste defeat for the first time losing to Dwight Davison, 26-0, over 10 rounds in Las Vegas. “He had too much reach for me,” said Parker.
It would be six months later and again Parker was put in with a contender in Mustafa Hamsho, 30-1-2, losing by split decision in Atlantic City. In his previous fight Hamsho lost for the first time losing to Middleweight champion “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler. “He was the first southpaw that I fought but I felt I won that fight,” said Parker. Just three months later his management put him in with a third straight contender in Wilford Scypion, 19-1, losing his third straight fight. “I felt like I was being used by fighting three straight contenders wondering if I would ever get an easy fight,” said Parker.
After scoring two knockouts Parker found himself in a rematch with Hamsho, losing by majority decision in Atlantic City. “I tried knocking him out,” said Parker. He would win his next five fights before going to Tampa and losing by knockout to future WBC super welterweight champion John “the Beast” Mugabi, 18-0, with 18 knockouts.
Just two months later Parker would defeat previously unbeaten Donald Bowers, 16-0-1. In his next fight he had a chance of winning back his USBA title but falling short to Alex Ramos, 20-2-1, over 12 rounds in Atlantic City.
Two fights later Parker would defeat fellow Philadelphian Frank “The Animal” Fletcher, 18-5-1, stopping him in the third round. Four months later he defeated Ricky Stackhouse, 15-1-1, by majority decision. In January of 1986 he stepped back in with another contender in Michael Olajide, 15-0, losing a split decision. Both fights were in Atlantic City.
Parker’s next fight would be in with Olympian and Kronk fighter Frank Tate, losing over 10 rounds in Atlantic City. He would go sixteen months without a fight returning to defeat Phillip Morefield, 17-0-1, by TD5. Four months later he would go to Las Vegas and lose to NABF champion Michael Nunn, 28-0, by stoppage. Two fights later Nunn would defeat Tate for the IBF title stopping him in March of 1988. The Nunn decision by Parker’s management was another bad deal.
Parker at that time knew his career had come to an end with a 29-9 record scoring 21 by knockout. He would be inducted into the PAB HOF in 2008. He is currently a member of the VBA Ring One in Philadelphia regularly making the monthly meetings.