Tags: Boxer.
Theodore Flowers (August 5 1895 – November 16 1927) became the first African-American middleweight boxing champion defeating Harry Greb in 1926. Known as Tiger he began boxing professionally in 1918 at the age of 23 while working at a Philadelphia shipbuilding plant. Nicknamed the Georgia Deacon he was a devoutly religious man who would recite a passage from Psalm 144 before every bout.