Becoming the heavyweight champion of the world is arguably the pinnacle of sporting achievements, sought by many but achieved by so few. However, there is one small neighbourhood in the United States that has astonishingly produced three world champions, all holding the title within an eleven-year period.
Shannon ‘The Cannon’ Briggs was the last of the three from Brownsville, Brooklyn to hold the illustrious title, after he knocked out Sergei Liakhovich in 2006, following on from Riddick Bowe and Mike Tyson.
Now, Briggs has revealed that he is involved in an upcoming docu-series that takes a deeper look into life in Brownsville – also home to hip hop duo M.O.P.
He told ES News of the astonishingly close proximity in which he was surrounded by eventual heavyweight world champions, Bowe and Tyson.
“We are doing a documentary called ‘Brownsville; Never Ran, Never Will’, an eight-part series directed by Michael Rapaport, co-produced by Sam Rockwell.”
“It’s a great film, we’ve got Mike Tyson, Riddick Bowe, Bern Nadette Stanis who played ‘Thelma’ from ‘Good Times’, she’s from Brownsville. Larry King was from Brownsville, The Three Stooges was from Brownsville, so we are doing a docu-series about Brownsville and its history. Three heavyweight champions from the same neighbourhood, not even two miles in size, the most prodigy’s in the world, the most vicious neighbourhood in the state of New York. Brownsville, Brooklyn, we have got a story to tell.”
“I grew up with Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe, Riddick Bowe used to live upstairs from me. Bowe lived upstairs, Mike Tyson used to live across the street from me, we lived in a hell of a neighbourhood.”
Further details regarding the series are yet to be announced.
Brownsville’s rough and rugged streets make for the ideal breeding ground for champions in the sport, proven by the fact that both Zab Judah and Daniel Jacobs also grew up in the area that is a little larger than one-square-mile.
As of 2019, it had an estimated population of around 130,000. There’s also the fact that is holds one of the highest poverty and crime rates of any neighbourhood in New York City – something Tyson has discussed at length throughout his career when discussing his upbringing.