May 7, 1950

Abilene, Texas, USA

Former Heavyweight boxing contender Randall "Tex" Cobb has had 3 highly colorful careers; kickboxer, pro boxer, and movie actor. Born in Bridge City, Texas on May 7, 1950, the 6 feet 3 inch, 225 pound Cobb excelled in high school football and martial arts. Enjoying "extreme" sports to the max, Cobb launched a professional kickboxing career and racked up 9 straight knockout victories. Realizing however, that the big money was in boxing, he switched sports and launched a professional boxing career... ... (read more...) . Known for a "cast-iron" chin, a sledge-hammer punch, and a "gift for gab", Cobb quickly established himself as one of the top heavyweight contenders in the world. Cobb's brutal, one-sided beating by heavyweight King Larry Holmes over 15 rounds (Cobb was never off his feet) caused world-famous boxing announcer Howard Cosell to "swear-off" boxing for the rest of his life. Cobb took the beating with his typical grin and a wide smirk. His antics captured the attention of Hollywood and he was cast as Jon Voight's opponent in the remake of The Champ (1979). Cobb went on to act in a vast number of successful productions, receiving positive reviews for his "raw, primitive," acting style. He launched a highly successful ring comeback in the early 1990s stretching his winning streak to 20 straight. However, he retired unexpectedly with a 43-7 log with 36 knockouts, never to box again. He continues to act and has been the subject of a highly-controversial Sport's Illustrated article which resulted in numerous law-suits.