Donald (Biff) Cline
Name: Donald 'Biff' Cline
Alias: The Terror
Birth Name: Donald Chris Cline
Hometown: Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, USA
Birthplace: Cambridge, Ohio, USA
Died: 2020-06-02 (Age:72)
Height: 185cm
Pro Boxer: Record
Manager: Paddy Dolan
Career Review
Donald Cline, nicknamed Biff, was born on July 3, 1947. During his professional boxing career, he was known as, " The Terror".
Donald (Biff) Cline was a highly touted light heavyweight during the 1970s, whose career was overshadowed in scandal .
Cline came from a fistic background, as his father Chris Cline was a well-known boxing trainer and manager. In his youth, Cline was more interested in football, then boxing, and was a star fullback at Suitland High School.
Cline then entered the U.S. Armed Services and served in Viet-Nam during the Tet-Offensive (1968-1969). Upon his discharge, Cline became a police officer with the Capitol Police Department. It was also during this time that Cline decided on a professional boxing career.
Cline was managed and trained by his father. He was a health-nut and physical fitness buff, and had a lean, yet highly muscular build. At 24, in 1971, Biff Cline launched his boxing career.
After racking up a series of first round knockouts, Cline earned the nickname, "The Terror". His 13-1 (13 KOs) record earned him a fight on national television against undefeated Ray Elson. He was now being managed by Paddy Dolan. Cline was leading in the fight, but seemed to tire and was stopped in the 4th round.
Following the fight, a scandal broke out regarding bogus fights and padded fight records. Cline's record became the focus of attention and several fights were found to be bogus:
1974-12-27 KO1 Frank Howard, Winston-Salem
1975-3-9 KO2 Bill Slocum, Winston-Salem
1975-5-12 KO1 Terry Martin, Winston-Salem
1975-6-9 KO1 Larry Hill, Winston-Salem
1976-4-12 KO1 Jimmy Monroe, Winston-Salem
Cline's padded record was used to secure him his ABC television bout with Ray Elson in the United States Championship Tournament promoted by Don King. The Ring Magazine's John Ort was critized for recording Cline's fictitious bouts in the Ring Record Book. Also, Cline's manager, Paddy Dolan was accused of submitting the bogus fights to The Ring.
In 1982, Cline suffered a detached retina and became blind in his left eye. After his boxing career ended, as well as his law enforcement career, Cline worked as a bouncer in various night-clubs in George County, Maryland.
The twice divorced Cline has a daughter and son, and he currently resides in Waldorf, Maryland. He is writing an autobiography on his life.
In 2004, Cline was in the early stages of puglilistic dementia. By 2014, he was suffering from short term memory loss and lives with a caregiver in Pensacola,Florida.
Sources
- http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=YEQsAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ls0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=7331,4012592&dq=biff+cline&hl=en
- The Hill, August 13, 2003: FORMER COP WANTS TO CLEAN UP BOXING, ON-AND-OFF BOXER SAYS HE WITNESSED SPORT'S UNDERSIDE, by Peter Brand.
- Sports News: FIGHTING BLIND: BIFF CLINE INTERVIEW, by Christopher Johnson.