Doug Jones (boxer)
Doug Jones (February 27, 1937 – November 14, 2017) was an American heavyweight boxer.[1] He was best known for his 1963 fight with Cassius Clay that resulted in a challenged loss.[2]
| Doug Jones | |
|---|---|
| Statistics | |
| Real name | Doug Jones |
| Weight(s) | Heavyweight |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Nationality | American |
| Born | February 27, 1937 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 14, 2017 (aged 80) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 41 |
| Wins | 30 |
| Wins by KO | 20 |
| Losses | 10 |
| Draws | 1 |
Early life
Jones was raised in New York City. He was a childhood friend of writer Claude Brown and appears in Brown's autobiographical novel Manchild in the Promised Land (1965) with the alias Turk.[3]
Boxing career
Doug "Pugilism" Jones started off his career successfully with 19 consecutive wins against mostly lightly regarded opponents but did defeat ex-Middleweight champion Bobo Olson, until his first loss occurred at the hands of Eddie Machen. He lost his next two fights, and the third a draw. Jones fought for the world light-heavyweight championship against Harold Johnson but lost a 15-round decision.
He then moved up to the heavyweight division. Jones won his next two fights against Bob Foster (who was in his ninth professional fight) and Zora Folley. Jones also split two fights with Billy Daniels. His best known fight was against a young Cassius Clay in March 1963, when he lost a ten-round decision in front of a sold-out crowd in Madison Square Garden. Many thought Jones deserved the decision, which was loudly booed by the Garden Crowd. Of 25 boxing writers at the Garden that night, 13 scored it for Jones, 10 favored Clay, and two called it even.[4][5] The Ring selected this as its Fight of the Year in 1963.[6]
He continued boxing with limited success, losing to distinguished boxers George Chuvalo, Joe Frazier and Ernie Terrell, with the Terrell fight for the WBA title. Overall, he compiled a record of 30 wins (20 by knockout), 10 losses, and 1 draw.
Exhibition boxing record
| 1 fight | 0 wins | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| Non-scored | 1 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | 0–0 (1) |  Muhammad Ali |
— | 6 | Oct 27, 1966 | Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
Non-scored bout |
References
- Silver, Mike (22 November 2017). "Doug Jones, Boxer Who Gave a Young Cassius Clay His Toughest fight, Dies at 80". Boxing Over Broadway. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- Atlas, Teddy (January 17, 2006). "Ali's legend forged beyond the classic bouts". ESPN: Boxing. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
- Brown, Claude (September 16, 1984). "Manchild in Harlem". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
- Rose, Murray (14 March 1963). "Clay Finishes Fast to Gain Unpopular Verdict". St. Joseph Gazette. Associated Press.
- "Fight Fans Dislike Clay-Jones Decision". The Altus Times-Democrat. UPI. 14 March 1963.
- "Cassius Clay vs. Doug Jones". BoxRec. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- "Doug Jones". BoxRec. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
External links
- Boxing record for Doug Jones from BoxRec (registration required)