Doug Jones (boxer)

Doug Jones (February 27, 1937 – November 14, 2017) was an American heavyweight boxer.[1] He was the number one contender in early 1964 and beat top contenders such as Zora Folley, Light Heavyweight Champion Bob Foster, Middleweight World Champion Bobo Olson and World Heavyweight Title Challenger's Pete Rademacher and Tom McNeeley in his career.[2] He was best known for his 1963 fight with Cassius Clay which resulted in a close fight, but he lost by Unanimous decision.[3]

Doug Jones
Statistics
Nickname(s)Turk
Weight(s)Light Heavyweight, Heavyweight
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Born(1937-02-27)February 27, 1937
New York City, U.S.
DiedNovember 14, 2017(2017-11-14) (aged 80)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights41
Wins30
Wins by KO20
Losses10
Draws1

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.[4]

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 with an impressive knockout in the 6th Round and Olympic Gold Medalist Pete Rademacher by Knockout in the 5th Round, he was the Number 1 Light Heavyweight Contender and an intimidating 19–0 when he fought Number 2 Heavyweight Contender Eddie Machen and lost by Unanimous decision. As Number 2 Light Heavyweight Contender Jones fought for the world light-heavyweight championship against Harold Johnson but lost a 15-round decision and would go on to face Number 3 Heavyweight Contender Zora Folley in a fight he would again lose by decision.

He was Number 1 Light Heavyweight Contender, but moved up to the heavyweight division and went on to face Future Light Heavyweight World Champion Bob Foster (boxer) who was undefeated 9–0, despite this he won by Technical Knockout in the 8th Round. This set up a rematch with Number 3 Contender Zora Folley who he knocked out in the 7th round, these two fights established Jones as Number 3 Contender in the Heavyweight Division. 

in Madison Square Garden. Many thought Jones deserved the decision, which was loudly booed by the Garden Crowd

Against Number 2 Contender Cassius Clay he fought his best known fight in March 1963, in which he lost a ten-round decision in front of a sold-out crowd in Madison Square Garden. Of 25 boxing writers at the Garden that night, 13 scored it for Jones, 10 favored Clay, and two called it even.[5][6] The Ring selected this as its Fight of the Year in 1963.[7] He then would fight Number 8 Contender Billy Daniels who he beat on points moving himself up to Number 2 Heavyweight Contender. He then fought Heavyweight World Title Challenger Tom McNeeley, who was then knocked out in Round 5 by Jones. This meant he was Number 1 Heavyweight Contender by January 1964.

He then beat fringe contender LeRoy Green by Unanimous decision, and was Number 1 Contender in 1964 before losing a rematch by Split decision to Billy Daniels. He then fought Number 5 Contender George Chuvalo who he lost to by Technical Knockout in the 11th Round. This meant by the end of 1964 he was Number 7 Contender.

In 1965 he fought 4 fights against Prentice Snipes, Harvey C. Jones, Chip Johnson and Archie McBride which he won by 2nd, 4th, 3rd and 5th round Knockouts. Meaning he won all his fights in 1965 by Knockout boosting himself to Number 8 Heavyweight Contender, then in 1966 he beat fringe contender Lou Bailey by 6th Round Knockout to set up a WBA Heavyweight Title fights versus Champion Ernie Terrell, he was Number 2 Ranked WBA Contender but still was the underdog, he was beaten by 15th Round Unanimous Decision.

He then fought Number 3 Contender Thad Spencer who he also lost to by Unanimous decision. He then fought future Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier who overwhelmed Jones and knocked him out in the sixth round. He then beat Undefeated Fringe Contender Boone Kirkman 11–0 by 7th-round knockout. Just a month later he faced Boone Kirkman in a rematch this time losing by 6th Round Knockout, Boone Kirkman went on to compile a record of 22–1 before being defeated again by Two Time Heavyweight Champion George Foreman.

At age 30 Doug Jones retired in 1967 after only winning 1 of his last 5 fights and not being considered a Heavyweight contender after his loss to Boone Kirkman. 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) United States Muhammad Ali — 6 October 27, 1966 United States Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. Non-scored bout

References
  1. Silver, Mike (November 22, 2017). "Doug Jones, Boxer Who Gave a Young Cassius Clay His Toughest fight, Dies at 80". Boxing Over Broadway. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  2. https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/9378
  3. Atlas, Teddy (January 17, 2006). "Ali's legend forged beyond the classic bouts". ESPN: Boxing. Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  4. Brown, Claude (September 16, 1984). "Manchild in Harlem". The New York Times. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
  5. Rose, Murray (March 14, 1963). "Clay Finishes Fast to Gain Unpopular Verdict". St. Joseph Gazette. Associated Press.
  6. "Fight Fans Dislike Clay-Jones Decision". The Altus Times-Democrat. UPI. March 14, 1963.
  7. "Cassius Clay vs. Doug Jones". BoxRec. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
  8. "Doug Jones". BoxRec. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
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