American boxer (1937–2017)
Doug Jones (February 27, 1937 – November 14, 2017) was an American heavyweight boxer. He was the number-one contender in early 1964 and beat top contenders Zora Folley, Light Heavyweight Champion Bob Foster, Middleweight World Champion Bobo Olson and World Heavyweight title challengers Pete Rademacher and Tom McNeeley in his career. He was best known for his 1963 fight with Cassius Clay which he lost by Unanimous decision.
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.
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 one light heavyweight contender and an intimidating 19–0 when he fought number two heavyweight contender Eddie Machen and lost by Unanimous decision. As number two light heavyweight contender Jones fought for the world light-heavyweight championship against Harold Johnson but lost a 15-round decision and went on to face number three heavyweight contender Zora Folley in a fight he again lost by decision.
He was number one 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 three contender Zora Folley who he knocked out in the 7th round. These two fights established Jones as number three contender in the heavyweight division.
Against number two contender Cassius Clay he fought his best-known fight in March 1963, in which he lost a 10-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. "The Ring" selected this as its Fight of the Year in 1963. He then fought 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, knocking him out in Round 5. 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 losing by technical knockout in the 11th round. This meant by the end of 1964 he was number 7 contender.
In 1965 he fought four fights against Prentice Snipes, Harvey C. Jones, Chip Johnson and Archie McBride which he won by 2nd, 4th, 3rd and 5th round knockouts. This boosted him to number 8 heavyweight contender. In 1966 he beat fringe contender Lou Bailey by 6th round knockout to set up a WBA heavyweight title fight versus champion Ernie Terrell. He was number 2 ranked WBA contender and the underdog. He lost by unanimous decision.
He then fought number 3 contender Thad Spencer losing 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 by 7th-round knockout. Just a month later he faced Kirkman in a rematch, this time losing by 6th round knockout. Kirkman went on to compile a record of 22–1 before being defeated again by two-time heavyweight champion George Foreman.
At age 30, Jones retired in 1967 after only winning one of his last five fights and not being considered a heavyweight contender after his loss to Kirkman. Overall, he compiled a record of 30 wins (20 by knockout), 10 losses, and 1 draw.
Exhibition boxing record.
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References.
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