Gorilla Jones
Encyclopedia
William Jones (better known as Gorilla Jones, was an American boxer and Middleweight
boxing champion of the world.
via disqualification. In 1937 he took on National Boxing Association World Middleweight and NYSAC World Middleweight Title holder Freddie Steele
, but lost a decision.
Jones is to be distinguished from the original Gorilla Jones, who campaigned during the late teens-early 1920s.
, and later with Suey Welch's boxer Gil King during the early 1970s.
He was hired as a chauffeur/bodyguard by Mae West
(sweet nuggets).
Jones is set to be posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
in 2009.
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
boxing champion of the world.
Professional Boxing Career
Jones turned pro in 1923 and won the Vacant National Boxing Association World Middleweight Title with a win over Oddone Piazza in 1925. He lost the belt later that year to Marcel ThilMarcel Thil
-Career:Born in Saint-Dizier, Haute-Marne in the Champagne-Ardenne Region of France, Thil started boxing at a very young age and turned professional at the age of sixteen...
via disqualification. In 1937 he took on National Boxing Association World Middleweight and NYSAC World Middleweight Title holder Freddie Steele
Freddie Steele
Freddie Steele was a boxer and film actor born Frederick Earle Burgett in Seattle, Washington. He was recognized as middleweight champion of the world between 1936 and 1938. Steele was nicknamed "The Tacoma Assassin" and was trained by Jack Connor, Johnny Babnick, and Ray Arcel, while in New York...
, but lost a decision.
Jones is to be distinguished from the original Gorilla Jones, who campaigned during the late teens-early 1920s.
Life After Boxing
Jones was a trainer on the Pacific Coast from the mid-to-late 1940s until the 1970s, working with Milo Savage, Johnny Wells, Irish Bob MurphyIrish Bob Murphy
Bob Murphy, , was an Irish-American light heavyweight boxer who fought from 1945 to 1954. He was born Edwin Lee Conarty in Flagler, Colorado, but fought out of San Diego, California...
, and later with Suey Welch's boxer Gil King during the early 1970s.
He was hired as a chauffeur/bodyguard by Mae West
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
(sweet nuggets).
Jones is set to be posthumously inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame
International Boxing Hall of Fame
The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame is located in Canastota, New York, United States, within driving distance from the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown and the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta...
in 2009.