Jimmy Young (boxer)
Encyclopedia
Jimmy Young was a fast highly skilled Philadelphia heavyweight boxer
who had his greatest success during the 1970s, when he most notably beat George Foreman, and many fans felt also Ali (as in deserving the decision). He also fought many top names. His career record was 34-19-2 with 11 knockouts.
, who had a 42-2 record at the time and suffered his first KO loss. After this Young went undefeated for three years which included a win over contender Ron Lyle
and a controversial draw in a re-match with Shavers (many observers scored the bout for Young)http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/1752/jimmy-young-career-worth-remembering/. It would not be the last time Young lost a decision in a big fight. He had worked better on defense against this known devastating hitter. It was still enough to earn him a title fight with Heavyweight Champion of the World Muhammad Ali
.
in Landover, Maryland
in April 1976 for the world heavyweight title, although boxing circles had already noted his ability. Ali weighed in at 230 pounds, the highest for any of his fights up to that point (he would weigh 236.25 pounds in his fight against Trevor Berbick
), and was consequently slow and immobile throughout the bout. Seven years younger and 21 pounds lighter, Young adopted a strategy of fighting aggressively from a distance, landing numerous light blows while dodging and parrying Ali's counterpunches
, and using his body blows, which had little power behind them but were effective at scoring points. At close quarters, Young would turn passive. He retreated whenever possible, and often kept his head ducked very low to avoid serious blows when Ali would fight from the inside.
On several occasions when Ali was inside and Young had his back to the ropes, Young would intentionally put his head or upper body out of the ring to compel the referee to separate the fighters. To some, Young's was a brilliant strategy of neutralizing his opponent's strengths and forcing the bout to be fought on his own terms, exposing Ali's inability to fight a counterpuncher. To others, it seemed cowardly as he forced a stoppage to the fight every time Ali held the advantage. Many believed that gIving Young the title would diminish the sport.
The referee did at one point during the fight initiate a count due to Jimmy Young being outside the ropes. The fight went the full 15 rounds with a highly controversial one-sided unanimous decision going to Ali. Referee Tom Kelly scored it 72-65; judges Larry Barrett and Terry Moore had it 70-68 and 71-64, respectively.
Ken Norton
(a rival of Ali) who was commentating at ringside had the fight even on his own scorecard. Lester Bromberg (former Ring magazine editor) called the decision a "travesty". New York Daily News
reporter Dick Young
said: "[Ali won] by the grace of three hero worshipping fight officials. I believe many people, the voting officials among them, refuse to believe what they see when one of their super-heroes doesn't function as expected."http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=A7-hzOuI2KQC&dat=19760501&printsec=frontpage According to boxing historian Monte Cox, Young ought to have been declared winner based on "clean punching, defense and ring generalship"http://coxscorner.tripod.com/beat_ali.html Some claimed that Young's performance should have earned him a rematch. The WBC for one agreed this and set about organising it in 1977 as below.
for the second time, winning 11 of 12 rounds on one judge's card. In March 1977, Young then fought George Foreman
in San Juan
, Puerto Rico
. Foreman was on his own 5-0-0 comeback after losing the title to Muhammad Ali in "The Rumble in the Jungle
", including victories over top contenders Ron Lyle and Joe Frazier
.
The Young-Foreman fight was somewhat steady until the sixth round when Foreman started throwing more power into his punches. Not to be outdone, Young used his boxing skill, good defense and speed to counter often and stunned Foreman in that round. Foreman kept looking for the big knock out, his main chance. But Young even knocked Foreman down in the final round while earning a unanimous win by 12-round decision. Ring Magazine named the Young-Foreman bout its 1977 "Fight of the Year". He joined Ali in being the only two men to ever beat a peak George Foreman in over 40 contests.
the number 1 contender - Jimmy had won five straight since his loss to Ali, including another unanimous decision over Ron Lyle
. Young lost the Norton match on a controversial split decision in a clever fight from both boxers in Las Vegas. Whilst Young boxed, cleverly drawing Norton onto useful sneak right hands. Norton himself pressed forward dangerously, always his best style, using a heavy two-handed attack pounding away to the ribs and then lobbing wicked head shots. The fight was set at 15 rounds, unheard of for a non-title match but it was due to its importance as an eliminator (and later classed as WBC title match). It attracted big money and Ali himself was ringside. The winner of the fight was later awarded the WBC
championship belt as the mandatory title defence didn't materialise when Leon Spinks
(who had taken the title from Ali in an upset win on February 15, 1978) chose a rematch against Ali instead of fighting Norton for the WBC-title.
. But in a direct rematch in early 1979 Ocasio again showing talent clinched the win and went on to fight world champion Larry Holmes
.
But other matches of note; Young was stopped 'on cuts' to new heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney
after 4 rounds in an about evens match. He'd also lost on points to another rising prospect and future heavyweight champion Michael Dokes
. In the 1979 Dokes match Young had scaled 229Lbs, a near career heaviest and was simply way out of shape.
But slimmed again down he later in the same year December 1979 outpointed British champion John L. Gardner
effectively, even decking Gardiner in the 10th.
. He became a "trial horse" for emerging contenders, dropping decisions to more future champions in Tony Tucker
and Tony Tubbs
. He continued fighting with mixed results until 1988.
(due to the sport).
Young died on February 20, 2005 of a heart attack, after six days in the hospital.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who had his greatest success during the 1970s, when he most notably beat George Foreman, and many fans felt also Ali (as in deserving the decision). He also fought many top names. His career record was 34-19-2 with 11 knockouts.
Early fights
In his 11th professional fight, Young was matched against contender Earnie ShaversEarnie Shavers
Earnie Dee Shaver , better known as Earnie Shavers, is an American former professional boxer and is widely considered along with George Foreman as the hardest punchers of all time...
, who had a 42-2 record at the time and suffered his first KO loss. After this Young went undefeated for three years which included a win over contender Ron Lyle
Ron Lyle
Ron Lyle was an American professional boxer in the heavyweight division. He is considered to have been one of the best contenders of his era. He was a crowd-pleasing power puncher.-Early life:...
and a controversial draw in a re-match with Shavers (many observers scored the bout for Young)http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/1752/jimmy-young-career-worth-remembering/. It would not be the last time Young lost a decision in a big fight. He had worked better on defense against this known devastating hitter. It was still enough to earn him a title fight with Heavyweight Champion of the World Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
.
The Young-Ali fight
Young made his name with the Public when he fought Muhammad AliMuhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
in Landover, Maryland
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, within the census-designated place of Greater Landover. The Prince Georges County Sports and Learning Complex is in Landover...
in April 1976 for the world heavyweight title, although boxing circles had already noted his ability. Ali weighed in at 230 pounds, the highest for any of his fights up to that point (he would weigh 236.25 pounds in his fight against Trevor Berbick
Trevor Berbick
Trevor Berbick was a Jamaican-Canadian heavyweight boxer who fought as a professional from 1976 until 2000. Berbick briefly held the WBC heavyweight championship in 1986 , before losing it to 20-year old Mike Tyson, via 2nd-round TKO...
), and was consequently slow and immobile throughout the bout. Seven years younger and 21 pounds lighter, Young adopted a strategy of fighting aggressively from a distance, landing numerous light blows while dodging and parrying Ali's counterpunches
Counterpunch (boxing)
A counterpunch is a boxing punch that immediately follows an attack launched by an opponent. It exploits the opening created by an opponent's guard.-Technique:...
, and using his body blows, which had little power behind them but were effective at scoring points. At close quarters, Young would turn passive. He retreated whenever possible, and often kept his head ducked very low to avoid serious blows when Ali would fight from the inside.
On several occasions when Ali was inside and Young had his back to the ropes, Young would intentionally put his head or upper body out of the ring to compel the referee to separate the fighters. To some, Young's was a brilliant strategy of neutralizing his opponent's strengths and forcing the bout to be fought on his own terms, exposing Ali's inability to fight a counterpuncher. To others, it seemed cowardly as he forced a stoppage to the fight every time Ali held the advantage. Many believed that gIving Young the title would diminish the sport.
The referee did at one point during the fight initiate a count due to Jimmy Young being outside the ropes. The fight went the full 15 rounds with a highly controversial one-sided unanimous decision going to Ali. Referee Tom Kelly scored it 72-65; judges Larry Barrett and Terry Moore had it 70-68 and 71-64, respectively.
Ken Norton
Ken Norton
Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. is a former heavyweight boxer. He is best known for his 12-round victory over a peak Muhammad Ali where he famously broke Ali's jaw, on March 31, 1973, becoming only the second man to defeat Ali as a professional .He and Ali...
(a rival of Ali) who was commentating at ringside had the fight even on his own scorecard. Lester Bromberg (former Ring magazine editor) called the decision a "travesty". New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
reporter Dick Young
Dick Young (sportswriter)
Dick Young was a sportswriter best known for his direct and abrasive style, and his 45-year association with the New York Daily News...
said: "[Ali won] by the grace of three hero worshipping fight officials. I believe many people, the voting officials among them, refuse to believe what they see when one of their super-heroes doesn't function as expected."http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=A7-hzOuI2KQC&dat=19760501&printsec=frontpage According to boxing historian Monte Cox, Young ought to have been declared winner based on "clean punching, defense and ring generalship"http://coxscorner.tripod.com/beat_ali.html Some claimed that Young's performance should have earned him a rematch. The WBC for one agreed this and set about organising it in 1977 as below.
Versus Lyle & Then Foreman
In November 1976 Young beat top contender Ron LyleRon Lyle
Ron Lyle was an American professional boxer in the heavyweight division. He is considered to have been one of the best contenders of his era. He was a crowd-pleasing power puncher.-Early life:...
for the second time, winning 11 of 12 rounds on one judge's card. In March 1977, Young then fought George Foreman
George Foreman
George Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
in San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Foreman was on his own 5-0-0 comeback after losing the title to Muhammad Ali in "The Rumble in the Jungle
The Rumble in the Jungle
The Rumble in the Jungle was a historic boxing event that took place on October 30, 1974, in the Mai 20 Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire . It pitted then world Heavyweight champion George Foreman against former world champion and challenger Muhammad Ali...
", including victories over top contenders Ron Lyle and Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier
Joseph William "Joe" Frazier , also known as Smokin' Joe, was an Olympic and Undisputed World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976, with a one-fight comeback in 1981....
.
The Young-Foreman fight was somewhat steady until the sixth round when Foreman started throwing more power into his punches. Not to be outdone, Young used his boxing skill, good defense and speed to counter often and stunned Foreman in that round. Foreman kept looking for the big knock out, his main chance. But Young even knocked Foreman down in the final round while earning a unanimous win by 12-round decision. Ring Magazine named the Young-Foreman bout its 1977 "Fight of the Year". He joined Ali in being the only two men to ever beat a peak George Foreman in over 40 contests.
The Young-Norton Fight
Now the number 2 contender, Young's next opponent in November 1977 was in a big mandatory world title eliminator against Ken NortonKen Norton
Kenneth Howard Norton Sr. is a former heavyweight boxer. He is best known for his 12-round victory over a peak Muhammad Ali where he famously broke Ali's jaw, on March 31, 1973, becoming only the second man to defeat Ali as a professional .He and Ali...
the number 1 contender - Jimmy had won five straight since his loss to Ali, including another unanimous decision over Ron Lyle
Ron Lyle
Ron Lyle was an American professional boxer in the heavyweight division. He is considered to have been one of the best contenders of his era. He was a crowd-pleasing power puncher.-Early life:...
. Young lost the Norton match on a controversial split decision in a clever fight from both boxers in Las Vegas. Whilst Young boxed, cleverly drawing Norton onto useful sneak right hands. Norton himself pressed forward dangerously, always his best style, using a heavy two-handed attack pounding away to the ribs and then lobbing wicked head shots. The fight was set at 15 rounds, unheard of for a non-title match but it was due to its importance as an eliminator (and later classed as WBC title match). It attracted big money and Ali himself was ringside. The winner of the fight was later awarded the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
championship belt as the mandatory title defence didn't materialise when Leon Spinks
Leon Spinks
Leon Spinks is a former American boxer. He had an overall record of 26 wins, 17 losses and 3 draws as a professional, with 14 knockout wins, and was the former World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion of the world...
(who had taken the title from Ali in an upset win on February 15, 1978) chose a rematch against Ali instead of fighting Norton for the WBC-title.
The slide; Ocasio twice
Demoralised at having lost another close decision, Young went on a gradual downward spiral. In June 1978 You're only as good as your last fight, boxing's old saying seemed to apply. Poor condition let him be outpointed to prospect Ossie OcasioOssie Ocasio
Osvaldo Ocasio, , better known as Ossie Ocasio and nicknamed Jaws, is a Puerto Rican who was a boxer and world Cruiserweight champion. He got his peculiar nickname after accidentally biting another boxer during a sparring session...
. But in a direct rematch in early 1979 Ocasio again showing talent clinched the win and went on to fight world champion Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
.
Later career
He won a short 3 round brutal battle with unranked Wendell Bailey, flashes of old form.But other matches of note; Young was stopped 'on cuts' to new heavyweight contender Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooney is a retired Irish-American professional boxer from Huntington, New York best known for his loss to Larry Holmes and defeat of aging ex-champion/contender Ken Norton.-Life before boxing:...
after 4 rounds in an about evens match. He'd also lost on points to another rising prospect and future heavyweight champion Michael Dokes
Michael Dokes
Michael Marshall Dokes is a former American boxer in the heavyweight division, nicknamed "Dynamite."-Amateur career:...
. In the 1979 Dokes match Young had scaled 229Lbs, a near career heaviest and was simply way out of shape.
But slimmed again down he later in the same year December 1979 outpointed British champion John L. Gardner
John L. Gardner
John L. Gardner is a former British, Commonwealth, and European Heavyweight Champion. A stocky, game, pressure fighter, his speed and aggression made him a marginal top ten contender for the World Heavyweight Title. Gardner was active in the late 1970s and early 1980s. His best arena was really...
effectively, even decking Gardiner in the 10th.
Biography
Young's Biography was published in 1979, 'Jimmy Young, heavyweight contender' by Edward Dolan and Richard Lyttle, Doubleday pub, ISBN 0-385-14097-5.Comeback chance
Young began a comeback, going 5-0-0 including a TKO over previously unbeaten Gordon Racette. In 1982, Young's comeback was cut short when he was defeated on points by future champion Greg PageGreg Page (boxer)
Greg Page was a boxer from Louisville, Kentucky. He was the World Boxing Association Heavyweight Champion from 1984 to 1985...
. He became a "trial horse" for emerging contenders, dropping decisions to more future champions in Tony Tucker
Tony Tucker
Tony Craig Tucker is a retired professional heavyweight boxer. Tucker fought professionally from 1980 to 1998. Nicknamed "TNT," he won a gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games, and was briefly a world heavyweight champion as a professional.-Amateur career:Tucker had a notable amateur career,...
and Tony Tubbs
Tony Tubbs
Tony Tubbs is a retired professional heavyweight boxer who was the WBA Heavyweight Champion of the world from 1985 to 1986.-Amateur career:...
. He continued fighting with mixed results until 1988.
Later Years and Death
After his boxing career, Young had financial, drug, and legal problems. During a court hearing on a drug possession charge, it was argued by his Philadelphia public defender that Young had symptoms of chronic traumatic brain injuryTraumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury , also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features...
(due to the sport).
Young died on February 20, 2005 of a heart attack, after six days in the hospital.