Doug Jones Got Robbed, Best Heavyweight Alive Who Never Won The World Title
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Doug Jones, who is 76 years old, is alive and well and living in New York City somewhere. Doug Jones is regarded by the boxing press as the greatest living heavyweight fighter never to have won the world heavyweight title. His 1963 decision robbery loss to Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) in 1963’s Fight of The Year is still talked about in sports historical circles.
At the time, thirteen ringside reporters had Jones the will, ten had it for Clay, and two had it even. The bragging Clay had predicted a knockout, and mused at the time “Jones went the distance just to foil my prediction.” Before the bout, Clay had predicted “Jones will fall in six, and I might just cut it to three.” That never happened.
Cassius Clay in white, Doug Jones in the dark trunks, archival footage in black and white
Madison Square Garden, Main Event, New York City, New York, March 13, 1963
Cassius Clay versus Doug Jones Part One http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRh9m-rrvIk
Cassius Clay versus Doug Jones Part II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja-wPS37bhg
Cassius Clay versus Doug Jones, Part III http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luu5EUJQ6L0
ESPN Classics Highlights of The Bout http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0TCiGpQ-qQ
Doug Jones Stops Bob Foster 1963 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG–ajwNHVw
Clay vs. Jones Legendary Nights Highlights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgNJH1AlazU
Jones opened his heavyweight career as a professional with an impressive 18 consecutive wins between 1958 and 1960, coming along in the post-Rocky Marciano era as a rising heavyweight star. His early victims included 80-10 Bobo Olson (Win KO 6) and ex-Olympic Gold Medalist Pete Rademacher (KO 5).
At this point, the career of Jones ran into trouble. Jones was outpointed by Eddie Machen (Lost 10), went down to light heavyweight and lost a 15 round decision for the vacant World Light Heavyweight title to Harold Johnson (Lost 15), and lost another ten round decision to heavyweight contender Zora Folley. Jones then traveled to Germany, where he scored a ten round draw with 33-0-3 German and European Light Heavyweight champion Erich Schoppner.
Jones then put his career on track, stopping 9-0 future world light heavyweight champion Bob Foster in the eighth round (Foster took the fight on one week’s notice), then knocking out Zora Folley in the seventh round of a rematch. Jones was then matched against 17-0 Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali). Judges Frank Forbes and Artie Aldala had the bout 5 rounds to four for Clay with one round even, while referee Joe LoScalzo had a screwball scorecard giving eight rounds to Clay, only one to Jones, and one even. Clay’s jabs frequently fell short, while Jones blocked many of his punches. Perhaps the first, fourth and seventh rounds were the best Jones fought, his right hand landing on Clay so often he made Clay look silly. Jones appeared to have the fight won on the cards going into the ninth round, though Clay appeared to be more active in rounds nine and ten with punch flurries. Still, there were many heated exchanges in the tenth and final round. Click on the links above to watch the fight in its entirety and come to your own opinion about who won.
Jones was 14 pounds lighter and three inches shorter than Clay. At the time, Clay was the number two ranked heavyweight in the world, while Jones was ranked third in the world.
Jones returned to the ring after losing to Clay, winning eight of his next ten bouts. He won and lost ten round decisions with Billy Daniels, and got stopped in the eleventh round by George Chuvalo at Madison Square Garden in an eliminator bout for the opportunity to fight Floyd Patterson. Jones beat Prentice Snipes, Harvey Jones, Chip Johnson, Archie McBride, and Lou Bailey. These wins got Jones a shot at the World Boxing Association World Heavyweight title against Ernie Terrell, who outpointed him over 15 rounds in June 1966.
At this point, the career of Jones neared the end of the road. He lost a ten round WBA eliminator chance to Thad Spencer, who then beat Terrell in 12 rounds but got knocked out by Jerry Quarry and went winless in his next nine bouts and retired. Jones then got knocked out by Joe Frazier in six rounds at The Arena in Philadelphia, stopped Boone Kirkman in seven rounds but lost to Kirkman in the sixth round of a rematch, all in 1967.
Jones retired at age 30, with a final ring record of 30 wins, 10 losses, and one draw. His career saw him get opportunities at both the light heavyweight and heavyweight world titles, going to a decision but not winning the title. However, it will be always be his controversial ten round decision loss to Cassius Clay over half a century ago boxing historians will remember. How referee Joe LoScalzo gave Clay eight rounds in a fight the majority of boxing press gave to Jones remains one of boxing’s greatest mysteries, and LoScalzo took his scorecard to the grave.
After Clay versus Jones, LoScalzo returned to referee eleven more bouts at Madison Square Garden, Long Island Arena, and Sunnyside Garden in Queens, New York. These bouts included Johnny Persol, Rubin Carter, Jimmy Ellis, Oscar Bonavena and Vince Shomo. Of the three bouts LoScalzo refereed and also presented a scorecard after Clay versus Jones (the three bouts referred to took place at Madison Square Garden), not surprisingly LoScalzo’s three scorecards did not match any of the other six judges who scored them.
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