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When Doug Jones Fought The Other Clay

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By Bobby Franklin

Jones Lands A Left Hook On Cassius Clay

Doug Jones is best remembered for his fight with Cassius Clay. The fight took place in 1963. It was young Clay’s 18th fight and the closest he would come to being defeated in his early career. 

At the time of the fight Doug Jones had an impressive record. While not undefeated, he had scored 21 wins in 25 contests. His losses were to Eddie Machen, HaroldJohnson (in a bid to win the World Light Heavyweight Title), and Zora Folley. He would avenge the loss to Folleywhen he kayoed him in 7 rounds. This was just before Jones took on Clay.

Jones also scored a kayo over a young Bob Foster. In another fight, he went to Europe, where he fought a draw with Erich Schoppner.

In total, Jones had 25 fights to Clay’s 18. Cassius had fought some decent opposition at this time as well, going up against Billy Daniels, Alejandro Lavorante, Charlie Powell, Archie Moore, Alex Miteff, and Sonny Banks. On paper, it appeared Jones had fought the better opponents and should have had the edge in experience on Clay.

Doug Jones

There was a difference, though. While Clay was fighting solid competition, he was being brought along thoughtfully. Yes, he was in with some tough guys, but they weren’t of the world-class status as Jones’s opponents were. In fact, if Jones had been guided in the same manner as Clay, his career might have ended up very differently.

In 1960 Doug Jones fought another fighter named Clay, Von Clay. This Clay was also an up-and-coming prospect. Jones had 13 fights at this point with 13 wins. Von Clay had a record of 11 wins, 1 loss, and 2 draws. The fight took place at St. Nicks Arena in New York with Jones winning a ten-round decision. The two were matched again three months later. This time it was a closer fight with Jones winning a split decision after ten rounds.

Von Clay

Here’s where it gets interesting for both fighters. Clay was still a good prospect but obviously not ready for the big time. However, after just two subsequent wins, his managers threw him into a title fight against the great Harold Johnson. Clay had only 18 fights at this point in his career, while Johnson had been to the post 71 times. Clay was dropped once in the first round and three times in the second, resulting in a knockout win for the champion.

After this loss, Clay was back in the ring just two months later. After being dropped in the first round, he kayoed Kirk Barrow in the sixth round. A month later, the two fought again, with Clay stopping Barrow in the fifth round.

Now, just a month after beating Barrow, and just three months after being kayoed by Johnson, Clay was matched once again with Doug Jones. This fight was scheduled for August 26, 1961 at Madison Square Garden. It would be Clay’s 6th fight in that year.

Meanwhile, since the second go-round with Clay, Jones had stayed busy and undefeated. He scored a kayo over former middleweight champ Bobo Olson, stopped Pete Rademacher, and kayoed Floyd McCoy.The third fight between Clay and Jones is available to watch on Youtube. It is an interesting fight in that you get to see two very good young prospects go at it. 

At the opening bell Jones came out, took control, and appeared on his way to a one-sided victory. Von Clay rallied in the 3rd and 4th rounds and evened the fight up. Jones regained control in the 5th round and began landing heavy shots on Clay, culminating in his knocking Von out in the 10th and final round. At this point Clay was an exhausted and beaten fighter.

Doug Jones Kayos Von Clay

It was not only the blows Clay took from Jones but also the toll that had been exacted on him in his fights leading up to this bout. He was a young fighter who was brought along much too fast and was already getting burnt out at this point in his career. In the final 17 fights of his career, he lost 10. A sad ending for a promising fighter.

Ironically, Jones’s career began to follow the same path as Clay’s after their third bout. In his very next fight he was put in with Eddie Machen. Interestingly, Jones was originally slated to fight Harold Johnson, but Johnson pulled out due to an injury. Machen won a one-sided decision in the fight.

Jones would then fight Johnson in his very next bout. This was for the title, with Jones losing a one-sided 15-round decision. You’d think Jones would be given a rest after all of these tough fights, but no. Just three months later, on August 8, 1962, he was facing top heavyweight contender Zora Folley. Once again, Jones lost though this fight was closer, with Zora winning a 10-round decision. Just a month later, Jones faced Erich Schoppner in Europe, resulting in a draw.

A month after that, he returned to New York and defeated the young Bob Foster. His intense schedule continued without pause. Two months later, he fought Zora Folley again and, in a surprising upset, knocked him out in the seventh round.

This led to his fight with Cassius Clay on March 13, 1963. Jones matched Clay’s speed and challenged him throughout most of the bout. However, Clay secured a close decision victory by finishing strong in the last two rounds.

At this point in his career, Doug Jones had only had 26 fights but was battle-scarred. He had been in with formidable opposition and taken quite a few punches. In the third fight with Von Clay you can see the great ability Jones had. He was an aggressive boxer-puncher with great head movement and terrific combinations. 

As good as he looked at that stage of his career, he was still developing and quite a ways away from being put in with the likes of Harold Johnson and Eddie Machen. If he had been guided more carefully, he very well might have beaten Cassius Clay in 1963. Alternatively, he also could have remained fighting as a light heavyweight and seen success in that division.

As good as he looked at that stage of his career, he was still developing and quite a ways away from being put in with the likes of Harold Johnson and Eddie Machen.

Unfortunately, Jones ended up becoming an opponent. He had name recognition because of the Clay fight, but he was pretty much through as a serious prospect. He had three wins after the bout with Cassius. In his fourth fight he lost a decision to Billy Daniels whom he had previously beaten. In his next fight he was kayoed by George Chuvalo.

The descent continued, with his only wins after that coming against second-raters. With losses to Ernie Terrell, Thad Spencer, Joe Frazier, and Boone Kirkman, Jones finally hung up the gloves in 1967.

Both Jones and Von Clay were talented and promising prospects. Their careers may very well have turned out quite differently if they had been managed better. Instead, they were thrown in for the quick money and never were able to fully develop. Unfortunately, their story was not an uncommon one in boxing.

Doug Jones, Boxer Who Gave a Young Cassius Clay His Toughest fight, Dies at 80

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By

Mike Silver

Doug Jones

Word has reached us that Doug Jones, the former light heavyweight and heavyweight contender of the early 1960s, passed away recently at the age of 80. Prior to Muhammad Ali’s three and a half year exile that began in 1967 Doug Jones gave the fighter then known as Cassius Clay his toughest fight. On March 13, 1963, before a sold out Madison Square Garden crowd of 18,732 fans, Clay struggled to win a close but controversial 10 round decision over his persistent foe.

Opinion was split as to who deserved to win. Many fans in the Garden and those watching the bout at 40 closed circuit locations thought Jones had done enough to edge Clay who chalked up his 18th straight victory. Doug’s record fell to 21-3-1. (Eleven months and two fights later Cassius would upset Sonny Liston to win the heavyweight title).

Interviewed 20 years later the defeat still rankled Jones. “Clay ran like a thief”, he said. “I carried the fight to him. Suppose I went the other way, what kind of fight would it have been? Clay didn’t hit me with any solid punches. There wasn’t any real power in his punches.”

Few boxers at his weight have engaged in so many tough fights against top competition in so short a time as Doug Jones. He was a talented boxer with a powerful right hand but what separated him from the crowd was his incredible toughness and heart. Doug had an extensive and successful amateur career during military service in the Air Force. (He was alternate light heavy for the 1956 U.S. Olympic team).

Jones Lands A Left Hook On Cassius Clay

Doug turned pro in 1958 with a four round decision over Jimmy McNair. He was rushed much too quickly yet managed to survive and attain contender status in spite of Madison Square Garden matchmaker Teddy Brenner’s tendency to destroy up and coming talent through horrible matchmaking. Doug only had 10 pro fights when he fought his first main event against tough former New York Golden Gloves champ Juan Pomare. After two more victories he took on hard punching Philadelphia prospect Von Clay in back to back10 rounders. His next outing was a nationally televised bout against former middleweight champion Bobo Olsen. Doug ended matters with a left right combination in the 6th round. He followed up with knockouts of Floyd McCoy and Pete Rademacher before taking on Von Clay for the third and final time winning via a 10th round TKO.

Up next was top heavyweight contender Eddie Machen. Doug lost the decision and five months later faced Harold Johnson for the undisputed light heavyweight title. Doug never stopped trying but with only 20 pro bouts under his belt he was just too inexperienced to take the measure of the great boxer and lost a unanimous 15 round decision. On October 20, 1962 Doug was matched with a 9 bout pro named Bob Foster. He stopped the future light heavyweight champion in the 8th round. (Previously Doug had defeated Bob twice in the amateurs while both were in the Air Force).

Although he rarely weighed more than 190 pounds the rest of Doug’s career was spent fighting heavyweights. A dramatic 7th round KO of top ranked Zora Folley (a few months earlier he dropped a decision to Folley) moved Jones into the ranks of heavyweight contenders and led to his match with young Cassius. Doug’s manager Alex Koskowitz and his trainer Rollie Hackmer decided the best strategy was for Doug to slip past Clay’s jab while constantly pressuring him, upset his rhythm, and land the right.

Jones at 188 pounds and 6 feet tall was 14 pounds lighter and three inches shorter but was significantly faster than Clay’s previous opponents. In the first round Clay was sent back on his heels by Jones’s right cross. He was tagged solidly again in the 4th and 7th rounds. Clay responded with swift combinations and it was anybody’s fight going into the ninth round. Clay turned it on in the final round landing frequently with combinations to seal his victory.

After splitting two fights with Billy Daniels, Doug’s tenure as a heavyweight contender ended with an 11th round TKO loss to George Chuvalo on October 2nd 1964. During the fight Chuvalo centered his attack on Doug’s body and many punches strayed into foul territory. As a result of the punishment Doug suffered a hernia and was out of action for close to a year. His last chance for a title ended with a 15 round loss to WBA heavyweight champion Ernie Terrell on June 28, 1966. By the time up and coming Joe Frazier knocked him out in the 6th round on February 21, 1967 Doug was pretty much used up and punched out. If he needed any more convincing to retire it was provided six months later by young Boone Kirkman who TKO’d him in six. The Harlemite ended his career with a 30-10-1 (20 KOs) record. He appeared in 11 nationally televised bouts.

Doug was an unlucky fighter. He came along at the wrong time when Harold Johnson was light heavy champ. If not for that Doug was a good bet to have won that title but he chose to go for the big money and take on heavyweights. Never an easy opponent at any time during his nine year pro career, he would be a terror among the light heavyweights of today. They did not come any tougher than Doug Jones.

Mike Silver is the author of The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science (McFarland Publishers) and Stars in the Ring: Jewish Champions in the Golden Age of Boxing, A Photographic History (Lyons Press).