This fight for the WBC welterweight title between # 1 ranked Milton McCrory vs # 2 ranked Colin Jones was for the title vacated by Sugar Ray Leonard upon his retirement…..which turned out to be an awesome fight that went the distance….and ended up in a draw….for this was a fight well worth seeing….as once again….these were some really good boxers….who are being forgotten and lost in boxing history….cuz their careers were in the golden age of boxing from 1964 – 1995…..for there were so many legendary and super great boxers in all divisions that boxers of this era had to fight to get title shots.
Colin Jones was a Welsh boxer from Swansea, Wales…..who became the British Commonwealth and European welterweight champion. Before turning professional he represented Great Britain at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada….as thee youngest British boxer to qualify for the Olympic Games until Amir Khan appeared at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He was one of the hardest punching welterweights of his generation….and his ability to knock fighters out with a single shot (with either hand) allowed him the luxury of being a notoriously slow starter. A second round stoppage of Danish fighter Hans Henrik Palm (in Copenhagen) won him the European crown and confirmed his arrival as a world class fighter. In his career of 26 wins 3 losses and 1 draw with 23 KO’s, he lost three times….one by disqualification (Curtis Ramsey)…..one by split decision (Milton McCrory 2nd bout)….and once when he was stopped in four rounds (cuts) by Donald Curry. The latter two losses came in challenges for the world title after he had drawn with McCrory in his first attempt to claim it….as seen in this video herewith. Despite these setbacks at world level…..with both fights against McCrory taking place in America and could have gone either way….he was dominant at the domestic level with his two “come from behind” knockout victories against the gifted Kirkland Laing as particular highlights. A modest and well-respected fighter, Jones, still regarded as boxing royalty in his native Wales, won the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year in 1983.
Milton McCrory was a professional boxer in the welterweight (147lb) division from Detroit, MI…..as McCrory trained under the legendary Emanuel Steward in the famous Detroit Kronk Gym program. Known as “Ice Man”, McCrory turned pro in 1980 and won his first 20 bouts….establishing himself as the unified #1 contender for the welterweight title at the time of Sugar Ray Leonard’s retirement. He won the vacant WBC belt….becoming the first Kronk Detroit-born champion in his rematch with Colin Jones….having fought to a draw with him in the initial match-up. He defended the title four times before losing the belt via KO in a unification match with Donald Curry in 1985. He later moved up to light middleweight and challenged Mike McCallum for his WBA light middleweight title in 1987….but lost via 10th round TKO. He retired in 1991 after losing 2 of his last 4 fights. In his last bout, he scored a first round knockout of Robert Curry.
Any way you cut the pie…..this fight is a good one and worth watching….
