"Jeff Sims was born in Belle Glade, Florida. Sims was raised in a poverty stricken rural region. As a youth he was constantly in trouble with the law. He was arrested at age 21 and sentenced to jail for manslaughter. While in Belle Glade Prison in Belle Glade, Florida, he became interested in boxing. Sims had a powerful punch; reportedly compiled a prison boxing record of 21-0 (21 first round knockouts). After seven years in jail he was released and turned pro on Miami Beach. He won his first nine bouts by knockout and became "famous" for splitting Muhammad Ali's lip during a sparring match at the 5th Street Gym in 1980. Ali grew a mustache to cover up the cut. Sims also worked as Gerry Cooney's sparring mate. He also won the vacant Florida Heavyweight Title by knocking out Tom (The Bomb) Prater. Sims was a devastating puncher, but if a foe weathered the first two rounds, Jeff was in trouble. Sims knocked down heavyweight contender Earnie Shavers in the first round of their fight on the undercard of the Muhammad Ali-Trevor Berbick fight in Nassau. Shavers survived the round and went on to knockout Sims. Against Tyrell Biggs, Sims broke the contender's shoulder with one punch, but lost the decision. While watching the fights at the Miami Beach Convention Center in 1981, Sims got into a fist-fight with Argentine heavyweight Luis Acosta. Tough fights, and a hard living lifestyle soon caught up to Jeff Sims. His reflexes slowed, and his legs were "gone". Sims started to lose, and by the end of his career, he suffered knockouts to former world heavyweight champions James (Bonecrusher) Smith and Tim Witherspoon. Jeff Sims' face bore the scars of his tough life. He tried hard to go on the "straight and narrow path", as he himself put it. However, justice finally caught up with him in Liberty City, Florida, in front of Earl's Market, when he became involved in an argument with another market customer. Sims, who had been shot seven times previously, was shot in the chest and died." Sim's final bout at age 37 against 38 year old Bonecrusher Smith. This content is protected His shootout with Shavers. This content is protected
Brilliant stuff there,never heard of him but he sounds like another local fighter named Muhammad Alfaridzi, basically a poor man's Hector Camacho(atleast pre-rosario)/Saad Muhammad, literally good for the first round then disappears in the later rounds.
His fight with Shavers is up there in terms of the most combined raw power ever in a fight, for my money. Shavers fought a few killers punchers... Bernardo Mercado was another KO artist Shavers fought, though he lost that one. Wonder how Shavers would have fared against Jeff Merritt, another lights out heavyweight banger that's kind of obscure.
We know Merritt broke Earnies jaw in sparring - but that doesn’t necessarily translate to how an actual fight might’ve gone. Some say Earnie lacked certain finesse - Merritt appeared far more raw - perhaps making it easier to judge Merritt’s sheer power sans technique - his clobbering of Stander appears primitive but plenty powerful.
I saw a few of his fights. Guy I used to know many years ago lived in Florida and HE met sims. Said he was a crazy guy. Sims lived in Belglade which was close to central Florida. Got into a fight one time and it took multiple cops to get him into the car
The first I heard of him (and probably true for most) is when he split Muhammad Ali’s lip in sparring (as noted in the OP) in 1980. Ali grew a mustache and nicknamed himself Dark Gable.
Pretty good story here that details his background, from manslaughter conviction to learning to box in prison to why he was walking around with four bullets lodged in his body (and two more that grazed him but didn’t stick). Renaldo Snipes says they’re friends but he wouldn’t walk down the street with him “because he attract lead.” He jokes that Sims couldn’t fly because he couldn’t get through an airport metal detector, haha. https://www.nytimes.com/1982/11/27/...times-bulletproof-boxer-is-healthy-again.html
I’ve read that Merritt broke Shaver’s jaw in training delaying Shaver’s fight with Jerry Quarry. Don King fired Merritt and Archie Moore for the decision to use the Meriitt that close to the original fight date. I know its sparring but I think Merritt has a chance here.
