Educate me on heavyweight Al Jones

There were two Al Jones as I recall. There was Memphis Al Jones who I remember mostly. A real journeyman type of fighter but one who could spring an upset every so often like he did against Boone kirkman. I think the one you are referencing is Florida Al Jones who was somewhat better of the two. He gave Jerry Quarry a real scare.

 

My bad, it was Memphis Al who gave Quarry the scare. Looking at Florida Al's record, he certainly had the opportunity to be right there amidst the contenders, but took 3 years off after the Garcia fight. Don't know if he just lost heart but that was his era of opportunity.

 

I’ve wondered about this guy too.

 

"Goulds Terror" as a nickname, a classic.

1969-05-20 : Cleveland Williams 214 lbs lost to Al Jones 232 lbs by TKO at 0:11 in round 8 of 10

• Location: Convention Center, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
• Referee: Eddie Eckert

"Al Jones decked Cleveland Williams twice with straight lefts in a scheduled 10 round fight Tuesday night and went on to hammer the Houston heavyweight for a TKO after 11 seconds of the 8th round. Jones, 6-foot-6 and 232 pounds, befuddled the powerful Texan with his southpaw style in the early rounds. Williams was making his 80th start and now has a 71-8-1 record. It was Jones' 25th win against a single loss and a draw." -Associated Press

 

Interesting, Al Jones of Miami actually fought Al Jones of Memphis:
8/15/1967.

Al Jones (Memphis)
rounds 246
KOs 15%

status inactive
alias Memphis / Preacher
nationality USA
debut 1965-03-12
division heavyweight
height 6′ 2″ / 188cm
residence Memphis

 

Jerry Quarry vs. Memphis Al Jones (2nd meeting)
(Redirected from Fight:39000)
1967-01-11 : Jerry Quarry 194 lbs beat Al Jones 193½ lbs by KO at 3:08 in round 5 of 10

• Location: Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California, USA
• Referee: Tony Bosnich

"Jerry Quarry was floored twice in the 3rd round last night by Al Jones, but came back and knocked out the Memphis, Tenn., boxer in the 5th. The Civic Auditorium bout was scheduled for 10 rounds. Quarry, Los Angeles, was bombing Jones to the body when he dropped his left and caught a right to the chin. Quarry got off the canvas at the count of two and took the mandatory eight count. But Jones dropped Quarry again with a right. Quarry nearly went through the ropes before slithering to the canvas, arising with no difficulty 25 seconds before the end of the round. In the 5th, a body barrage dropped Jones two seconds from the end of the round. Referee Tony Bosnich continued counting after the bell under California rules and tolled 10." -Hayward Daily Review

 

I had never heard of this guy before.

His record indicated he was a fringe top 10 type in his prime.

I do remember a "Memphis" Al Jones whow as a trial horse in the early '80s.

Amazingly, according to BoxRec Al Jones defeated "Memphis" Al Jones in a 1967 fight !

 

Apparently he almost fought Ali in 1972 in South Africa.

 

Al Jones was a good fighter. He was a 6' 6" southpaw who was a boxer/puncher. He liked to kind of take control of ring center, stay there but then kind wait on the guy to come to him while he threw jabs and countered. If he broke through he would go on the offensive but he was usually content to just give a workmanlike performance. He might stalk a guy a little but I wouldnt call him aggressive per se. Its a shame he didnt really get into the mix with the other big names. The biggest names he fought were shot when he got them. I think Dundee, who managed him, was overprotective of him and was really more focused on Ellis and Ali (and who can blame him). They tried to get some mileage in the press by saying Frazier was ducking him but Frazier would have massacred him. I think all of Jones' strengths would have been turned inside out against him fighting Frazier. His height and reach would have been a disadvantage and he wasnt the fastest guy in the world. Not slow, just didnt have the kind of speed to really consistently score on the bobbing weaving Frazier before Frazier could get inside and unload where Jones wasnt very effective. In his later career he was hampered by injuries and took a long layoff. When he came back he didnt really have the same zip he once did. He didnt look great against Ballard and in his next and last fight he rebroke the hand that forced him to retire two years earlier causing him to quit between rounds. He decided to hand em up after that.

Here are stills from some of my footage on him:

Al Jones training for Sonny Moore 1966:
https://flic.kr/p/24j46Df
https://flic.kr/p/21C6GRE

Al Jones-Sonny Moore weigh in:
https://flic.kr/p/21C6GQC

Al Jones-Sonny Moore:
https://flic.kr/p/21C6GPf

Al Jones training around 1967 or so (you can see Jimmy Ellis wandering around in the background of some of these):
https://flic.kr/p/21C6GZ5
https://flic.kr/p/Gfadod
https://flic.kr/p/21C6GW9
https://flic.kr/p/Gfadn1
https://flic.kr/p/24j46Es

Al Jones-Roosevelt Eddie 1968:
https://flic.kr/p/24o2Aqn
https://flic.kr/p/24o2Aot

Al Jones training (I cant remember when. Id have to go back and look):
https://flic.kr/p/24o2Ame
https://flic.kr/p/21C6GJ5 (Angelo Dundee is seen in the background and I think thats Gil Clancy hes talking to.)

Al Jones-Zora Folley weigh in:
https://flic.kr/p/24nYQ38

Al Jones-Folley 1968:
https://flic.kr/p/24nYPZx

Al Jones-Cleveland Williams press conference:
https://flic.kr/p/24nYPZ2
https://flic.kr/p/24nYPXt

Al Jones-Cleveland Williams weigh in:
https://flic.kr/p/24nYPW6

Al Jones-Cleveland Williams 1969:
https://flic.kr/p/24nYPUH

Al Jones training for Jody Ballard
https://flic.kr/p/24o2Ah6

Al Jones-Jody Ballard 1976:
https://flic.kr/p/24o2Age
https://flic.kr/p/24j46ny
https://flic.kr/p/24o2AeF (Jones goes through the ropes here, this could have been called a KD but wasnt)
https://flic.kr/p/24j46mw

I think overall he had a lot of potential but I think it was never really realized due to his injuries and Dundees distractions with bigger money fights and fighters.

This was the Al Jones of Goulds Florida.

Memphis Al Jones, who fought Frazier, Quarry, Kirkman, etc was a different fighter. Memphis Al Jones had a horrible record and was beaten by most of the live guys he fought but interestingly Ive heard Frazier, Kirkman, Quarry, and I think Ron Lyle (cant remember on that last one for sure) all say that Memphis Al Jones was the hardest puncher they faced. He must have been a sneaky puncher because he caught Quarry by surprise, hurt Frazier (According to Joe), and against Kirkman Boone had him hurt and ready to go and somehow half out on his feet he caught Boone and knocked him out.

 

A little over 20 years I guess, maybe 25.