The Culver City, California Heavyweight A 'moderately successful Heavyweight' on the professional scene,,,, Caused a stir in Las Vegas, after flooring Floyd Patterson (3x) in July 1963 'sparring sessions', while the former Champion was prepping for his rematch with Sonny Liston. Later scored 'sparring session knockouts' over 'West-Coast Heavyweights'; Amos Lincoln, Thad Spencer, Elmer Rush, Jerry Quarry, Mac Foster and Ken Norton (2x). As Thad Spencer once stated; 'he punched a hole in my chest so hard, that I couldn't breathe properly for a month. Nobody ever hit me harder.' If he had the right connections, and kept his nose clean, he could have been right in the 'Thick of the Heavyweight Division' in the mid/late 60's. Jimmy 'The King' Fletcher {6' 2" and 210 lbs.} [url] This content is protected [/url]
Those sparing session KDs and stoppages just show how overrated all of them were . But , It also shows that Jimmy Fletcher was on d same level as all of d mentioned names as well as Bonavena , Ellis , Shavers , Stander , Young , Doug Jones , Lyle & Buster Mathis Sr. and when there r so many fighters on d same level @ d same time it shows that neither of them is great , because if there were so many greats @ d same time @ d same weight class & 4 so long , it doesn't take much 2b great , and many were . It surprises me that coke was popular / available back then , or was Jimmy Fletcher a pioneer ? Regarding his stoppage losses as a professional fighter , do u know which were due 2 cuts / **** and which were serious ?
Jimmy 'The King' Fletcher,,,, In November 1962, shocked everyone in Sacramento, California, when he 'blitzed' the local Heavyweight tough-guy, Bill 'Fred' McMurray by a '1st Round Knockout'. (McMurray had earlier defeated Jimmy by a 'controversial' 8-Round Decision, in July 1961). Was only 21, when he was sent to Las Vegas, to be a sparring partner for Floyd Patterson in July 1963. Despite minimal ring experience, and a 4-1-3 (3 KO's) record, Jimmy was called 'The King' in gym sparring sessions. His role when sparring with Floyd Patterson, to 'imitate Sonny Liston'. And that he did, by flooring Floyd (3x) in one 3-Round sparring session. After 3-Days of pummeling Floyd Patterson at 'The Dunes Hotel' training camp, Jimmy was asked to leave Las Vegas. Jimmy, at that young age, was regarded as 'a beast' in sparring sessions. But, under the 'bright lights of the boxing arena', he got 'stage fright'. He did not get scared, but was more concerned about 'not looking bad'. But, if you got him 'mad', look out.
This guy could bang. a friends of mine rated him over Quarry,Frazier.he in alaska of all places. was coke a problem for jimmy
D G, Jimmy forgot one thing,,,,,,,,,,how to train. After '3-Rounds' he was done. He supposedly sparred with a young Joe Frazier out in California (1966), when 'Smokin Joe' was out there for his '2-bouts'. Never found out how he did versus Joe Frazier. After he came back from Las Vegas in 1963,,,, In October 1963, some 'buzz' about him blasting 'Hot Shot Prospect' Thad Spencer all over the ring in their bout in Santa Monica, before Thad caught an exhausted 'King' with a lucky right-hand from 'outer-space' in Round 6. The Referee Joey Olmos, nearly stopped the bout several times, with Thad Spencer getting driven from ring post to ring post, by Fletchers ring-hand bombs. Jimmy, who usually scaled-in at around 205 lbs., was not in 'top shape' when facing Thad Spencer (217 lbs.) as he was too busy reading about,,,,, 'How Great he Was'.
January 1964,,,,,, After the loss to Thad Spencer,,,,,,,,,Jimmy 'The King' hit the 'Northwest Trail' and didn't stop unit he hit Anchorage, Alaska. There, he joined up with the 'Saturday Night Club-Fighting Circuit' Usually entering a bout, every two-weeks, for $200 a 'pop'. Fighting 'ham-n-eggers' like; Dick Harmett, Buck Jones, Ramon Cortes, Earl Pomeroy, etc. Over the next '6' months, he posted '9' straight wins (all by Knockout) over the ham-n-eggers. By mid 1964, 22 year-old Jimmy had bounced back to 13-2-3 (12 KO's).
Tueday Night - July 14, 1964 Castaways Hotel, Las Vegas Amos 'Big Train' Lincoln 27-5-1 (17 KO's) vs Jimmy 'The King' Fletcher 13-2-3 (12 KO's) The Event, Amos Lincoln coming back after a 2-year lay-off. The 27 year-old 'Big Train' hopes to get back in the Heavyweight ranks, and looks for a tough 'club-fighter' as his first opponent. The 6' 2" 211 lb. Heavyweight looks ready, as he is in good shape, and has been working out for 3-months in the gym. Enter, Jimmy 'The King' Fletcher. The 22 year-old 'muscular' Heavyweight, returns to Las Vegas, after registering a bunch of 'Smoker-bout Knockouts' in Alaska. The 6' 2", 206 lb. Fletcher, with power in his right hand, is a very dangerous opponent for Amos Lincoln to come back against. The bout, Amos 'Big Train' Lincoln came out with his straight forward stance, and scored with good one-two's backing the 'powerful' Fletcher up. Amos maintained a steady pace, and did not allow Jimmy to wind up his right hand. After an 'even' feeling out early in the 2nd-Round, Jimmy 'The King' opened up with a right-hand bomb that cut Amos Lincoln over the left-eye. After backing 'Big Train' up, 'The King' unloaded with a '4-punch combination' that sliced the eye open, forcing the Referee to halt the bout. Upon review by the Ringside Physician, the bout was stopped at 1:34 of Round 2, and awarded Jimmy Fletcher a (KO 2) win. Jimmy Fletcher, now 14-2-3 (13 KO's), has asked for a bout with former 2-time Champion - Floyd Patterson. Jimmy said in the newspaper, 'I have already knocked Patterson down in the gym. He would be no problem for me, and he knows it.'
R/T,,,, Found what you wanted. September 1964 Jimmy 'The King' Fletcher 14-2-3 (13 KO's) lost to Chuck Leslie 11-3-0 (2 KO's) in Las Vegas. Chuck Leslie, was 178 lbs. for that fight. He was the California Light-Heavyweight Champion. He was a last-minute replacement. Out-weighed by 25+ pounds, he beat a lethargic 'King' Fletcher over 10-Rounds. That 'burst' the legend of Jimmy 'The King'. If you can get by the first 3 rounds with him, he had nothing.
