What was the best version of Jerry Quarry?

I didnt see this post earlier but it basically spells out everything I was saying but better. My favorite Quarry to watch is some of his earliest stuff when he was young, hungry, and explosive. The later fat Quarry who had success against against Lyle and Shavers just hinted at what Quarry could have been.

 

:good

 

"Well.....he fell petty hard"

Jerry's reply after being asked if it was a hard fight

 

'Explosive' is exactly the right term to use in describing the young Quarry. The slimmer, more athletic Jerry was the version I most enjoyed. The counters that would come out of the slightest mistake or in a toe-to-toe such as the Patterson knockdowns or the Spencer knockdown or the Bodell KO were beautiful. I tend to place a fighter in a 3 (consecutive) bout prime. Therefore I would probably place the Quarry prime as the Eastling-Mathis-Frazier fights.

 

Bodell may as well of offered his head on a plate

 

I find Jerry to be likable but over rated .. this talk as the best never to be champ stuff is off the charts .. he was a gutsy guy with some decent skills, a big heart, decent power and a strong chin .. putting aside that he was completely dominated by Ali ( second time ) and destroyed by Frazier he essentially fought on even terms with an old Patterson and a vastly under rated Jimmy Ellis ... he was stopped by Chuvalo and late in his game butchered by Norton .. I know his big wins and respect them but they were stylistic ... decisioning a green, slow footed Lyle, bombing out an over eager Shavers ( fight reminds me of Morrison v.s. Bent ) ,Thad Spencer , ect .. by no means am I knocking the guy and I respect his career but simply view him as a gutsy, talented kind of number four or five contender for the most part .. far better than a Rex Layne but not my very top as a just missed champion ..

 

Early Quarry had the physical prowess but lacked the experience and this showed up vs Patterson even though his power was there. In the Chuvalo fight Jerry was leading and his corner told him to take a count and he did not hear the ref (this is believable because Jerry survived better punchers than Chuvalo)

Lyle was an experience amateur and physically strong and at 19-0 on a roll if anything Ron Lyle lost his confidence after the Quarry fight and never had the same zest. I went into Lyle's dressing room before the Quarry fight and they were building Ron up as "the Guy" on TV at the time, next Liston. Jerry shook Ron badly and Ron went on the defensive thereafter.

The Mac Foster win was spectacular and as a young guy I bought the hype about Big Mac 6"3 215 24-0 24KOs and Jerry broke him down. I remember the roar of the crowd smelling blood as Big MAC STARTED TO GO

The Shavers fight was a shoot-out and Quarry took Earnies best and met him mid-ring to the ropes.

The Norton fight was not Quarry he said himself that he should have never entered the ring (he was shot and on drugs and alcohol)

Like I said Ali and Frazier had the mental edge and were just Greater fighters

Quarry like Foreman had 2 careers but in a much closer time frame than Big G, the later career for JQ was the more experienced but the experience came when the physical was in decline.

So I think the victory's over Lyle,Foster and Shavers Spencer, Mathias did fit into Jerry's hands but can not be discounted if anything should be eliminated it should be his loss to Norton because it was a shell of Quarry and he still badly rocked Ken. Quarry -Norton would be a different fight prime for prime

 

Lyle turned pro in his very late 20's .. he was in the can till his mid twenties .. we all know that is no way to build a pro career .. he was also stabbed in the chest in prison and almost died .. no way Lyle was ever all he could have been under other circumstances .. Shavers fought a stupid fight against the wrong guy .. one thing Quarry was not was scared of anyone .. he was a monster in that regard , Shavers came out thinking he was going to blow the white guy out and he got his head handed to him .. I have no idea if Earnie ever beats him as stamina and a chin were always going to be issues w him but the first round KO was just dumb strategy .. I completely agree w you regarding Norton and may even favor Jerry him w both at their best ..

 

I'll go so far as to say that the young Quarry, specifically the one who took Buster Mathis apart would have done the same to Ken Norton.