During the late 1970s to early 1980s, the world of professional boxing saw an explosive resurgence. This era was marked by legendary figures such as Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler, Ray Mancini, Roberto Duran, Alexis Arguello, and Larry Holmes, each one capturing the hearts of American sports enthusiasts everywhere. Boxing was as mainstream as it gets, regularly broadcast on prime television, gracing the covers of Sports Illustrated, and with major matches that matched the grandeur of the Super Bowl and World Series.
Yet, amidst these famed athletes, no one shone brighter than Sugar Ray Leonard. Leonard was not just an iconic Olympic champion; he was the fighter who had bested both Duran and Hearns. His magnetic charm, flawless smile, and endorsements deals with giants like 7-Up and Nabisco, made him the face of network television boxing. So, when he shockingly announced his retirement at just 26 due to a detached retina, the boxing world was staggered.
In the immediate aftermath, the top boxing organizations, the WBC and WBA, quickly declared Leonard’s welterweight titles vacant. Enter Donald Curry and Jun-Suk Hwang for the WBA title, and Milton “Ice Man” McCrory against Colin “The Punch” Jones of Wales for the WBC crown. Curry confidently dispatched Hwang, though the McCrory vs. Jones matchup promised a more complex spectacle.
The battle between the lanky McCrory and the relentless power-puncher Jones was far from thrilling for most. While it aired on national TV, few outside the UK were familiar with Jones. McCrory, hailing from the kronk gym famed for training Tommy “Hit Man” Hearns, was seen as a less potent version of the latter. His knockout power seemed to wane after decisive victories over opponents like Pete Ranzany and Roger Stafford, shifting into a pattern of decision wins.
Significantly, the McCrory-Jones bout marked the first welterweight world title match scheduled for 12 rounds instead of the traditional 15. This shift mirrored the aftermath of Ray Mancini’s tragic fight with Duk Koo Kim, where Kim never recovered from his 14th-round fall, fueling debates over the sport’s safety and prompting the WBC’s round reduction.
Initially, McCrory leveraged his reach, strategically dancing around Jones, throwing numerous punches without specific power. His plan to keep Jones at bay with his reach was neutralized by Jones’s aggressive jabs, which even caused McCrory to bleed from the nose. Although McCrory’s agile boxing kept him ahead in the first half, his punches lacked the sting required to intimidate his opponent.
The tide turned swiftly in the sixth round. Jones’s heavy body shots slowed McCrory’s momentum. By the eighth, McCrory was mostly evading, skirting the ring to avoid more of Jones’s punishing blows. What started as a McCrory-controlled fight became increasingly questionable.
By round nine, Jones’s relentless assaults strategic attacks took the lead, with McCrory clinging to the ropes and Jones’s unyielding assault. The tenth round saw McCrory narrowly escape defeat, reactivating his footwork to keep distance with careful left jabs.
Remarkably, McCrory managed to reclaim his composure by round eleven, winning the round although the more punishing punches still came from Jones. The final round abandoned strategy for raw enthusiasm, a thrilling climax of nonstop action that won a standing ovation from the Reno audience.
Yet, shortening the fight to 12 rounds was a detriment to Jones’s strategy. McCrory barely managed to last and had there been more rounds, things could have turned differently. The judges’ mixed decision—one favoring McCrory, another Jones, and the last a draw—left many unsatisfied.
Though the fight wasn’t tainted like some notoriously controversial draws, many felt Jones was at a disadvantage, given his aggressive stance and landing harder hits decisively put McCrory on defense.
However, Jones was due a rematch, swiftly ordered by the WBC for the following August. McCrory vs. Jones II unfolded in an almost identical fashion, but this time, McCrory unleashed a powerful one-two knockdown in the first round and ended strongly, edging out a split decision victory.
Ultimately, this rivalry between McCrory and Jones simply paved the way for Donald “The Cobra” Curry. In 1985, Curry decisively ended Jones’s title bid with a four-round TKO in England. Later, Curry faced McCrory in Las Vegas for a unified title fight often compared to the epic Leonard-Hearns showdown. However, Curry dismissed McCrory quickly, securing a knockout in the second round.
Both Jones and McCrory had their moments, but Curry became the indisputable welterweight champion, leaving his mark as the reigning king, at least for that momentous time. — Robert Portis
