Jimmy Young dead at 56

Tomato-Can · Post by **Tomato-Can** » 22 Feb 2005, 18:00

I don't have any of the details as I just saw this on the scroll on CNN. He was one of my favorite fighters to watch. He was a master in the ring and it was incredible to watch him pick apart the best heavyweights of the 1970s. RIP Jimmy.

kovit · Post by **kovit** » 22 Feb 2005, 18:46

I'm shocked that Jimmy Young died who was remember in beating former heavyweight champion George Foreman and heavyweight contender Ron Lyle twice and going distance with Ali and Norton. I was a very sad way that Young have passed away.
Rest in Peace Jimmy.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 22 Feb 2005, 19:18

RIP JIMMY

Sherlock · Post by **Sherlock** » 22 Feb 2005, 20:07

RIP Jimmy.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 22 Feb 2005, 22:20

crooked nose · Post by **crooked nose** » 22 Feb 2005, 23:54

I have to hope it's not true. Jimmy was one of my all time favorites. When he was on his game, he was one of the most skillful, crafty and smart heavyweights of his time. His great upset victory over George Foreman is one of my most special boxing memories. I picked Jimmy to win. My schoolmates said I was nuts and told me to put some money on it. I'll never forget how satisfied and downright smug I felt collecting my winnings the next day. Jimmy came through for me that night in San Juan. Just think: if Jimmy had lost, there's no Foreman retirement, no conversion and no George Foreman Grille!

RIP, Jimmy.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 23 Feb 2005, 13:55

Im gutted about the passing of Jimmy Young one of the most skilled Heavyweights of the glorious 1970's and one of my favourite Heavyweights ever.

Lets hope he is in the big Boxing gym in the sky sparring with Jerry Quarry.

Rest In Peace Jimmy, and thank you.

elmersalsa · Post by **elmersalsa** » 23 Feb 2005, 15:11

REST IN PEACE my brother...I have never seen him fight fully, only seen clips of hom with Foreman and Ali. many people say that he was ROBBED in the Ali figjht. That was always the case when fighting Ali, YOU HAVE TO KILL HIM OR BEAT HIM VERY GOOD IN ORDER TO GET A DECISION against him and the corrupted judges.

I heard that Ali lost to Earnie Shavers and I really know the ROBBERY that Norton suffered at Yankee Stadium in the rubber match with "The Greatest"...Well ONLY IN AMERICA!!!

We will always remember you, Jimmy Young!!!

crooked nose · Post by **crooked nose** » 23 Feb 2005, 23:00

I think Young was robbed vs. Ali. Jimmy outfought a woefully out-of-shape Ali - this was six months after the Thrilla in Manila. But Young was right when he later said that in those days you really had to beat Ali bad to take a decision. A little more action from Jimmy would have made it impossible to steal.
The Norton decision was also questionable. If there was justice, Jimmy Young would be remembered as the only fighter to defeat Foreman, Norton and Ali.

Chuck1052 · Post by **Chuck1052** » 24 Feb 2005, 06:20

The first time that I remember reading about Jimmy Young is when he beat Ron Lyle in their first bout. Young's bout with Muhammad Ali is the first time I saw him on television.

I am NOT saying that Jimmy Young was robbed in bouts with Muhammad
Ali and Ken Norton. In fact, I think the a fair decision could have gone either way in both bouts. But I will say that the scoring in Young's bout with Ali was terrible. For one thing, the lopsided scores in favor of Ali were way out of line. Moreover, I remember one round in which Ali simply kept his arms in front of his head and didn't throw any punches. Meanwhile, Young was throwing AND landing punches in the same round.
Yet at least one ring official scored the round as "even."

It is my belief that no heavyweight had more ring smarts than Jimmy Young during the time he was active.

Looking at Young, he could not "break an egg" as a puncher, was smaller in weight than the top heavies of the day, had little in the way of strength, threw relatively few punches per round, and wasn't as athletic as Ali. Yet Young was able to compete very well with ALL of the top heavyweights during his prime. That was something that Ken Norton could not do, especially against the hard punchers in the division.

- Chuck Johnston

ABA Boxing · Post by **ABA Boxing** » 24 Feb 2005, 09:51

FORMER heavyweight boxer Jimmy Young, who beat George Foreman and fought Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton in the 1970s before his life took a downward turn, has died.

Young, 56, died on Sunday at Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia. The local Daily News reported that he died of heart disease.

Young compiled a 35-18-3 record with 12 knockouts during a career that spanned from 1969 to 1990. He was a quick, stylish fighter, but lacked a knockout punch.

"He was brilliant," boxing historian Bert Randolph Sugar said. "The problem is that he was in one of the best classes of heavyweights ever, and all the other stars had bigger punches."

Young accepted his 1976 championship loss to Muhammad Ali in Landover, Maryland, although some boxing experts disputed the decision. "To beat Ali in those days," Young said, "you really had to beat him bad - you know what I mean?"

robert.snell1 · Post by **robert.snell1** » 03 Mar 2005, 10:06

i hope that these messages get to his family

Chuck1052 · Post by **Chuck1052** » 11 Mar 2005, 04:45

On the Sweet Science website, there are two
parts of a planned three-part article on Jimmy
Young by Frank Lotierzo. For people interested
in Young, I think that the said two parts are
worthwhile reading.

- Chuck Johnston

bollox · Post by **bollox** » 11 Mar 2005, 07:53

As go boxing's protoganists of yesterday, so goes boxing. It's a fornicating shame, it really is. fornicate it

Jimmy Young dead at 56

Jimmy Young dead at 56

Jimmy Young

r.i.p

Frank Lotierzo