Interview: Julian Jackson

[Ruthless-RKO]

By Ray Wheatley – World of Boxing

Former 1987 WBA light middleweight and 1990 WBC middleweight champion Julian “The Hawk” Jackson (55-6, 49 KOs) spoke to Peter Maniatis about his legendary fights with Mike McCallum, In Chul Baek, Terry Norris, Gerald McLellan, Herol Graham and Dennis Milton. He also gave his thoughts on Hall of Fame promoter Don King.

Jackson was unbeaten in 29 fights and had won 27 via KO or TKO when he received a world title opportunity against Mike McCallum which was unsuccessful in 1986 but the following year he stopped South Korean KO artist In Chul Baek to capture the WBA light middleweight championship.

“My victory over In Chul Baek was a turning point in my life and my boxing career. I had lost my world title fight against Mike McCallum in my first shot that didn’t go well for me. I felt McCallum’s experience had a lot to do with that loss. I am not going to make any excuses but I really felt that fight was going to be mine and it turned out not being that. It did have a negative effect on me but the tide turned.

“I was given another opportunity because of what took place in that fight. The fight with In Chull Baek is what made me who I am and I believe God gave me the opportunity to get another chance at the world title. My trainer said this might be your last shot at the title and I heard that very clearly.

“There were some things in my life that I was going through so my life changed when I won the world title. I made a commitment to God at that time in my life when I fought In Chul Baek and I told Don King – ‘This is going to be my easiest fight.’ He thought I was crazy because In Chul Baek was one of the hardest hitters from South Korea. They told me to move away from his right hand but I went in there and finished the fight in three rounds. It was unbelievable.”

Mike McCallum TKO2 Julian Jackson in WBA light middleweight title bout August 23, 1986)
(Julian Jackson TKO3 In Chul Baek to capture WBA light middleweight title November 21, 1987)

Buster Drayton and Francisco De Jesus were stopped in three and eight rounds respectively when they challenged Jackson for the WBA world title before Terry Norris would also challenge unsuccessfully.

“When I beat Terry Norris I remember his trainer Abel Sanchez, who I worked with some time afterwards. He said, ‘You didn’t have to hit him a second time – the first punch knocked him out.’ I said, ‘I had to make sure because that is Terry Norris and he is a good fighter and I wanted to make sure he stayed down.’

“My punching ability I believe came from being born with it. Some fighters are born with certain talent and I was born to punch. It worked out for me. I could box a little but I could punch better than I could box. It helped me out. Most of my fights never went past three rounds.”

(Julian Jackson TKO2 Terry Norris to retain WBA light middleweight title July 30, 1989)

The Torrequebrada Casino in Benalmadena, Andalucia, Spain was the venue and promoted by Barry Hearn where Julian Jackson would challenge Englishman Herol Graham for the vacant WBC middleweight crown.

“Herol Graham who I stopped was similar to Terry Norris because he was one of the best in his division. He was coming from England and was awkward being a southpaw. I had moved up to the middleweight division. If I wanted a million-dollar payday, I had to move up to the middleweights. We were supposed to fight in England but it happened in Spain because of technicalities pertaining to me having a detached retina.

“The fight was in Spain and he was one of the most awkward fighters I have met. I realized in order to beat him I had to be smart. He thought he had me when he caught me with a good punch and my left eye began to swell. The referee (Joe Cortez ) said I will have to stop this fight if something doesn’t happen. I remember that happened in the third round and I switched to southpaw and he came straight at me and there was an opportunity and I saw it and I threw a right hook – believe it or not and I caught him right on the chin and he went to sleep. I thank God that none of the fighters I knocked out have no serious injuries.”

(Julian Jackson KO4 Herol Graham to capture vacant WBC middleweight crown November 24, 1990)

Don King promoted Julian Jackson’s next defense of the WBC title at the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas ten months later in 1991 against Dennis Milton with Mills Lane working as the third man in the ring.

“The Magic Man Dennis Milton who I boxed in Las Vegas and he had a lot of talk. I really thought I would have seen a lot more from him. He really pepped me up with the talk and I am not much of a talker. I am more of an action man. All the talk really paid off for me and I was ready to face him and deliver the punches. He was looking for the right hand but I set him up with the left hook.”

(Julian Jackson KO 1 Dennis Milton to retain WBC middleweight crown September 21, 1991)

After defending the championship successfully against Ron Collins and Thomas Tate in 1992, Jackson would be in against dangerous contender Gerald McClellan at the Thomas and Mack Centre in Las Vegas promoted by Don King in 1993.

“Gerald McClennan was a tremendous fighter. He was huge – he reminded me of In Chul Baek who was a big guy too. I really thought I was going to knock out McClennan also. He caught me I remember in the first fight. They were very concerned because he was having problems with his feet. I was digging him to the body and he was getting to that point but I dropped my hands and he caught me. He is also a tremendous puncher. (McClennan would also defeat Jackson in 1994) I visit him in the hospital. Praise God he is still alive. We became very good friends."

(Gerald McLellan TKO 4 Julian Jackson to capture WBC middleweight title bout on May 8, 1993)
(Gerald McLellan KO1 Julian Jackson to defend WBC middleweight crown May 7, 1994)

Hall of Fame promoter Don King promoted ten of Jackson’s thirteen world title bouts with his biggest payday being $850,000.

“Don King was a shrewd businessman. I really wanted to get my million dollar payday. I think I deserved it and somehow things didn’t happen in that sense. I fought for a contract for $850,000 but I never got the opportunity to fight for a million dollars. I thought I deserved that but it never happened. I was from the Virgin Islands but Julio Chavez was from Mexico and had millions of fans following him…I think the fans loved to see Julian Jackson because they always saw action. I respected Don King then and I do now.”

* * *

After retiring from boxing, Jackson joined the ministry and still lives in his birthplace of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. He has continued his involvement in the local boxing field as a trainer and coach, and his three sons Julius, Julian Jackson Jr. and John Jackson have all competed professionally since 2009.

[Alguiffer]

Great read - thanks for posting it.

[jas80s]

Sounds like a good guy. Interesting that he clearly feels no ill will toward Don King when you are so used to fighters feeling like he completely ripped them off.

Oh, to have a bunch of Julian Jackson's in there fighting again, pure excitement.

[bollocks]

Norris' trainer was right...Terry was in a deep sleep after the first one

[banjo]

The thing I found fascinating about Jackson was how effortless his KO punches looked.

[Onamastus]

Has that same quality as Shavers, where he's simultaneously a deadly kayo artist and a teddy bear without the hint of a mean streak.

Is Jackson the scariest puncher of the modern era? His victims went down like they'd fallen from the top of a building.

[goose 5]

Shavers was a bully who chose his spots. However, he changed a lot over the years. The story about him and Doyle Baird shows what he was like years ago.

[goose 5]

In 1987, Tyson shoved Shavers in an airport and Earnie said/did nothing in response. Tyson was pissed because Shavers had said in an interview that he wanted a title shot against Tyson.

[Caractacus]

Shavers was a bully who chose his spots. However, he changed a lot over the years. The story about him and Doyle Baird shows what he was like years ago.

What's the Story ?

[Caractacus]

hey, I just now remembed the story you mentioned but not the name iof the person involved in it.
(it's in WELCOME TO THE BIG TIME)
it sort of reminds me of the other story Shavers wrote about when he was playing cards in 1973 at Don King's training camp,
with Larry Holmes and Jeff Merritt with some money involved.( a few grand on the table)
Shavers said he had the winning hand but Merritt said it was a misdeal (claiming some cards were exposed).
Shavers really got angry and offered to fight Merritt then and there
(I think Larry Holmes wrote about the incident in his autobiography too).

[Caractacus]

yeah Julian Jackson and Earnie Shavers looked like they both punched similarly from their centre's of gravity regions.
I'm guessing this fight may have humbled him a bit.
There was a lot of hype obout Shavers going into this fight.
BTW This was HBO's first Live-"Coast to Coast' televised Boxing event.
HBO was new back in 1973.
( and No 24-7 entertainment /sports saturation back then to the American massess like it is now,so it really was unigue to have acssess to cable TV

[Onamastus]

In 1987, Tyson shoved Shavers in an airport and Earnie said/did nothing in response. Tyson was pissed because Shavers had said in an interview that he wanted a title shot against Tyson.

What's the Doyle Baird story?

And what's the source for Tyson shoving Shavers in an airport? Never heard that one before.

[Caractacus]

I dunno,but I do remember reading that after his loss to Jerry Quarry,
Don King had Earnie Shavers carry his suitcases around.
( I think he was his driver too)

[goose 5]

Shavers snatched money from Baird and challenged him to fight if he wanted it back. Baird was a tough, tough guy who did hard prison time but he backed off. I don't remember where I read about the Tyson-Shavers incident.

[goose 5]

Just found Shavers comments on Tyson: Associated Press, June 30, 1987: "Tyson would be good for me; he's there to be hit." As best as I can remember, the story about Tyson shoving Shavers was in a book and not a newspaper.

[Onamastus]

Just found Shavers comments on Tyson: Associated Press, June 30, 1987: "Tyson would be good for me; he's there to be hit." As best as I can remember, the story about Tyson shoving Shavers was in a book and not a newspaper.

Interesting, a month after the old, comebacking Shavers flattened Larry Sims in 1, who went 4 with the young Tyson.

The old boy still throws the right with nice form!

[Counter-puncher]

Shavers always comes across as a really cool dude and everyone who meets him seems to say so, too.

[Caractacus]

he wrote in his 2001 autobiography that after graduating from H.S he he had contemplated on becoming a "Hit-Man" tho
His wife's cousin was a hit-man for the mafia by the name of "Big George Horne"
( who always carried around a 357 magnum)
Shavers also said he accompied him to collect money but all he did was slam his fist on a table demanding that they pay up.

[Caractacus]

WELCOME TO THE BIG TIME is a must read !
(BTW I remember I got a copy back then,instead of getting it on Amazon.com
(with inflated prices by the sellers, I chose to purchase it directly from the publisher
because they were selling it at retail.
When I got the copy in the mail,guess what ?
It was autographed by Mr. Earnie Shavers on the frontpiece !