Jones the Puncher

from Cardiff Times - July 2022

Welcome Back Welsh

by Ralph Oates

Colin Jones made his professional debut on the 3rd of October 1977 against opponent Mike Copp at the Afan Lido, Port Talbot in Wales. The contest was scheduled for 6 rounds but was all over in the 5th when Jones stopped his man. This was a good start to his paid career his manager being Eddie Thomas the former British, Commonwealth and European welterweight champion. Thomas had duly taken boxers like Howard Winstone (featherweight) and Ken Buchanan (lightweight) to world titles over the years so clearly Jones was in capable hands.

Jones who was born on the 21st of March 1959 in Gorseinon, Swansea had an impressive amateur career winning the ABA welterweight title in 1976 and 1977. The Welsh boxer also represented Great Britain at the Olympic games which had taken place in Montreal, Quebec Canada in 1976. He failed to medal but was up against tough opposition however the experience of such an event put him in good stead for the future.

Jones entered the ring for his second bout on the 1st of December 1977 to face Martin Bridge once again the man from Swansea ended the proceedings early when he stopped his man in the 4th stanza. The year 1978 was one which saw Jones box on six occasions each outing seeing him add to his win list. He was making good progress meeting and beating a variety of opponents to enhance his ring education. It is vital that any new prospect is taken along at the right pace and not rushed too quickly. Eddie Thomas knew the sport and was matching his charge carefully plotting his course towards the top.

The punching power of Jones was now very apparent an attribute which would serve him well along the way. In 1979 he started the year with yet another victory when at the Double Diamond Club in Caerphilly on the 3rd April when sharing the ring with American Sam Hailstock he brought the show to a close when he scored a knockout in round 4. This was only the ninth bout for Jones but even at this early stage of his fighting career he looked a good bet to join the ranks of boxing champions produced in Wales. The action continued for Jones and also the success when on the 13th of May at the Mayflower Centre in Plymouth against opponent Salvo Nucifero the Welshman showed his authoritative punching power winning by a knockout in the 4th session. Alain Salmon was the next to face the powerful fists of Jones on the 5th of July 1979 in a bout which took place at the Afan Lido, Port Talbot. The Welshman was in no mood to hang around on the night stopping his opponent in the 1st stanza. The success continued when on the 30th of October 1979 Jones was matched with Joey Mack at the Double Diamond Club in Caerphilly. The bout failed to go the full distance when Jones ended the contest winning by a stoppage in the 10th stanza. The Welsh boxer had developed into an exciting fighter one who could end a contest in an instant with his heavy punching.

Billy Waith, another boxer from Wales, stepped up next to cross gloves with Jones in a bout which took place at the World Sporting Club in Mayfair, London on the 21st of January 1980. Cardiff-born Waith was an experienced fighter having taken part in 71 bouts; winning 39, losing 28, with 4 drawn. He had during his career fought a number of top fighters. Jones registered his 13th victory when he won by knocking out Waith in round 6 to further enhance his growing reputation.

On the 1st of April 1980 Jones entered the ring at the Conference Centre Wembley, London to challenge for the British welterweight title. The defending champion was Kirkland Laing a talented boxer who had taken the crown from Henry Rhiney on the 4 September 1979 by way of a stoppage in round 10. Laing with a tally of 19 fights consisting of 18 wins with 1 draw was going to be a tough man to overcome. The champion’s skills were admired by many who followed boxing and he was tipped to go a long way in the sport. In the early stages of the bout, the ring craft of Laing gave Jones many problems and was taking an early lead. It appeared that the Welshman was heading for his first loss in the professional ranks and needed to produce something special to turn the fight around. At that point it looked like only his heart and desire were keeping him in the contest, then in round 9 Jones stopped Laing to take the title. Jones again showed the world that his punching power was a danger to anyone he faced inside the ring. The next contest for the undefeated Jones took place on the 3rd of June 1980 against American Richard House at the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, London. It was somewhat obvious that the fight would not go the full distance and true enough the Welsh puncher ended the contest in the first session.

Jones made the first defence of his British welterweight title on the 12th of August 1980 against Peter Neal at the National Eisteddfod Pavilion in Gowerton. Neal’s challenge was all over in round 5 whereupon the champion stopped his man to retain his crown. The last fight of the year for Jones took place at the Rhydycar Leisure Centre in Merthyr Tydfil on the 15th of December 1980, the opponent on this occasion was Clement Tshinza who was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tshinza was not considered to be a roadblock to the Welshman’s progress, but he looked capable of being competitive having engaged in 66 bouts; winning 46, losing 14, with 6 drawn. The fight came to an end in the 3rd stanza with Jones once again punching his way to victory.

Maurice Hope on the left, Colin Jones centre, and Jim Watt on the right. Image courtesy of Derek Rowe.

Horace McKenzie was the next to do battle with Jones on the 16th of February 1981 at the World Sporting Club in London. The Welshman ended matters long before the final bell, stopping his man in the 7th round. Jones had the chance to win another title on the 3rd of March 1981 when he stepped into the ring at the Conference Centre in Wembley, London. The championship at stake was the vacant Commonwealth welterweight crown. The opponent in the opposite corner was Guyana-born Mark Harris. While in boxing you cannot take anything for granted a win here for Jones looked more than certain. Harris had only taken part in 9 contests, winning 5 and losing 4, and did not look like he had the boxing savvy or punching power to trouble Jones. The fight came to its conclusion in the 9th with Jones becoming the new title holder by a stoppage. Harris to his credit put in a creditable performance before he was halted. A return bout with Kirkland Laing was now the next fight on the menu, a contest which would be a defence of his British and newly won Commonwealth welterweight titles Laing was keen to get back in the ring with the Welsh warrior and extract revenge for the defeat he had previously suffered at his hands. Since their last meeting, Laing had taken his record to 23 fights; winning 21, losing 1, and drawing 1. The contest took place at the Royal Albert Hall in London on the 28th of April 1981 and just as in their first encounter Laing boxed his way to an early lead only to once again taste the power of the Welshman’s punch and get stopped in round 9.

The unexpected happened on the 3rd of September 1981. American Curtis Ramsey became the next man to compete with Jones and it appeared that he too would be lucky to go the full distance with the Welshman. A win was expected at the Sophia Gardens Pavilion in Cardiff but in the 3rd round Jones was disqualified for hitting his opponent when he was down. This was not a disaster but it was a situation that Jones could have done without. He had lost his undefeated record which had stood at 20. The reigning British and Commonwealth champion was quickly back in action on the 15th of September 1981. Putting the Ramsey defeat behind him he climbed between the ropes at the Wembley Arena in London to confront another American in the shape of Milton Seward. The fight put Jones back in the winning column when he stopped Seward in the 3rd round. To round off the year American Gary Giron tested the power of the Welshman on the 24th of November 1981 the venue once again being the Wembley Arena. The fight was over in the 3rd with Jones stopping his man.

On the 14th of September 1982 Jones put his Commonwealth title on the line at the Wembley Arena against Sakaraia Ve from Fiji. The challenger was an experienced fighter who came with a slate of 46 fights; winning 39, losing 5, with 2 drawn. Ve had been challenged twice before for the title and thus failed in his attempt. It was on the 9th of August 1978 when he made his first bid against the then-holder Clyde Gray of Canada who retained the championship by way of a knockout in round 8. The opportunity for a second crack at the title came on the 2nd of December 1978 when once again he was knocked out by Gray in the 8th stanza. Ve must have been hoping that this would be third time lucky for him. Well luck played no part in this contest only punching power and that power came from Jones. It was all over for the man from Fiji when he had his lights put out. Jones thus knocked him out in round 2. Now it was time for the Welshman to spread his wings and look at other titles beyond the British and the Commonwealth.

The European welterweight title was next on the list, a title which would help to elevate Jones towards a world title shot should he capture it. For the first time in his paid career as a boxer, Jones had to travel abroad to Denmark to challenge for the European title. The defending champion Hans Henrik Palm would be making the second defence of the crown. Palm came with a resume of 41 bouts; consisting of 39 wins

with 2 defeats. The bout took place on the 5th of November 1982 the venue being the K.B Hallen, in Copenhagen. In front of his home crowd Palm would not be an easy opponent to defeat, but Jones showed his class in fine fashion when he stopped the title holder in 2 rounds. His punching power was evident in taking the title. In winning the championship Jones became the first British fighter to hold the crown since Dave Boy Green who both won and lost the title in 1979.

The time had now come for the Welshman to step up and challenge for the world crown. Jones had to pack his suitcase and travel abroad once again, this time the battleground was in the USA. On the 19th of March 1983 he met American Milton McCrory for the vacant WBC welterweight title at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, in Nevada. (The championship had been vacated by Sugar Ray Leonard). McCrory was a talented fighter undefeated in 20 bouts and would not surrender easily, he was confident that he had the skills to defeat Jones and become the new champion. Going into the bout McCrory was the favourite to take the crown. When the bell sounded to start the fight the two men engaged in an exciting battle. Jones started slow but worked his way into the fight as the round progressed. However, at the end of a closely fought contest which went the full 12 rounds a draw was declared. Jones had come close indeed, many observers felt he did enough to win the title. A return took place once again in the USA where Jones and McCrory met on the 13th of August 1983 at the Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas in Nevada. The fight started badly for the Welshman whereupon he was floored for a count by McCrory in the opening stanza. Jones fought back hard but at the end of the 12-round contest, McCrory was awarded the decision Jones returned to the ring on the 28th of March 1984 and made short work of his American opponent Allen Braswell at the Afan Lido Sports Centre in Aberavon. The fight was all over in the 2nd stanza with the Welshman emerging victorious. Jones was out again on the 13th of June 1984, opponent Billy Parks from America proved a little tougher lasting until the 10th and final round before the Welshman stopped him at the Afan Lido in Port Talbot.

At the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on the 19th of January 1985, Jones was presented with a third chance to win the welterweight championship of the world this time the WBA version would be on the line. The defending champion from the USA was Donald Curry who was undefeated in 20 fights and was the favourite to win the battle and return to the states with the title firmly in his grasp. Curry was considered to be a potential great by many experts. Jones exchanged punches freely with the visitor. Once more disappointment was on the horizon for the Welshman for he was stopped in the 4th round due to a badly cut nose. It was clear that he could not continue to fight with the injury. This was now the end; the Welshman knew this was the finish, his fighting days were over. Jones was an exciting fighter who was really very unlucky not to have won a world title. However, Jones can stand proud he left the sport with a record of 30 fights; winning 26, losing 3 with 1 drawn. Colin Jones was awarded with the MBE in 1983 for his services to boxing.

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