 Professional Boxing in Mobile
By JOEY WARNER
In the late sixties and early seventies, Jack Tillman dazzled crowds at the Municipal Auditorium and Fort Whiting Armory in Mobile with his tenacious style of boxing. Toughman contests and boxing gyms were scattered throughout Mobile until Tillman and his brother Jerry were instrumental in bringing professional boxing back to Mobile in the mid eighties. Eddie Surrett has done wonders contributing to local boxing as a manager, trainer and promoter and has watched the sport diminish ovber the last 15 years.
Toe to toe boxing has faded although boxing clubs still exist in the Port City. Backyard brawls take place at the Fairgrounds and free style fighting cage matches are organized at the Abba Temple Shriners Auditorium.
Tillman compiled a record or 44-8-1 with 22 knockouts as a welterweight and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the world by Ring Magazine in June 1973. He proved he could go the distance with a 13-4-1 record in 10-round fights and won his only 12-round fight.
In his last fight, Tillman was knocked out in the fourth-round by John H. Stracey (34-3-1) at Royal Albert Hall in London, England on March 26, 1974. Stracey went on to win the WBC Welterweight title.
Gene Tillman, the father of Jack and Jerry, was a famous professional fighter from Mobile that had more than 100 fights and lost only about 20 in the late twenties and early thirties.
In an interview at his home in West Mobile in the early nineties, Tillman said that back then they used six ounce gloves and they did not stop the fights like they do today and a fighter had to be almost dead before the fight was stopped. Tillman remembered a fight when he was cut in the first round and fought for nine rounds before the doctor stopped the fight. Another time, he recalled fighting ten rounds with his ear split wide open.
Tillman mentioned old time local fighters such as Horace Burkell, Johnny Blalock, Buddy Roberts, Gabe Chamberlain, Harry Clark and Spike Webb.
The eldest Tillman was proud of his son Jack and what he did for boxing in Mobile. "Jack would have been a World Champion but he had a small valve leading to his heart that lessened his stamina and started to danger his life so he did right to retire," Gene Tillman said.
Gene Wells (39-13-3 with 18 KOs) ended his career in 1980 when he lost to Tony Licata (60-6-4) of New Orleans by TKO in round 8 in Tampa. In 1976, he was KO'd in round 7 by Licata for the USBA middleweight title in New Orleans. He lost a 10 round decision to Licata for the USBA title in Mobile in 1974.
Jefferson Davis grew up as a tough kid that wandered the streets of Mobile and was not one that would back down from a fight. He was a two-time golden glove champion in Mobile that went on to become a finalist in the Tournament of Champions in Chicago in 1959. He fought Cassius Clay, who became Muhammad Ali, in the light-heavyweight finals of the Golden Gloves tourney on National television. Clay was declared the winner even though many thought Davis won the fight. Clay went on to become arguably the best heavyweight fighter this world has ever seen.
Davis proved to be a fighter that would not quit after compiling a 13-8-1 in 10-round fights. In his last professional fight, Davis lost on a fifth-round to Joe Frazier.
Randall Yonker began his boxing career as a local toughman champion before winning his first pro fight by knockout in Mobile in 1984. He moved to California and knocked out his next four opponents. Yonker continued his tour in Atlantic City, NJ under the direction of Victor Valle, who trained former WBC No. 1 ranked Gerry Cooney (28-3, 25 KOs). Yonker, who was nicknamed "Kid Galahad," was 15-0 until he was knocked out in the second round by Paul Muyodi of Uganda on a Cable television broadcast promoted by Butch Lewis, Joe Frazier and Michael Spinks on March 24, 1990 at the Fairgrounds in Mobile.
On Nov. 30, 1990, Yonker won the NABF Super Middleweight Title when he knocked out Paul Whitaker (26-3)in the fourth round in Mobile. On March 30, 1991, Yonker defended his title when he won a 12-round war over Paul McPeek (22-2) in Mobile. Three months later, he won another title defense in 12-round decision over Troy Darrell (26-2) in Bermuda.
On Nov. 29, 1991, Yonker (23-1) lost his NABF title on a tenth round TKO by Michael Nunn (36-1), who was a multiple world champion, at the Mirage Casino in Las Vegas. He won his next six fights before losing the last four fights of his career.
On June 15, 1992, Yonker won the WBF light heavyweight title on a fifth round KO over Tim Johnson (12-3). In 1994, he was knocked out by Mike MaCallum (45-2-1). He lost a 10-round decision to Ray Berry (10-1) in 1995.
Yonker was knocked out in the third round twice by multiple world champion Montell Griffin (32-1) in 1998 and three months later in 1999.
Kid Galahad ended his career 29-6 with 23 KOs. He is remembered for a viscious left hook to the body and an early round knockout artist with 5 first round and 7 second round knockouts.
Pete Taliaferro ended a fabulous seven year career in 1997 with a 34-8 record with 24 KOs. In 1994, he won the USBA Superfeatherweight Title with a 12-round split decision over Bernard Taylor (45-2-1) in Biloxi. Four months later, he lost the title on a TKO by Arturo Gatti (16-1) in the first round on a Nationally televised bout from the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
In 1995, he lost on a fifth round KO by Regilio Tuur (38-3-1) for the WBO Superfeatherweight Title in New Orleans. In 1996, he lost a 12-round decision to George Scott (28-1) for the WBU lightweight title. In 1997, he lost a 12-round split decision to Philip Holiday (30-0-0) for the IBF lightweight title in South Africa.
Four months later, he lost his last fight by TKO in the ninth round to Ahmed Santos for the vacant IBA welterweight title in Las Vegas.
Jesse James Hughes was known as the "Outlaw" and he was as tough as it gets. Hughes won his last four fights and was on his way to a huge pay day before he died 18 days after winning his second USBA title defense.
At the young age of 29, his body was found in a swamp in South Mobile after becoming a favorite of boxing fans everywhere.
Hughes won the USBA title when he pleased the crowd by knocking down Anthony Stephens (22-6-2) five times on Oct. 26, 1994 in Bossier City.
In April 1995, he defended his title with a 10-round TKO over Adrian Stone (13-0-1) in New Hampshire. On July 7, 1995, Hughes beat Nick Rupa (23-3-1) with a TKO in the seventh round to defend his USBA welterweight title in Bossier City, La.
Earlier in the year, Hughes lost a 10-round decision to Buddy McGirt (60-3-1) and lost a 10-round decision to Maurice Blocker (29-1) in 1989. Hughes ended his career with a 23-8 record with 19 KOs.
Floyd Williams lost his last six fights to fighters with a combined record of 127-15. He won his first 15 professional fights, including 4 first round KOs. Williams ended with a record of 30-15-1 with 19 KOs.
In 1995, he lost a 12-round decision to Dana Rosenblatt (25-0) for the WBC Continental Americas middleweight title in Boston. In 1998, he was KO'd in the third round by Carl Daniels (41-3-0) for the USBA middleweight title in Washington D.C..
Robert Koon (27-9, 11 KOs) lost by TKO in round 11 to Bruno Girard (39-3-2) for the vacant WBA light heavyweight title in France in 2001.
Koon won the NABF light heavyweight title when he knocked out Chris Mills (18-0-0) on Feb. 6, 2000 in Scranton, Penn.
Guy Sumlin (22-9-1 with 10 KOs) was 1-3 in 44 rounds of boxing with Ralph Dupas (88-15-6) of New Orleans. In a 3 month period in 1961, he beat Dupas in 10 rounds in April then lost 12-rounders in June and July of 1961.
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