Jerry Quarry
United States
Boxing
B: May 15, 1945
D: January 3, 1999
Member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame
Quarry began his pro career in May, 1965 winning a decision against Gene Hamilton. Quarry became a ranked heavyweight in 1967. In mid-1967, the World Boxing Association had a tournament to replace Muhammad Ali, who had been stripped as champion. Quarry was then named to the eight-man tournament field and defeated Floyd Patterson and Thad Spencer, before a loss in the final to Jimmy Ellis. In 1969, he was given a title shot by Joe Frazier that June for Joe's New York State title. Quarry lost the fight on cuts via seventh-round technical knockout. In 1970, he would fight Muhammad Ali, when the exiled champion returned to boxing in October. The first two rounds were very close, but Quarry again lost due to cuts. In 1972 he fought a rematch with Ali, Quarry again was TKO'd. He had two losses each to Frazier and Ali, one each to Norton, Chuvalo, Ellis and Machen. In November, 1977 he took seven tough rounds from Lorenzo Zanon before a star-studded Las Vegas crowd before catching Zanon to beat him. This time, he retired for five years. In 1983, while researching a magazine article about the health problems of retired boxers, a Sports Illustrated reporter visited Quarry, then 37 and training for a comeback attempt. Though the boxer appeared to be in good health, his performances on several simple cognitive tests were shockingly poor. This was the harbinger for the mental decline that destroyed the last part of his life - dementia pugilistica, the atrophy of the brain from repeated blows to the head, eventually leading to an Alzheimer's-like state. Quarry had a win in 1983 before suffering a tough KO loss which appeared to accelerate his mental decline. He was inactive as a boxer 1984-1992, but continued to decline physically and mentally. His $5 million dollar fortune evaporated and by 1990 Quarry was on social security. Denied a boxing license in most states because of his condition, Quarry found a loophole in Wisconsin for a October, 1992 bout. Quarry, by then 47, had signed up for yet another "comeback" bout at the derisively low prize money of $1,050 and took a ferocious six-round pounding in what proved his last fight. Within a few years, he was unable to feed or dress himself and had to be cared for by relatives. Quarry died in January, 1999. Jerry Quarry was inducted to the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995. His pro record was 53-9-4 with 32 KO's.
SUPERSTARS RECORD
| EVENT |
PLACE |
POINTS |
MONEY |
EVENT WINS |
| 1974 Preliminary 4 |
4 |
28 |
$2,800 |
Bowling, Baseball Hit |
| 1975 Preliminary 2 |
12 |
7 3/4 |
$1,000 |
None |
| TOTALS |
|
35 3/4 |
$3,800 |
2 |
PERSONAL BESTS
| Swimming - 50 Meters | 49.5 |
1975 Preliminary 2 |
| Weight Lifting | 210 |
1974 Preliminary 4 |
| Golf - 9 holes | 50 |
1974 Preliminary 4 |
| Bowling |
191 |
1974 Preliminary 4 |
| Baseball Hit |
17 |
1974 Preliminary 4 |
| Half Mile Run | 2:38.0 |
1975 Preliminary 2 |
| Bike Race - 1/2 Mile | 1:22.10 |
1975 Preliminary 2 |
| Points Scored |
28 |
1974 Preliminary 4 |