I remember seeing Young spar with “Smokin'” Joe Frazier at Frazier's North Broad Street Gym in Philadelphia. Even in the gym, Young's talent was evident. He held his own against the former heavyweight champion, displaying a slick defensive style and sharp jab that would later make him one of the toughest opponents in the division.
Young's professional career began with promise before an early setback. He entered his October 1970 fight against Earnie Shavers with a 7-3 record but was stopped by one of boxing's toughest fighters. Instead of letting defeat define his career, Young slowly rebuilt.
In October 1973, Young traveled to England and fought Billy Aird on points before returning four months later to stop future British heavyweight champion Richard Dunn, who would challenge Muhammad Ali for the world title.
Three wins later, Young headed to Venezuela and defeated Jose Luis Garcia, who entered the match with a 28-5-1 record. His breakthrough came later that year when he met Shavers in a rematch. This time, Young scored a perfect score against the feared fighter, proving that he is one of the best fighters in the heavyweight division.
His next fight brought another big win as he knocked out top contender Ron Lyle in Honolulu, handing Lyle the second loss of his career.
Another three wins earned Young the biggest win of his career. In April 1976, he challenged Muhammad Ali to a unified heavyweight championship in Landover, Maryland. Ali retained the title by unanimous decision, but many ringside observers believed Young did enough to win. Nearly fifty years later, this decision remains one of the most controversial of Ali's championship reign.
Young went on to win three more, including another win over Lyle, before facing former heavyweight champion George Foreman on March 17, 1977, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Foreman entered this fight number 1 in the heavyweight division and it was expected that he would get a lot of money again with Ali if he defeated Young. Instead, Young produced one of the best performances of his career.
Battling in oppressive heat and humidity, Young frustrated Foreman with frequent moves, sharp counterattacks, and timely treatment. Foreman had the best success in the seventh round, hurting Young badly with a left hook, but Young survived the attack, recovered, and gradually took control as Foreman tired.
By the championship rounds, Foreman was getting tired. In the 12th and final round, Young landed a well-timed right that knocked Foreman to the canvas for only the third time in his professional career. Young went on to win a unanimous decision in what The Ring magazine later named the 1977 Fight of the Year.
This incident also changed Foreman's life. After the fight, he became seriously ill in the dressing room and later described a profound spiritual awakening that led him to quit boxing a few months later. Foreman became an ordained minister before returning to the ring ten years later and eventually capturing the heavyweight championship at the age of 45.
Young's last chance at another title came two fights later when he faced Ken Norton in a heavyweight title match. Norton escaped with a narrow decision, denying Young another chance to fight for the heavyweight title.
Although Young continued boxing in the 1990s, his career gradually declined. He retired with a record of 35-18-3, a mark that hardly reflected the level of opposition he faced. During one of the strongest periods in heavyweight history, he defeated Ron Lyle twice and George Foreman while giving Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton, and Earnie Shavers some of the toughest fights of their lives.
Sadly, Young's biggest struggle came after boxing. He struggled with drugs and alcohol and spent time in rehab. When I was working security at Valley Forge Hospital near Norristown, Pennsylvania, I saw him there during one of those difficult times. It was a sobering reminder of how quickly life can change for even the best athletes.
Jimmy Young died on February 20, 2005, at the age of 56 after suffering a heart attack. He never became a heavyweight champion, but many boxing historians consider him one of the heavyweight contenders who never won a world title. His performances against Ali, Foreman, Lyle, Norton, and Shavers are a lasting testament to how talented he really was.
