Professional Career
Jackson was developed as an amateur out of the Tacoma Boys club in Tacoma, WA, USA, and turned professional in 1984. He didn't lose in his first 32 fights and captured the vacant WBO light middleweight title in 1988 with a win over Lupe Aquino. He defended the title six times before moving up to middleweight in 1993 to take on WBA middleweight champion Reggie Johnson, winning a close decision
After being stripped of his WBA title in August 1994, Jackson lost in an attempt to regain the belt in December of that year to Jorge Castro via 9th round TKO, in a fight that was named Fight of the Year by Ring Magazine. On the verge of forcing a referee's stoppage against the badly beaten up Castro, Jackson was caught and knocked down by a left hook, then stopped after two further knockdowns. The sudden change in fortunes was one of the greatest turnarounds ever seen in a boxing match.
In 1997 he took on Bernard Hopkins for the IBF middleweight title. In an ugly fight in which Jackson looked a faded fighter, Hopkins won via a 7th round TKO. Jackson took a rematch with Castro in 1998, but again came up short in losing a decision. He retired in 1999.
| Preceded by N/A |
WBO Light Middleweight Champion 8 December 1988 – 30 October 1993 Vacated |
Succeeded by Verno Phillips |
| Preceded by Reggie Johnson |
WBA Middleweight Champion 1 October 1993 – Aug 1994 Stripped |
Succeeded by Jorge Castro |
Read more about this topic: John David Jackson (boxer)
Famous quotes containing the words professional and/or career:
“I sometimes wonder whether, in the still, sleepless hours of the night, the consciences of ... professional gossips do not stalk them. I myself believe in a final reckoning, when we shall be held accountable for our misdeeds. Do they? If so, they have cause to worry over many scoops that brought them a day’s dubious laurels and perhaps destroyed someone’s peace forever.”
—Mary Pickford (1893–1979)
“A black boxer’s career is the perfect metaphor for the career of a black male. Every day is like being in the gym, sparring with impersonal opponents as one faces the rudeness and hostility that a black male must confront in the United States, where he is the object of both fear and fascination.”
—Ishmael Reed (b. 1938)