Be very very proud of your grandpa brother know you are its fight history and legacy jerry was a tough man a nice man. And a great man. And you can't ask for more. Take care buddy
That's so cool to hear friend of my grandfathers get this!!!! Had his picture taken with Jerry at of all places Woodstock LOL said the same thing said what a guy..;
It's always possible we, the general public and fans, we don't truly know what someone is like by the media presentations but what you're saying does square with his public presentations where he was always such a good-natured friendly 'everyman'. So that's good to hear.
I grew up up in the 1960s and 70s in South Central Los Angeles in an Irish-American family. My father taught me to fight in order to survive the streets. We watched Quarry on the old Zenith black and white TV. He meant the world to us, and let us know that we had a chance of surviving that neighborhood. He was our bludgeoned king. May God have mercy on his immortal soul, and let perpetual light shine upon him. Thanks for making this great tribute.
A brief aside about Jerry Quarry: Elivis Pressley was performing at the Hyatt Hotel in Las Vegas in 1970. He was in the middle of a song and the crowd was in full voice. Suddenly Elvis stopped singing and the crowd was dumbfounded. Elvis's attention had been distracted by the presence of a person in the crowd, That person was Jerry Quarry. Elvis stopped his performance and declared to the audience: "Ladies and Gentlemen we are in the presence of greatness." With that, he pointed to the person in the crowd and summoned him up to the stage. That person was Jerry Quarry. Needless to say, Elvis was a huge fan of Jerry Quarry.
They were VERY good friends according to my grandma. ( Kathleen ) Jerry quarry is my grandpa. She always tells stories of her and my grandfather and Elvis Presley at dinner or parties together. ❤️🤟🏻
Quarry's tragedy is that he was a blown-up Light-Heavy always fighting all the legit Heavy Greats of his era, who consistently outweighed him by 20-25 lbs or more. Class act all the way!
Quarry vs Shavers is my favorite fight ever, it’s a fight that really shows styles makes fights, a brawler vs a counter puncher, and the brawler won through and through R.I.P. Earnie Shavers and Jerry Quarry. ❤
Win or lose- Jerry left it all in the ring. He always came to fight- and his fights were always exciting. This is an excellent and well deserved documentary. R.I.P.
Jerry was frustrating to be a fan of due to his erratic win and loss history. I was so disappointed when he lost to Jimmy Ellis. The Chuvalo fight was a setup by the mob or someone powerful enough to make Jerry lose the fight to a guy he pummeled all night long. The narrator says Jerry was hit by a perfect left hook. It looked shady to me... with boxing we can never tell if it's legit or not. I used to be a boxing fan in the early 60's till Lennix Lewis became the champion. There are so many belts now, Jerry would have won a couple of the new belts if he stayed around another five-eight years...
I grew up with Mike and Jerry Quarry. Mike and I were best of friends. Watching this documentary and reading the comments made me feel so proud. These two guys were hard workers and trained hard every day. But another thing most people don't know is the entire Quarry family were good, God fearing people. Jerry was always bigger and heavier than Mike. Yeah, these two were definitely all heart warriors. RIP
yep spot on shavers was a beast and jerry nailed him sadly he never got the top spot which he really deserved. bad luck . bad timing . gao only knows but now we all get to see a real fighter in the ring . u tube boxers need to watch this doc for the truth in the ring and out masive respect to jerry
He took so much punishment to his head but still ploughed on win or lose. He was a warrior but you know wincing it just didn't feel right. These refs should have stopped fights much sooner too.
Its astonishing to see how intimate, humble and well-mannered the interactions were between two HW challengers, such sportsmanship, the calm and friendly way they speak about themselves and each other. That world is really long gone.
@@DGill48 I am not sure about that. He was infamously funny and witty and quipping one-liners all the time, but he was never vulgar nor aggressive and his percieved arrogance was obviously an ironic act. I think its was the atmosphere in society as a whole that made certain things fly in the media and on live TV in the 80s. People were still mean and nasty in the 50s, but NOBODY would let that air or print.
@@f4ust85 Some truth in that. But again, Ali had lots of help. And as we saw this "ironic act" for what it was, it was hard to do so when you were the target. Look how bitter Joe Fraiser (the gorilla from Manila) was in retirement.
To dismantle Ron Lyles and Ernie Shavers was an incredible feat in itself and put up one helluva fight against Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry was an Original Iron Man. RIP Legend.
You are SO right. Beating Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers were no small feats. Those guys were terrors. Beating one of them would have been a huge accomplishment. But both? That's something you can never take away from Jerry Quarry.
Your reply sums up my takeaway after watching this video to the end. I had no idea he was as good as he was. He only lost to the world champions, the best of the best of that era. Beating Lyle, and especially Shavers was shocking to me because I didn't know that about Quarry. After watching this video I fully understand, now, why Sylvester Stallone patterned his Rocky character after him.
Tough kid yes. Iron Man No. He was ko'd by Chuvalo and almost ko'd by Joe Alexander. BTW Eddiie Machen had lost to Sonny Liston, Ingemar Johansson, Floyd Patterson, Zora Folley, Mildenberger and was in a downward spiral when he beat Quarry.
I knew Earnie Shavers from the gyms in the Akron Canton area and had an opportunity to spar with him once. Even just fooling around arm punching with an open glove when he hit you you got that sinking feeling. Earnie was a great guy everyone liked him who knew him. RIP
Jerry's father left Ireland to make a better life for himself and his family. He walked straight into a California of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. His son Jerry grew up fighting all day every day, while his father travelled the railways and fought in the county fairs for money. What many people don't realize is that Jerry was a light heavyweight fighting against men who were 15 - 20 pounds heavier than he was. He was a light heavy fighting heavyweights. And one more thing, no one has ever achieved what Jerry Quarry has - knocking out every opponent on his way to a Golden Gloves gold medal.
193 lbs was not a "Light Heavyweight".He outweighed Floyd Patterson by 1lb. The heavyweight division started at 175 lbs. The same could be said for a lot of guys who fought back then like Jimmy Ellis, Thad Spencer, Floyd Patterson, Tony alongi, etc...
@@jp3923 I myself saw both of those fights, albeit a few hours delay, back in mid-sixties and I thought Patterson won one of them and the other one really could have gone either way. I can't remember which one was which. But they had a different scoring system back then, I think it had to do with rounds won, like 5 to 4 with one round even, etc. as opposed to 10-9 rounds.
this needs to be shown to all the new boxing fans this anit no joke sport no matter how much you get payed is it worth all this madness and hype great doc
@@thinkofitthisway7804 Likewise, thank you. And I did check out the book "Hard Luck", had some correspondence with the author a few years ago. A great read.
@@RichtheFightHistorian Quarry's chin was made out of something special,that infamous Frazier left hook which almost took Quarry's head off i have no clue how he was still standing.
Today he would be cruiserweight, a very good cruiserweight. His biggest thing against him was his size. He was about 6 foot and 190-195lbs in weigh ins, too small for 70s hw boxer. So today he would be FAR too small for hw boxer. Thats why they invented cruiserweight/jr heavyweight division, for guys who are too small for hw division but too big to fight as light hw.
@@melvinsims5379 That is a good point , dudes nowadays are , plain and simple , just bigger ; but let's say cruiserweight.... Is there any doubt in your mind Melvin , that he would be a CHAMPION ?
@@JamesJackson-xd7jq If you are asking if cruiserweight division would have been invented in his time and he would have competed in that division, could he have become a champ? Yes, i think he would have become a champion and dominant fighter in that division. And i hate to say this and this is allmost completely hindsight, but maybe just maybe he would have lived a bit longer too. I know he boxed from six years old or sumthin and alot of damage is done in sparring but that dont change the fact that he competed in a division where 8/10 fighters were 25-35 lbs heavier than him. He competed against some strong hitters. I dont think that too many people under 200 lbs had his left hook and his chin, i dont think too many 190 lbs people could be as competitive as he was in hw division. I think he could be champion in todays cruiserweight division also.
The Quarry family was a rough but nice family he boxed too long and over the years I watch his diminish take over it broke my heart to see it happen I'm grateful I had a few beers with him in his bar in Norwalk Ca. I sparred with Mike at Sea-SIde Gym in Long Beach Ca.
For anyone interested in the career of Jerry Quarry, I recommend the book "Hard Luck". It is a story about the life and times of Jerry. For boxing fans you simply cannot put it down.
You beat me to it! Yeah, most definitely a great book. I read it a long time ago, but I still remember just how damned good it was! One thing I recall reading--Jerry talking about his life outside the ring & the occasional run it he'd have with some wannabe tough guy on the street, usually a guy who had a couple of drinks in him & started to believe he could fight. Jerry said he never hit a guy like that in the head--rather he'd just deliver one good gut shot, & the guy would collapse to the ground every time. I just remember thinking how damned stupid somebody would have to be to pick a fight with a guy like Jerry Quarry out on the street. He's one of the toughest SOB's to ever come out of the great state of California. It was really hard to read in the book about how his life ended, but it was the life he, as a man, chose to live. Another great video!!
@@aitutaki50 ...................Jerry Quarry, the boxer:……. So, I’m 16 years old an I’m working at Clark Center bowling alley, Bellflower, Clark st @ Alondra, I took a job as a busboy / dish washer / janitor, an the ONLY reason I took the job was because employee’s could play pool for FREE, ANYTIME, night or day, an this was about the time the movie “ The Hustler” , with Paul Newman & Jackie Gleason came out, …….EVERYBODY, including ME, wanted to live the life of a pool hustler. It was like a whole nother, underground world, you could pick up a money game just about any time , day or night, at just about ANY other bowling alley, they had several “pool halls” where ya had to know the secret “handshake” to get into the rotation for the REAL money games, and, I WAS fairly good at it, kinda like golf was for me when I was older, anyways I won money and lost money, but the excitement of it all was something else , it was intoxicating to say the least…………………ANYWAYS, Jerry Quarry the boxer, AKA, “ The Bellflower Bomber” & his brother use to bowl in a league an when they weren’t bowling they were in the pool hall. One Friday night, some big mouth, big ass drunk came swaggering in the front door an proceeds to walk up & down the lanes talking big shit like “ where is that punkass Quarry at ?,…I’m gonna kick his ass, that S O B ain’t gonna know what hit him , “ an blah, blah, blah, I mean EVERYBODY in the place, including in the bar, could hear him hollering an carrying on. So the night manager was a little bitty guy, name was Bobby, he was actually the in house teaching pro, the guy was MAYBE all of 5 ft tall, I know he didn’t weigh 100 lbs., BUT, being as he WAS the night manager it fell on HIM to get the drunk guy, who BTW was all of maybe 6’4 inches or more, probably weighed 250 -280 lbs., BIG , burly, ugly sumbich ! …..so Bobby is trying to reason with this guy, trying to get him to leave an all of a sudden, outta nowhere this prick start’s beating the living shit outta Bobby, I mean I REALLY thought he was gonna kill him ! for real !.........so there I am, 16 year old punkass kid, an I’m WAITING for one of the “grownup’s “ or a couple of them to bum rush the guy an get him off of Bobby, In the mean time, Bobby is laying on the floor while this big prick is kicking him in the ribs & head an I KNOW Bobby is about to die !!!....so, about now I can see that NOBODY is gonna jump in an help little Bobby, so I go into the pool hall, I grab the biggest, fattest pool cue stick in the rack, I go running back out to where this bastard is STILL kicking the shit outta Bobby, I run up on him from behind an I hit this sumbich over the back of his head neck & shoulder’s, I mean I REALLY laid into him, well the prick turns around, grabbing his head, look’s at me EYE to EYE an say’s “ I’m gonna kill you, you little bastard !!, an I KNOW , I could TELL, he WAS gonna kill me IF he caught me !!..........so I make a bee line to the nearest exit to the parking lot, by now I know SOMEBODY has called the cops so all I gotta do is keep away from him till they get here !! an I could NOT believe how quickly this big oaf could move, I’m running in between cars in the parking lot an this sumbich IS gonna catch me !....so I start running across the hoods & up on the roof’s of cars all the while praying the cop’s are gonna get there , QUICKLY !!........FINALLY after what seemed like an hour of this bastard chasing me I hear the cop cars coming, about 5 of them come rolling up, light’s & sirens going , there’s a helicopter circling the whole bowling center with the big spotlight going, an I’m hollering “ over here !! over here , get this guy !!!!!...........about now people are running out into the parking lot, an it took like 4 or 5 cops to get this big oaf handcuffed & under control, I’m STILL standing on top of a car when they start taking him to place him in the back seat of a cop car, by now THIS guy is covered with HIS blood from where I got him with that pool cue, an I KNOW there’s NO WAY this guy is going ANYWHERE but the Lakewood Sheriff’s jail, so as they’re leading him away, I run up on him an start telling him “ you fukinprick, you’re damn lucky the cop’s got here when they did, I was getting to ready to beat your sorry ass to a pulp, you chickenshit m f’er ………” about now they’re rolling Bobby out on a stretcher taking him to the hospital, OR MAYBE the morgue ! I REALLY didn’t know which. As it ended up, Bobby was in the hospital for almost a month, I was NOW a “hero” of the Clark Center Bowling Alley, I had grownup’s, people I didn’t even KNOW, walking up to me, shaking my hand an thanking me for doing SOMETHING when NOBODY else would, I had I don’t know HOW many grownup Men told me “if you were old enough, I’d buy you a drink or two, a couple of them even tried to give me money, they ALL knew I was the dish washer & clean up boy , I mean it got to the point I was actually embarrassed by it all. I didn’t have the heart to tell ANYBODY that I had actually pissed my pant’s while I was running across the roof tops of the cars in the parking lot, and YES it IS possible to take a piss at a FULL RUN ! ..................Denny Scales
@@dennyscales Hi Denny...the entire time reading your great story, I kept waiting for you to talk about how Jerry & his brother rushed in to save the day---alas, they never did! Still, just goes to show you how powerful a gut shot from Jerry Quarry was--because you broke a pool cue over this guy's skull & he just kept coming at you...whereas, just one properly placed liver shot delivered by Quarry would most definitely have instantly incapacitated him...nonetheless, you certainly were one bad ass teenager to do what you did--&, you're a damned good writer too! I'm an Irishman from Philadelphia--so, I love to tell good story, plus I love to fight, & have a pint on occasion 😄
Yeah, Quarry actually does the best Ali imitation I've ever seen, much better than professional comedians. Let that be a lesson; people often have talents you'd never think they have...
Billy Crystal cheated on his wife in the 1980's and 1990's. Billy Crystal is not a very good person. And for actor's to talk at a Boxer's funeral ⚱️ is wrong. The only people that should have been talking is Family and maybe some boxers that are alive to talk about boxing/fighting Ali. But, most importantly family.
Jerry fought when heavyweight boxing was at its prime he did a great job such a brave fighter anyone who can KO shavers beat Ron Lyle and give Kenny Norton Joe Frazier and the Greatest Ali a good fight is truly a great boxer RIP Jerry
A lie. What era will Quarry be champ in? He's not gonna beat Dempsey, not gonna beat Louis, not gonna beat Marciano, not gonna beat Patterson or Liston or Ali or Frazier or Foreman or Holmes or Tyson or anybody. So what era?
@@mikewhitney8615 he was a cruiser weight in an era that was not there as for the names you mentioned he would have beaten Holmes he fought better talent than him. Riddick Bowe admire him he told me he wanted to fight Holmes but he ducked him he always picked his opponents. Marciano would have been I say a technical draw they would have had to stop the fight after 5 rounds . Remember he beat everyone that was the number 1 contender and never got a title shot. Foreman ducked him after he beat Shavers and that's how Ali got his title back in Zarie. By fate Quarry had the style to beat Foreman like Jimmy Young. Hank Kaplan predicted that had he fought Foreman he would have won even years later Foreman has admitted it.
I wasn't looking at the screen when that moment came on, and I literally thought Ali was speaking and was utterly shocked to see it coming from Quarry lol Incredible impression.
Jerry's longtime trainer and manager was my 2nd cousin - Johnny Flores, seen through out the early parts of this great video was someone who loved him like a son trying to shield him from himself and the pitfalls outside of the ring.
Wow. Jerry Quarry's Ali impersonation was absolutely perfect! He might not have been a singer or an actor, but I guess he was a comedian! He completely nailed it.
He was mostly Irish but also part Dutch and his mother was part Native American. He was a very, very good fighter in an era of great ones. Like Marciano before him, Jerry would have been Cruiserweight champ for a decade had the division existed in his time. He was one tough guy.
I saw Quarry fight on live TV a number of times. His biggest problem was that he was simply too small. Heavyweights of that era had grown too big for men like Jerry Quarry. Quarry's bravery was also too great for his own good. It led to him taking terrible beatings. The greatest irony was that the Cruiserweight class, which would have been great for Jerry, was not created until it was too late for him. Jerry Quarry was a brave and talented fighter, and he was, by all accounts, a good person as well. Jerry's brother, Mike Quarry, was also a boxer, and he suffered a similar end to his brother. Very sad.
Jerry was one of these people that couldn't be made to lay down, it must have been frightening to fight quarry because you never knew who was going to show up on the night? ,The Jerry that beat shavers ? One thing that was sure you could expect a battle one way or another ,what a tough man
Damn it, Jerry didn't do it willingly, you make him seem like he was an idiot. He was simply a fighter! That's what fighting is and that is going in and fighting, not going in willingly to take punishment. If, Bottom line, if there were no Refs, nobody to interfere, in a bar, he would, or maybe could, probably beat those guys who beat him in the ring, including Ali. Except maybe for Earnie Shavers or Joe Frazier! Truth is, Foreman could beat 'em all in a bar fight!
@@MyMy-zi7yv The name of the sport is 'boxing' and the idea is to hit while getting hit as little as possible. Jerry was too easy to hit and when you consider the list of legends he faced, it's no surprise that he ended up paying the terrible price that he did.
Jerry was real good, could have been a contender in any era. His destiny was to be one of the best, but not THE best.But lots of thrills and surprises in the decade he contended.
He was also a natural light-heavyweight, not heavyweight. He had immense talent, but he didn't have the punching power to take out the bigger fighters with single shots. He had to literally beat the snot out of someone to stop them. If he had more power, or if he were larger..... the boxers of the era say Jerry was the guy with the most talent to never win a championship. Ernie Shavers got knocked out by Jerry, and he and many others regard Jerry in high degree.
@@Guide1089 That's right Darell, and he actually handled really big guys comparatively easy , like Buster Mathis, Ron Lyle , Mac Foster and Earning Shavers. But against guys like Jimmy Ellis , Ali and Frazier , Jerry was up against fighters with comparable hand speed and movement and he wasn't successful. Styles make fights!
@@paulmackiewicz9836 He fought Ellis with a broken back. Training injury apparently. Didn't pull out of the bout for reason of the desperate need of the money,apparently.
@@johnreyes1749 jerry would kick a lot of ass if he box like his brother Mike I think. I loved brother Jerry quarry now and for ever my favorite fight of all time. Except Ali.Gray Power Hughie Gray Marty Gray Freddy Gray.The Gray Boys.Watch Out.
Jerry Quarry had an incredible heart and was brave enough for two guys. Unfortunately, he took some of the worst beatings I have ever seen. I was in The Garden the night that he fought Ken Norton and the beating he absorbed was heartbreaking.
Jerry was a great combination puncher who seems more appreciated today than when he was fighting. This is a great documentary of a true warrior. Thanks. I loved it.
@@perkinsvalentine yes but you have movies about Ali , hurricane Carter and several others those movies are a bit different and not only about Boxing so there is truth in that, As long if its about the great sport of boxing im in . Black or White doesn't matter to me. But i get where you coming from. They could have make great movies of black fighters with similar story's. And they should there are some great fighters of the past like Ezzard Charles, ore jersey joe, jack Johnson , Henry Armstrong whom also deserve a movie! Greetings from the Netherlands
@@loveboxinglucky1716 Greetings boxing fan. I respect the struggles of a fighter like James Braddock (Cinderella Man) yet Hollywood neglected to mention that Louis had to sign away 10% of his championship purses to Cinderella in order to get that fight. Braddock's future was secure as was Schmelling's (by Cocoa Cola). Louis got stuck in a 75% tax bracket while receiving no credit for his "war bonds" fights. And the rest is history, not fairy tales. That's just a peek, Jack Johnson's story is the real story of American society.
@@perkinsvalentine hello Nice to meet another Boxing fan!! yes its indeed a damn shame how they treated the great Joe Louis especially the IRS and the Nation hé stood for and helped in terrible WW2. I think America got byond a shadow of doubt the greatest and richest Boxing history of the world!! But its true black fighters didn't get a chance that often to fight for a belt. And i dont want to take anything away from James Braddock hé fought hard for everything in hard hard times and you cant but nothing then respect a man for that !! but there were probaply some amazing black fighters that Braddock would not beat but they simply didn't get the chance because it did not fit in so called White America And that's a shame only if you where undeniable good like Sugar Ray Robinson and others they couldnt deny you. And i admire great old school fighters some of whom mentioned in my previous comment. Fighters of this era got nothing on those Guys .. for example Harry Grebb a White fighter whom went 43 and 0 if my memory is correct in one year those are mostly hard fought 10 rounders about every ten days , and 15 Guys where previous champions that's unbelievable or the Old Mongoolse Archie Moore with over 140 Knock outs!! Only the Knock outs that's unimaginable The list goes on and one! They dont make em like that anymore. those tremendous fighters were made of pure steel forged out of pure hardships and great Just great Heart !! Excuse my english Greetings👍
@@davidyu3533 yes Ali. But I’m sure although Ali took a lot of big shots in his career, he didn’t take as many as quarry and keep coming forward. Quarry fought like taking big shots didn’t mean a thing to him. He wasn’t good at avoiding shots he just didn’t bother avoiding them. I’m not sure but I don’t think he was ever knocked out just stopped by Ali and cuts.
Jesus Christ. Incredible video, some fantastic long lost footage here. What was really amazing for me, was the respect, post fight Quarry and Patterson exhibited to one another. No shouting, screeching or carrying on. Just pure professionalism. You still see it here and there, but it seemed to be the norm back then. Quarry was unlucky not to claim a belt back then, and would almost certainly be a cruiserweight champion today IMO. Great video this and thanks again.
I think that it is powerful and it makes you choke up how this man was at the end of his life and his mental state was that bad and yet he is asked if he has any regrets ? He responds "If I could do it all over again, I would have". A true legend
43:48 No joke, that might be the best Muhammad Ali impression I've ever heard. I don't think I've heard a comedian nail the voice like that. Really something!
What a warrior... Quarry would be champ today imo. He came along when the heavyweight division was loaded, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton... Also Shavers, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Young n more real good fighters. I think he'd without a doubt be champ today. Rip to a great warrior..
no question one of the best ALI impressions I ever heard. particularly for a non-comic. he rocked a lot of noggins too, also. but just not enough defense for himself. not enough blocking punches, and just having his hands up. yes, he fought too long, but thru out boxing there has always been a cavalier attitude toward defense. ''hit and not get hit''.
He'll always be a hero to me, and one of my very favorites. He did live life like a LION, and never backed down from a fight with anybody, and he fought EVERYBODY in the golden age of heavyweight boxing. God rest his soul. It's so sad how the end of his life turned out, but he withstood so much punishment but took it all !! RIP JERRY !!!
I do see Jerry's story as a cautionary tale. Not against boxing, but against fighters staying in boxing longer than they should. Jerry should have stayed retired after the Norton fight. Pushing it a little, the Zanon fight should definitely have been his last. Jerry's desire for money and glory cost him dearly. It's a shame. I think he would have made a great commentator and trainer, similar to Teddy Atlas and the late Emmanuel Stewart.
Great work sir. Mike and Bobby also ended up getting Dementia Pugilistica. I was horrified reading how Jerry was always the quick witted smart aleck fun guy, and then reading about that awful fight in CO, where I now live, and his death, after his mother had been taking care of him.
A great tribute to a hard luck warrior. It's a video that can inspire boxing or serve to show the damage from boxing. That's why I love this channel. You get to understand boxing from the lives lived by those who answer to it's calling and the price that is paid. Thanks for sharing!
Well put together, thanks. Enjoyable, informative and in the end...tragic. gerry clearly was funny, and not unintelligent at all. He had a real roller coaster career of ups and downs and its a shame he had to check out so early without his mental faculties. That win against Ron Lyle is really something...look at what Ron did to Foreman...
When I was kid, I was born in 62, he was always the white guy getting thrashed by some black guy. I felt sorry for him, but I admired that he kept getting in the ring with guys who were always bigger and faster. Geez, he was a nice looking kid (he wasn't by the time I saw him). He should have gone in the movies.
Well that was an unexpected journey to witness. I'm 44 and had no idea that quarry was a very very good fighter in the toughest most talent filled era of heavyweight boxing. He deserves recognition as one of the best to have done it. To hold his own like he did with the monsters he fought and beat... I hope he enjoyed his life before his light diminished and faded on him. God bless RIP
I remember before the Lorenzo Zanon fight, Quarry was doing well as a commentator for CBS. Quarry was articulate and provided excellent analysis of the fights. I'm sure he would've done well had he stayed behind the mike.
Imagine if Quarry had worked with Gil Clancy earlier?! Just looked at those bouts with Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers. Text book counter punching under Clancy’s tutelage.
Dude should’ve been fighting in a lower division and would’ve been a champ IMO he was still great. Amazing heart and class. He fought a who’s who list! Incredible. Sad how it all turned out in the end. I’m surprised there’s not a well known movie drama that deals with the brutal reality of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to show what can lie beyond the glory at the end of the road. Also he fought in a phone booth didn’t he just relentless
Great counter puncher. Hurt everybody he fought win or loose. He had great technique hit pretty hard for a light heavyweight was subject to cuts very easily. Very entertaining fighter Rich Staples
The British reporter ridiculously asked Jerry after the fight if there was any particular aspect of Bodell's style he found awkward. Jerry's reply was ''Well, he fell awkwardly...''
Really enjoyed this,well crafted put together, so much I didn't know. He was fearless to take on those big punches, walking right up to them and trading, true warrior. Thanks so much for an excellent video, I learned so much about the sport I love and Jerry deserved to be remembered like this.
That's the truth I meet Riddick Bowe and he told me he admire him. He was just to small for the heavyweight division and to big for the light heavyweight the cruiser weight did not come until the late 70's I think it was 1978 but still a real warrior
@@MyMy-zi7yv not so fast if he knew he would clean up and make it his own more people would go and see him than anyone else Sometimes fighters from other divisions can draw huge crowds more than the heavyweights.
Jerry quarry is my Grandpa on my moms side. I love seeing videos like this. Thank you ❤️
A pleasure to hear from you. Your grandfather was a helluva man.
Be very very proud of your grandpa brother know you are its fight history and legacy jerry was a tough man a nice man. And a great man. And you can't ask for more. Take care buddy
Reading book hard luck 5th time and I'm intrigued. Is your grandma kathy
He sounded just like Ali.
@@ilovetomorrow have you been hit in the head too many times? Because nobody sounds like Ali, especially an Irish white man.
I used to train a horse for Jerry and he ALWAYS treated me as a friend.....what an awesome guy he was
That's so cool to hear friend of my grandfathers get this!!!! Had his picture taken with Jerry at of all places Woodstock LOL said the same thing said what a guy..;
@@toddfeehley4810 Are you related to Jerry Quarry? If so, I am honoured to speak with you.
It's always possible we, the general public and fans, we don't truly know what someone is like by the media presentations but what you're saying does square with his public presentations where he was always such a good-natured friendly 'everyman'. So that's good to hear.
I rember him from 70s 80s as he was Irish
@@jimmymalone9139 No he wasn't, he was American. Never been to Ireland in his life.
I grew up up in the 1960s and 70s in South Central Los Angeles in an Irish-American family. My father taught me to fight in order to survive the streets. We watched Quarry on the old Zenith black and white TV. He meant the world to us, and let us know that we had a chance of surviving that neighborhood. He was our bludgeoned king. May God have mercy on his immortal soul, and let perpetual light shine upon him. Thanks for making this great tribute.
A brief aside about Jerry Quarry: Elivis Pressley was performing at the Hyatt Hotel in Las Vegas in 1970. He was in the middle of a song and the crowd was in full voice. Suddenly Elvis stopped singing and the crowd was dumbfounded. Elvis's attention had been distracted by the presence of a person in the crowd, That person was Jerry Quarry. Elvis stopped his performance and declared to the audience: "Ladies and Gentlemen we are in the presence of greatness." With that, he pointed to the person in the crowd and summoned him up to the stage. That person was Jerry Quarry. Needless to say, Elvis was a huge fan of Jerry Quarry.
i forgot all about him till i seen this doc man this guy was up there with the best of the best and IRISH
Great story about Elvis...I had not heard that but am glad that it happened
@@jerryashlock5519 AMEN I never heard that either but it sounds like it probably did. This was my favorite doc this fellow done an amazing job
Elvis was a good dude as well. A boxing fan. He had a special robe made for Ali in the early 70s.
They were VERY good friends according to my grandma. ( Kathleen ) Jerry quarry is my grandpa. She always tells stories of her and my grandfather and Elvis Presley at dinner or parties together. ❤️🤟🏻
He may not have been a world champion but he sure had the heart of one.
You got that right. One of the most indomitable spirits ever!
He had to much heart.
Yeah. He kept it in a jar in his closet!
I noticed that both Ali and Foreman rated Jerry's power very highly
Damn-Straight
One of the best fighter documentaries I have ever watched. Superb Sir.
Thanks so much, Mr T
Quarry's tragedy is that he was a blown-up Light-Heavy always fighting all the legit Heavy Greats of his era, who consistently outweighed him by 20-25 lbs or more. Class act all the way!
Except for Ellis and the 1st Frazier fight,only a few pounds difference but still lost to the greats
His problem was the era he fought in !
he knew the deal and took the chance
@@SuperTruthful Yes, he absolutely did. It's what made him a genuine tough guy.
@@SuperTruthful wow. Great analysis. Real in depth. SMH fucking dope
I went to high school with his brother Mike. I had meet Jerry at his birthday. Jerry & mike were real partyers.
Quarry vs Shavers is my favorite fight ever, it’s a fight that really shows styles makes fights, a brawler vs a counter puncher, and the brawler won through and through R.I.P. Earnie Shavers and Jerry Quarry. ❤
Jerry quarry, one of the toughest men who ever strapped on the leathers!
No better accolade for a man no better ambition for a tough courageous young boy than to prove himself in the ring.
Win or lose- Jerry left it all in the ring. He always came to fight- and his fights were always exciting. This is an excellent and well deserved documentary. R.I.P.
Jerry was frustrating to be a fan of due to his erratic win and loss history. I was so disappointed when he lost to Jimmy Ellis. The Chuvalo fight was a setup by the mob or someone powerful enough to make Jerry lose the fight to a guy he pummeled all night long. The narrator says Jerry was hit by a perfect left hook. It looked shady to me... with boxing we can never tell if it's legit or not. I used to be a boxing fan in the early 60's till Lennix Lewis became the champion. There are so many belts now, Jerry would have won a couple of the new belts if he stayed around another five-eight years...
I grew up with Mike and Jerry Quarry. Mike and I were best of friends. Watching this documentary and reading the comments made me feel so proud. These two guys were hard workers and trained hard every day. But another thing most people don't know is the entire Quarry family were good, God fearing people. Jerry was always bigger and heavier than Mike. Yeah, these two were definitely all heart warriors. RIP
You don't beat Lyle and Shavers by luck , Jerry was very underestimated
yep spot on shavers was a beast and jerry nailed him sadly he never got the top spot which he really deserved. bad luck . bad timing . gao only knows but now we all get to see a real fighter in the ring . u tube boxers need to watch this doc for the truth in the ring and out masive respect to jerry
I think Tex Cobb beat Shavers too and I just watched his profile video a few day's ago that man was a true prize fighter.
He took so much punishment to his head but still ploughed on win or lose. He was a warrior but you know wincing it just didn't feel right. These refs should have stopped fights much sooner too.
Toughest chin in boxing and he held up against many of the greatest. They didnt beat him quick. They just beat him. Great brawler
@Iceman 23 So was Quarry.
Jerry Quarry was one of the best that ever stepped into the ring! Make no mistakes about it.
Jerry was a great fighter. Unfortunately, he was around during one of the greatest times in heavyweight history.
Correction: THEE greatest time in heavyweight history.
AMEN so true. I never missed a fight back then.
Its astonishing to see how intimate, humble and well-mannered the interactions were between two HW challengers, such sportsmanship, the calm and friendly way they speak about themselves and each other. That world is really long gone.
Very true.
Although Ali is remembered for "sportsmanship" , more that anyone else, he changed boxing into the in-your-face, taunting hustle that it is today.
@@DGill48 I am not sure about that. He was infamously funny and witty and quipping one-liners all the time, but he was never vulgar nor aggressive and his percieved arrogance was obviously an ironic act. I think its was the atmosphere in society as a whole that made certain things fly in the media and on live TV in the 80s. People were still mean and nasty in the 50s, but NOBODY would let that air or print.
@@f4ust85 Some truth in that. But again, Ali had lots of help. And as we saw this "ironic act" for what it was, it was hard to do so when you were the target. Look how bitter Joe Fraiser (the gorilla from Manila) was in retirement.
Heavyweights are generally the most gentle and friendly of all boxers. It's still the same today, altho they're less mannered now.
To dismantle Ron Lyles and Ernie Shavers was an incredible feat in itself and put up one helluva fight against Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry was an Original Iron Man. RIP Legend.
Yeah the third round jerry threw punches the entire round,nonstop....norton later said the hardest punches he landed in his career were against quarry
You are SO right. Beating Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers were no small feats. Those guys were terrors. Beating one of them would have been a huge accomplishment. But both? That's something you can never take away from Jerry Quarry.
Your reply sums up my takeaway after watching this video to the end. I had no idea he was as good as he was. He only lost to the world champions, the best of the best of that era. Beating Lyle, and especially Shavers was shocking to me because I didn't know that about Quarry. After watching this video I fully understand, now, why Sylvester Stallone patterned his Rocky character after him.
Tough kid yes. Iron Man No. He was ko'd by Chuvalo and almost ko'd by Joe Alexander. BTW Eddiie Machen had lost to Sonny Liston, Ingemar Johansson, Floyd Patterson, Zora Folley, Mildenberger and was in a downward spiral when he beat Quarry.
@@josephshields2922 That's your opinion and this is mine, have a good Day Sir.
I knew Earnie Shavers from the gyms in the Akron Canton area and had an opportunity to spar with him once. Even just fooling around arm punching with an open glove when he hit you you got that sinking feeling. Earnie was a great guy everyone liked him who knew him. RIP
Jerry quarry was a great fighter he won some lost some but he couldn’t be intimidated and & back down the best RIP You will never be forgotten
Jerry's father left Ireland to make a better life for himself and his family. He walked straight into a California of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. His son Jerry grew up fighting all day every day, while his father travelled the railways and fought in the county fairs for money. What many people don't realize is that Jerry was a light heavyweight fighting against men who were 15 - 20 pounds heavier than he was. He was a light heavy fighting heavyweights. And one more thing, no one has ever achieved what Jerry Quarry has - knocking out every opponent on his way to a Golden Gloves gold medal.
He was known as the Irish punching bag
@@littlebud9999 I see we have a clown yea the same clown making another derogatory slap at Jerry. We know what you are its typical.
193 lbs was not a "Light Heavyweight".He outweighed Floyd Patterson by 1lb. The heavyweight division started at 175 lbs. The same could be said for a lot of guys who fought back then like Jimmy Ellis, Thad Spencer, Floyd Patterson, Tony alongi, etc...
His dad was American. His grandparents I think were Irish.
CTE is finally being seriously studied....so sad that Jerry and his brother suffered terribly from it...
If Floyd isn't the epitome of class, maaan, I don't know what to say!!!!! What a MAN HE WAS!!!!!!!
Yes, Floyd was. I really liked Jerry, but I thought Floyd won the fight.
@@jp3923 I myself saw both of those fights, albeit a few hours delay, back in mid-sixties and I thought Patterson won one of them and the other one really could have gone either way. I can't remember which one was which. But they had a different scoring system back then, I think it had to do with rounds won, like 5 to 4 with one round even, etc. as opposed to 10-9 rounds.
Floyd Patterson was a class act.
@@thinkofitthisway7804 Big Time
@@thinkofitthisway7804 I agree. Floyd was an extraordinary individual. We lost him too soon!
Frazier is my favorite boxer of all time. Their 1st fight was amazing. Two gladiators going at it. It’s a shame the fight was stopped.
this needs to be shown to all the new boxing fans this anit no joke sport no matter how much you get payed is it worth all this madness and hype great doc
That was amazing 👍 well done. Sad ending to his life but what a life and career he had he went toe to toe with all time greats . what a warrior.
A warrior he was. Thanks for watching.
@@RichtheFightHistorian You are a good and honest man Rich. Jerry Quarry was a great fighter as you correctly point out.
@@thinkofitthisway7804 Likewise, thank you. And I did check out the book "Hard Luck", had some correspondence with the author a few years ago. A great read.
@@RichtheFightHistorian Quarry's chin was made out of something special,that infamous Frazier left hook which almost took Quarry's head off i have no clue how he was still standing.
Finally...A GREAT documentary on Jerry Quarry. Thank-you!
My pleasure.
I just watched this now..how incredibly tough Jerry was...huge respect for this man....boy what a heart of a lion...fantastic...
If Jerry was active with today's crop of heavyweights , there is absolutely No Doubt that he would be a CHAMPION.....
Today he would be cruiserweight, a very good cruiserweight. His biggest thing against him was his size. He was about 6 foot and 190-195lbs in weigh ins, too small for 70s hw boxer. So today he would be FAR too small for hw boxer. Thats why they invented cruiserweight/jr heavyweight division, for guys who are too small for hw division but too big to fight as light hw.
No way! Jerry was a small fighter in his day at 6'0 190 pounds. Today's heavyweights are 6'5 245 or more. The Heavyweight champ Tyson Fury is 6'7 255.
@@melvinsims5379 That is a good point , dudes nowadays are , plain and simple , just bigger ; but let's say cruiserweight.... Is there any doubt in your mind Melvin , that he would be a CHAMPION ?
@@joonaslehtonen7965 A good point my friend...... His toughness and heart would be unmatched however ; What do you think about Cruiserweight Jonas ?
@@JamesJackson-xd7jq If you are asking if cruiserweight division would have been invented in his time and he would have competed in that division, could he have become a champ? Yes, i think he would have become a champion and dominant fighter in that division. And i hate to say this and this is allmost completely hindsight, but maybe just maybe he would have lived a bit longer too. I know he boxed from six years old or sumthin and alot of damage is done in sparring but that dont change the fact that he competed in a division where 8/10 fighters were 25-35 lbs heavier than him. He competed against some strong hitters. I dont think that too many people under 200 lbs had his left hook and his chin, i dont think too many 190 lbs people could be as competitive as he was in hw division. I think he could be champion in todays cruiserweight division also.
Quarry's impression of Ali is probably the best I've heard!
The Quarry family was a rough but nice family he boxed too long and over the years I watch his diminish take over it broke my heart to see it happen I'm grateful I had a few beers with him in his bar in Norwalk Ca. I sparred with Mike at Sea-SIde Gym in Long Beach Ca.
Awesome man! What were the spars like?
we are impressed today when fighters are civil; there was a day that it was the norm. Quarry-Patterson respect showed, IMO.
For anyone interested in the career of Jerry Quarry, I recommend the book "Hard Luck". It is a story about the life and times of Jerry. For boxing fans you simply cannot put it down.
Good book! I'm just finishing reading it. Thought that it was very interesting. It would make a hell of a movie.
You beat me to it! Yeah, most definitely a great book. I read it a long time ago, but I still remember just how damned good it was! One thing I recall reading--Jerry talking about his life outside the ring & the occasional run it he'd have with some wannabe tough guy on the street, usually a guy who had a couple of drinks in him & started to believe he could fight. Jerry said he never hit a guy like that in the head--rather he'd just deliver one good gut shot, & the guy would collapse to the ground every time. I just remember thinking how damned stupid somebody would have to be to pick a fight with a guy like Jerry Quarry out on the street. He's one of the toughest SOB's to ever come out of the great state of California. It was really hard to read in the book about how his life ended, but it was the life he, as a man, chose to live. Another great video!!
Bert sugar narrates a feature called the jerry quarry chronicles. Very well put together piece
@@aitutaki50 ...................Jerry Quarry, the boxer:…….
So, I’m 16 years old an I’m working at Clark Center bowling alley, Bellflower, Clark st @ Alondra, I took a job as a busboy / dish washer / janitor, an the ONLY reason I took the job was because employee’s could play pool for FREE, ANYTIME, night or day, an this was about the time the movie “ The Hustler” , with Paul Newman & Jackie Gleason came out, …….EVERYBODY, including ME, wanted to live the life of a pool hustler. It was like a whole nother, underground world, you could pick up a money game just about any time , day or night, at just about ANY other bowling alley, they had several “pool halls” where ya had to know the secret “handshake” to get into the rotation for the REAL money games, and, I WAS fairly good at it, kinda like golf was for me when I was older, anyways I won money and lost money, but the excitement of it all was something else , it was intoxicating to say the least…………………ANYWAYS, Jerry Quarry the boxer, AKA, “ The Bellflower Bomber” & his brother use to bowl in a league an when they weren’t bowling they were in the pool hall. One Friday night, some big mouth, big ass drunk came swaggering in the front door an proceeds to walk up & down the lanes talking big shit like “ where is that punkass Quarry at ?,…I’m gonna kick his ass, that S O B ain’t gonna know what hit him , “ an blah, blah, blah, I mean EVERYBODY in the place, including in the bar, could hear him hollering an carrying on. So the night manager was a little bitty guy, name was Bobby, he was actually the in house teaching pro, the guy was MAYBE all of 5 ft tall, I know he didn’t weigh 100 lbs., BUT, being as he WAS the night manager it fell on HIM to get the drunk guy, who BTW was all of maybe 6’4 inches or more, probably weighed 250 -280 lbs., BIG , burly, ugly sumbich ! …..so Bobby is trying to reason with this guy, trying to get him to leave an all of a sudden, outta nowhere this prick start’s beating the living shit outta Bobby, I mean I REALLY thought he was gonna kill him ! for real !.........so there I am, 16 year old punkass kid, an I’m WAITING for one of the “grownup’s “ or a couple of them to bum rush the guy an get him off of Bobby, In the mean time, Bobby is laying on the floor while this big prick is kicking him in the ribs & head an I KNOW Bobby is about to die !!!....so, about now I can see that NOBODY is gonna jump in an help little Bobby, so I go into the pool hall, I grab the biggest, fattest pool cue stick in the rack, I go running back out to where this bastard is STILL kicking the shit outta Bobby, I run up on him from behind an I hit this sumbich over the back of his head neck & shoulder’s, I mean I REALLY laid into him, well the prick turns around, grabbing his head, look’s at me EYE to EYE an say’s “ I’m gonna kill you, you little bastard !!, an I KNOW , I could TELL, he WAS gonna kill me IF he caught me !!..........so I make a bee line to the nearest exit to the parking lot, by now I know SOMEBODY has called the cops so all I gotta do is keep away from him till they get here !! an I could NOT believe how quickly this big oaf could move, I’m running in between cars in the parking lot an this sumbich IS gonna catch me !....so I start running across the hoods & up on the roof’s of cars all the while praying the cop’s are gonna get there , QUICKLY !!........FINALLY after what seemed like an hour of this bastard chasing me I hear the cop cars coming, about 5 of them come rolling up, light’s & sirens going , there’s a helicopter circling the whole bowling center with the big spotlight going, an I’m hollering “ over here !! over here , get this guy !!!!!...........about now people are running out into the parking lot, an it took like 4 or 5 cops to get this big oaf handcuffed & under control, I’m STILL standing on top of a car when they start taking him to place him in the back seat of a cop car, by now THIS guy is covered with HIS blood from where I got him with that pool cue, an I KNOW there’s NO WAY this guy is going ANYWHERE but the Lakewood Sheriff’s jail, so as they’re leading him away, I run up on him an start telling him “ you fukinprick, you’re damn lucky the cop’s got here when they did, I was getting to ready to beat your sorry ass to a pulp, you chickenshit m f’er ………” about now they’re rolling Bobby out on a stretcher taking him to the hospital, OR MAYBE the morgue ! I REALLY didn’t know which. As it ended up, Bobby was in the hospital for almost a month, I was NOW a “hero” of the Clark Center Bowling Alley, I had grownup’s, people I didn’t even KNOW, walking up to me, shaking my hand an thanking me for doing SOMETHING when NOBODY else would, I had I don’t know HOW many grownup Men told me “if you were old enough, I’d buy you a drink or two, a couple of them even tried to give me money, they ALL knew I was the dish washer & clean up boy , I mean it got to the point I was actually embarrassed by it all. I didn’t have the heart to tell ANYBODY that I had actually pissed my pant’s while I was running across the roof tops of the cars in the parking lot, and YES it IS possible to take a piss at a FULL RUN ! ..................Denny Scales
@@dennyscales Hi Denny...the entire time reading your great story, I kept waiting for you to talk about how Jerry & his brother rushed in to save the day---alas, they never did! Still, just goes to show you how powerful a gut shot from Jerry Quarry was--because you broke a pool cue over this guy's skull & he just kept coming at you...whereas, just one properly placed liver shot delivered by Quarry would most definitely have instantly incapacitated him...nonetheless, you certainly were one bad ass teenager to do what you did--&, you're a damned good writer too! I'm an Irishman from Philadelphia--so, I love to tell good story, plus I love to fight, & have a pint on occasion 😄
Great work! - Jerry Quarry was my favorite fighter in the '60's and '70's - Thank you for putting this up.-
Hey thanks, Chris Eamon.
@@RichtheFightHistorian yes sir this is one of the very best documentary I have ever seen. You my friend done an amazing job. God bless you my friend
@@roncoleman9502 Thanks so much, Ron.
What a shame Floyd Patterson's class isn't shown more respect and gratitude, he was a great man forgotten to time
43:50 Whoa! Quarry imitating Ali. That was spot on. Billy Crystal eat your heart out lol
If I hadn’t watched it I would think it’s Ali
Yeah, Quarry actually does the best Ali imitation I've ever seen, much better than professional comedians. Let that be a lesson; people often have talents you'd never think they have...
Ali put the leather on him so bad he started talking and looking like Ali lol ...
The way ali broke into the mind of all his opponents should be a crime within itself lol ...
Billy Crystal cheated on his wife in the 1980's and 1990's. Billy Crystal is not a very good person. And for actor's to talk at a Boxer's funeral ⚱️ is wrong. The only people that should have been talking is Family and maybe some boxers that are alive to talk about boxing/fighting Ali. But, most importantly family.
Excellent documentary. Brutal era of boxing. Winced more than one time, especially at how Mike Quarry was 'cared for', post knock out!
Thanks, Stuart. And yeah, he didn't exactly cradle Mike's head, just dropped it back on the canvas.
Jerry fought when heavyweight boxing was at its prime he did a great job such a brave fighter anyone who can KO shavers beat Ron Lyle and give Kenny Norton Joe Frazier and the Greatest Ali a good fight is truly a great boxer RIP Jerry
This is the second time I’ve heard Jerry do Ali , he did the Best.
I was very fortunate to having got to know Ron Lyle and Ernie Shavers, both outstanding guys, all class
Very sad Gil Clancy said Jerry could have been Champion in any other era . 1970's was the best era of boxing !
A lie. What era will Quarry be champ in? He's not gonna beat Dempsey, not gonna beat Louis, not gonna beat Marciano, not gonna beat Patterson or Liston or Ali or Frazier or Foreman or Holmes or Tyson or anybody. So what era?
@@mikewhitney8615 he was a cruiser weight in an era that was not there as for the names you mentioned he would have beaten Holmes he fought better talent than him. Riddick Bowe admire him he told me he wanted to fight Holmes but he ducked him he always picked his opponents. Marciano would have been I say a technical draw they would have had to stop the fight after 5 rounds . Remember he beat everyone that was the number 1 contender and never got a title shot. Foreman ducked him after he beat Shavers and that's how Ali got his title back in Zarie. By fate Quarry had the style to beat Foreman like Jimmy Young. Hank Kaplan predicted that had he fought Foreman he would have won even years later Foreman has admitted it.
To me one of the greatest heavyweight boxers I've ever seen
Brave, tough man. RIP.
Tough and courageous. Great role model even now.
Wow I can't believe Shavers got annihilated like that. That has to be the best Ali impersonation I have ever seen.
I noticed how good the Ali impression was too. Jerry probably had a hidden talent he could've turned into a second career if he'd wanted to pursue it.
I wasn't looking at the screen when that moment came on, and I literally thought Ali was speaking and was utterly shocked to see it coming from Quarry lol Incredible impression.
Jerry's longtime trainer and manager was my 2nd cousin - Johnny Flores, seen through out the early parts of this great video was someone who loved him like a son trying to shield him from himself and the pitfalls outside of the ring.
Great clip! 🙋🏻♂️ Thank you, I love your works
Jerry was my favorite fighter in the day.
If Tommy Morrison would have had Jerry's CHIN WOW
Nice job. It must have taken a lot of work putting this together. Thanks for uploading it.
My pleasure. Thanks for watching.
Wow. Jerry Quarry's Ali impersonation was absolutely perfect! He might not have been a singer or an actor, but I guess he was a comedian! He completely nailed it.
he fought all of the big names, champs... never shying away from a fight!
He was mostly Irish but also part Dutch and his mother was part Native American. He was a very, very good fighter in an era of great ones. Like Marciano before him, Jerry would have been Cruiserweight champ for a decade had the division existed in his time. He was one tough guy.
I saw Quarry fight on live TV a number of times. His biggest problem was that he was simply too small. Heavyweights of that era had grown too big for men like Jerry Quarry. Quarry's bravery was also too great for his own good. It led to him taking terrible beatings. The greatest irony was that the Cruiserweight class, which would have been great for Jerry, was not created until it was too late for him. Jerry Quarry was a brave and talented fighter, and he was, by all accounts, a good person as well.
Jerry's brother, Mike Quarry, was also a boxer, and he suffered a similar end to his brother. Very sad.
Great fighter. Heart of a Champion. Just like everyone else says here, he left it all in the ring. What an era of boxing.
Jerry was one of these people that couldn't be made to lay down, it must have been frightening to fight quarry because you never knew who was going to show up on the night? ,The Jerry that beat shavers ? One thing that was sure you could expect a battle one way or another ,what a tough man
Jerry's biggest flaw was that he was too willing to take punishment
Damn it, Jerry didn't do it willingly, you make him seem like he was an idiot. He was simply a fighter! That's what fighting is and that is going in and fighting, not going in willingly to take punishment. If, Bottom line, if there were no Refs, nobody to interfere, in a bar, he would, or maybe could, probably beat those guys who beat him in the ring, including Ali. Except maybe for Earnie Shavers or Joe Frazier! Truth is, Foreman could beat 'em all in a bar fight!
@@MyMy-zi7yv The name of the sport is 'boxing' and the idea is to hit while getting hit as little as possible. Jerry was too easy to hit and when you consider the list of legends he faced, it's no surprise that he ended up paying the terrible price that he did.
His tendency to cut easy and size worked against him as he was almost 20 pounds lighter than the all the the greats in that era
"He's gotta a hard head, I hurt both hands". Man, that is the best after fight comment I've ever heard. Peace be unto you.
Very proud to be apart of the quarry family. Thank you for the video. Rest in Peace
Brilliant documentary
Jerry was real good, could have been a contender in any era. His destiny was to be one of the best, but not THE best.But lots of thrills and surprises in the decade he contended.
He was also a natural light-heavyweight, not heavyweight. He had immense talent, but he didn't have the punching power to take out the bigger fighters with single shots. He had to literally beat the snot out of someone to stop them. If he had more power, or if he were larger..... the boxers of the era say Jerry was the guy with the most talent to never win a championship. Ernie Shavers got knocked out by Jerry, and he and many others regard Jerry in high degree.
@@Guide1089 That's right Darell, and he actually handled really big guys comparatively easy , like Buster Mathis, Ron Lyle , Mac Foster and Earning Shavers. But against guys like Jimmy Ellis , Ali and Frazier , Jerry was up against fighters with comparable hand speed and movement and he wasn't successful. Styles make fights!
The cruiser weight division would have been his and he would have owned it.
@@paulmackiewicz9836 He fought Ellis with a broken back. Training injury apparently. Didn't pull out of the bout for reason of the desperate need of the money,apparently.
@@paulgrieshop5024Jerry Quarry vs Gregorio Peralta and also, vs Oscar Bonevena would've been Epic. Technically, those would be Cruiserweight bouts.
The great Howard Cosell and Jimmy Lennon in the ring with Jerry Quarry, what a period in heavyweight boxing that was truly golden 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Cossell was the best boxing commentator imo
@@kevinmunday5782. Yes he was and the fights that he did commentary on, what a period in boxing 😉
@@johnreyes1749 jerry would kick a lot of ass if he box like his brother Mike I think. I loved brother Jerry quarry now and for ever my favorite fight of all time. Except Ali.Gray Power Hughie Gray Marty Gray Freddy Gray.The Gray Boys.Watch Out.
Jerry had a heart...of toughness...never quit..sad he came up at a time when the greats were all there..RIP...Jerry Quarry
Jerry Quarry had an incredible heart and was brave enough for two guys. Unfortunately, he took some of the worst beatings I have ever seen. I was in The Garden the night that he fought Ken Norton and the beating he absorbed was heartbreaking.
Much smaller than Norton.
He had some terrific moments against Norton until Ken caught up to him. Savage fight indeed.
@43:50 Jerry does one of the best MuhamadAli impersonations ever! 🤣 Jerry Quarry, one of the greats. RIP Jerry.🙏🏾
Classic 😆😆😆😆
I thought the same. That was actually the best one I've heard.
@@Jonathan-pp3du I actually thought it was Ali until the camera showed Jerry.
@@Stuygym 😆 Me too!
So did I.🤣🤣🤣
Jerry was a great combination puncher who seems more appreciated today than when he was fighting. This is a great documentary of a true warrior. Thanks. I loved it.
That's so true, that he is more appreciated today than when he was fighting. He was treated harshly by the critics of the time period.
R.I.P. Jerry Quarry. A real, true warrior you were and shall remain forever.
This is the type of fighter Hollywood loves making movies about. It won’t surprise me to see a Quarry movie..
Ik think hé deserves a movie!! Those guys where real tough those days
Hollywood does make movies about this type of fighter, Cinderella's all - Snow White of course.
@@perkinsvalentine yes but you have movies about Ali , hurricane Carter and several others those movies are a bit different and not only about Boxing so there is truth in that, As long if its about the great sport of boxing im in . Black or White doesn't matter to me.
But i get where you coming from. They could have make great movies of black fighters with similar story's. And they should there are some great fighters of the past like Ezzard Charles, ore jersey joe, jack Johnson , Henry Armstrong whom also deserve a movie!
Greetings from the Netherlands
@@loveboxinglucky1716 Greetings boxing fan. I respect the struggles of a fighter like James Braddock (Cinderella Man) yet Hollywood neglected to mention that Louis had to sign away 10% of his championship purses to Cinderella in order to get that fight. Braddock's future was secure as was Schmelling's (by Cocoa Cola). Louis got stuck in a 75% tax bracket while receiving no credit for his "war bonds" fights. And the rest is history, not fairy tales. That's just a peek, Jack Johnson's story is the real story of American society.
@@perkinsvalentine hello Nice to meet another Boxing fan!! yes its indeed a damn shame how they treated the great Joe Louis especially the IRS and the Nation hé stood for and helped in terrible WW2.
I think America got byond a shadow of doubt the greatest and richest Boxing history of the world!! But its true black fighters didn't get a chance that often to fight for a belt. And i dont want to take anything away from James Braddock hé fought hard for everything in hard hard times and you cant but nothing then respect a man for that !! but there were probaply some amazing black fighters that Braddock would not beat but they simply didn't get the chance because it did not fit in so called White America And that's a shame only if you where undeniable good like Sugar Ray Robinson and others they couldnt deny you. And i admire great old school fighters some of whom mentioned in my previous comment.
Fighters of this era got nothing on those Guys .. for example Harry Grebb a White fighter whom went 43 and 0 if my memory is correct in one year those are mostly hard fought 10 rounders about every ten days , and 15 Guys where previous champions that's unbelievable or the Old Mongoolse Archie Moore with over 140 Knock outs!! Only the Knock outs that's unimaginable The list goes on and one! They dont make em like that anymore. those tremendous fighters were made of pure steel forged out of pure hardships and great Just great Heart !! Excuse my english
Greetings👍
I’ve been a boxing fan all my life and at 51 I’ve never seen any heavyweight with as much courage or tough a chin as Jerry quarry.
what!? i get it you like the guy but come on... ali.
@@davidyu3533 yes Ali. But I’m sure although Ali took a lot of big shots in his career, he didn’t take as many as quarry and keep coming forward. Quarry fought like taking big shots didn’t mean a thing to him. He wasn’t good at avoiding shots he just didn’t bother avoiding them. I’m not sure but I don’t think he was ever knocked out just stopped by Ali and cuts.
Jesus Christ.
Incredible video, some fantastic long lost footage here.
What was really amazing for me, was the respect, post fight Quarry and Patterson exhibited to one another. No shouting, screeching or carrying on. Just pure professionalism. You still see it here and there, but it seemed to be the norm back then. Quarry was unlucky not to claim a belt back then, and would almost certainly be a cruiserweight champion today IMO.
Great video this and thanks again.
Thanks, Johnny.
I think that it is powerful and it makes you choke up how this man was at the end of his life and his mental state was that bad and yet he is asked if he has any regrets ? He responds "If I could do it all over again, I would have". A true legend
one of the best channels. thank you RtfH
Thanks, Z.
43:48 No joke, that might be the best Muhammad Ali impression I've ever heard. I don't think I've heard a comedian nail the voice like that. Really something!
Billy Crystal does it the best
40:13
What a warrior... Quarry would be champ today imo. He came along when the heavyweight division was loaded, Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton... Also Shavers, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Young n more real good fighters. I think he'd without a doubt be champ today. Rip to a great warrior..
Him in his prime against guys like Tyson Fury, Joshua, Wilder, and Usyk would have been absolutely amazing 👏
Maybe a champion at cruiserweight. Obviously not at heavyweight.
POOR JERRY FOUGHT IN THE WRONG DECADE. ANY OTHER ERA HE WOULD HAVE BEEN CHAMP. ONE TOUGH GUY! R. I. P ., BROTHER!🍀🥊🍀🥊
It was the golden age of boxing and the decade is the reason he's in the hall of fame he fought the greatest boxers in history
@@Sikander72 DEFINITELY BROTHER. TOP TEN COULD WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP TODAY!🥊🥊
@@richardrobinson1697 yes I agree.
He gave it all he had in every fight that he was in, that's all he do!
no question one of the best ALI impressions I ever heard. particularly for a non-comic. he rocked a lot of noggins too, also. but just not enough defense for himself. not enough blocking punches, and just having his hands up. yes, he fought too long, but thru out boxing there has always been a cavalier attitude toward defense. ''hit and not get hit''.
Exactly lol, he surprised me he sounds like him alot lol
This was a treat to watch. Good inside stuff and knowledge
Thanks for putting this together. I always knew about JQ, just never knew that he fought those caliber of fighters. Very impressive career
He'll always be a hero to me, and one of my very favorites. He did live life like a LION, and never backed down from a fight with anybody, and he fought EVERYBODY in the golden age of heavyweight boxing. God rest his soul. It's so sad how the end of his life turned out, but he withstood so much punishment but took it all !! RIP JERRY !!!
I do see Jerry's story as a cautionary tale. Not against boxing, but against fighters staying in boxing longer than they should. Jerry should have stayed retired after the Norton fight. Pushing it a little, the Zanon fight should definitely have been his last. Jerry's desire for money and glory cost him dearly. It's a shame. I think he would have made a great commentator and trainer, similar to Teddy Atlas and the late Emmanuel Stewart.
They have a belt for everybody now, he would have one today...
Great work sir. Mike and Bobby also ended up getting Dementia Pugilistica. I was horrified reading how Jerry was always the quick witted smart aleck fun guy, and then reading about that awful fight in CO, where I now live, and his death, after his mother had been taking care of him.
A great tribute to a hard luck warrior. It's a video that can inspire boxing or serve to show the damage from boxing. That's why I love this channel. You get to understand boxing from the lives lived by those who answer to it's calling and the price that is paid. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure.
Well put together, thanks. Enjoyable, informative and in the end...tragic. gerry clearly was funny, and not unintelligent at all. He had a real roller coaster career of ups and downs and its a shame he had to check out so early without his mental faculties.
That win against Ron Lyle is really something...look at what Ron did to Foreman...
When I was kid, I was born in 62, he was always the white guy getting thrashed by some black guy. I felt sorry for him, but I admired that he kept getting in the ring with guys who were always bigger and faster. Geez, he was a nice looking kid (he wasn't by the time I saw him). He should have gone in the movies.
Could you imagine if they would have had a Cruiserweight division back then I think Jerry would have been a great one
100%
Well that was an unexpected journey to witness. I'm 44 and had no idea that quarry was a very very good fighter in the toughest most talent filled era of heavyweight boxing. He deserves recognition as one of the best to have done it. To hold his own like he did with the monsters he fought and beat... I hope he enjoyed his life before his light diminished and faded on him.
God bless RIP
Made me shed a tear, so so proud of him & a humble nice lovely Man “warrior” 🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧
All gone. A truly great era.
I remember before the Lorenzo Zanon fight, Quarry was doing well as a commentator for CBS. Quarry was articulate and provided excellent analysis of the fights. I'm sure he would've done well had he stayed behind the mike.
Imagine if Quarry had worked with Gil Clancy earlier?! Just looked at those bouts with Ron Lyle and Earnie Shavers. Text book counter punching under Clancy’s tutelage.
Dude should’ve been fighting in a lower division and would’ve been a champ IMO he was still great. Amazing heart and class. He fought a who’s who list! Incredible. Sad how it all turned out in the end. I’m surprised there’s not a well known movie drama that deals with the brutal reality of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to show what can lie beyond the glory at the end of the road. Also he fought in a phone booth didn’t he just relentless
If they had a Cruiserweight division back in his day, Quarry would have dominated.
Jerry, Mike, Bobby and one time brother-in-law Mike Nixon...always fun to watch!
What a tough guy!! he stood in front of all the greats, no movement just stood there and fought, tough as nails!!
Great counter puncher. Hurt everybody he fought win or loose. He had great technique hit pretty hard for a light heavyweight was subject to cuts very easily. Very entertaining fighter Rich Staples
Jerry actually knocked out the British Champion Jack Bodell in the 1st round. This video mistakenly said that it was a decision.
The British reporter ridiculously asked Jerry after the fight if there was any particular aspect of Bodell's style he found awkward. Jerry's reply was ''Well, he fell awkwardly...''
@@tintomara6209 😂😂😂brilliant
What an incredible host of boxers in those days! Even the best lost more than once!
That last line. “It was better to live like a lion however brief, than spend a lifetime living as a lamb”.
Really enjoyed this,well crafted put together, so much I didn't know. He was fearless to take on those big punches, walking right up to them and trading, true warrior. Thanks so much for an excellent video, I learned so much about the sport I love and Jerry deserved to be remembered like this.
My pleasure, Stephen. Always great to hear from a Quarry fan.
Quarry today, would've been a cruiserweight and would've been deemed the greatest of all time!
That's the truth I meet Riddick Bowe and he told me he admire him. He was just to small for the heavyweight division and to big for the light heavyweight the cruiser weight did not come until the late 70's I think it was 1978 but still a real warrior
@@paulgrieshop5024 the way Quarry's fighting spirit was, he would never have went down to the Cruiserweight division.
@@MyMy-zi7yv not so fast if he knew he would clean up and make it his own more people would go and see him than anyone else
Sometimes fighters from other divisions can draw huge crowds more than the heavyweights.
@@paulgrieshop5024 You're right, I'll give you that one Paul.
You do these fighters justice with these videos...👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 i learn and grow as a fighter watching these heros of the sport......well done rich
Thanks very much, Kahlil.
In any other era, quarry would of been champion. Holyfield reminds me of quarry “without the roids of course”.
Who are you quoting man?
That was the best Ali impression I ever heard. 40:18