Jerry Quarry Dead at 53
January 5, 1999 - 0:0
TEMPLETON, California Former heavyweight boxer Jerry Quarry, who twice fought Muhammad Ali and lost two title shots, died on Sunday at the age of 53 after a long descent into dementia brought on by repeated blows to the head, his niece said. Quarry died at Twin Cities Hospital in Templeton in central California. He was admitted Monday with pneumonia but his niece, Sheri Coolbagh, said that had been brought on by dementia pugilistica, which is brain damage caused by blows to the head.
The progressive malady, similar to Alzheimer's disease, left Quarry virtually helpless and in the care of his family. He died of complications to pneumonia brought on by dementia, Coolbagh said by telephone from the hospital. She said Quarry had suffered for 14 years from dementia that had greatly worsened in the past three years. Almost to the end, she said, he was able to recognize his family and even talk about his fights, and he was surrounded by nieces and nephews, sons and daughter, brothers and sisters and mother.
I couldn't count to tell you but he had family members with him, Coolbagh said. Quarry, a Los Angeles native who lived with relatives in Paso Robles, compiled a 53-9-4 professional record with 33 knockouts. He won his first 20 bouts before losing a 10-round decision to Eddie Machen in 1966. Quarry bounced back to win his next 10 fights, twice defeating former champion Floyd Patterson in 1967.
After Ali was stripped of the World Boxing Association crown, Quarry lost a disputed 15-round title bout to Jimmy Ellis on April 27, 1968. Fourteen months later, he got another shot at the belt, but was knocked out by Joe Frazier in the seventh round in New York. On October 26, 1970, Quarry was Ali's first opponent after his 3 1/2-year exile and proved easy pickings.
Ali knocked him out in the third round on his road back to the championship and sent him to the canvas again in the seventh round on June 27, 1972. Quarry stopped Ron Lyle in 12 rounds in February 1973 and scored a first-round knockout of Earnie Shavers 10 months later. Frazier knocked Quarry out again in June 1974 and Ken Norton also beat him by knockout in March 1975.
He fought again in 1977, then was inactive until 1983, when he posted victories over a pair of no-name opponents. Out of money and already showing signs of blunt force trauma, Quarry returned to the ring on October 30, 1992, and lost in six rounds to Ron Cramner. The former boxer whose younger brother, Mike, was a light heavyweight contender founded the non-profit Jerry Quarry Foundation to prevent other athletes from following his footsteps.
(Reuter)
The progressive malady, similar to Alzheimer's disease, left Quarry virtually helpless and in the care of his family. He died of complications to pneumonia brought on by dementia, Coolbagh said by telephone from the hospital. She said Quarry had suffered for 14 years from dementia that had greatly worsened in the past three years. Almost to the end, she said, he was able to recognize his family and even talk about his fights, and he was surrounded by nieces and nephews, sons and daughter, brothers and sisters and mother.
I couldn't count to tell you but he had family members with him, Coolbagh said. Quarry, a Los Angeles native who lived with relatives in Paso Robles, compiled a 53-9-4 professional record with 33 knockouts. He won his first 20 bouts before losing a 10-round decision to Eddie Machen in 1966. Quarry bounced back to win his next 10 fights, twice defeating former champion Floyd Patterson in 1967.
After Ali was stripped of the World Boxing Association crown, Quarry lost a disputed 15-round title bout to Jimmy Ellis on April 27, 1968. Fourteen months later, he got another shot at the belt, but was knocked out by Joe Frazier in the seventh round in New York. On October 26, 1970, Quarry was Ali's first opponent after his 3 1/2-year exile and proved easy pickings.
Ali knocked him out in the third round on his road back to the championship and sent him to the canvas again in the seventh round on June 27, 1972. Quarry stopped Ron Lyle in 12 rounds in February 1973 and scored a first-round knockout of Earnie Shavers 10 months later. Frazier knocked Quarry out again in June 1974 and Ken Norton also beat him by knockout in March 1975.
He fought again in 1977, then was inactive until 1983, when he posted victories over a pair of no-name opponents. Out of money and already showing signs of blunt force trauma, Quarry returned to the ring on October 30, 1992, and lost in six rounds to Ron Cramner. The former boxer whose younger brother, Mike, was a light heavyweight contender founded the non-profit Jerry Quarry Foundation to prevent other athletes from following his footsteps.
(Reuter)