Laila Ali, 22, TKO’d Marjorie Jones, Grandmother-48 years old -2000

(JUNE 15, 2000 by Sue TL Fox)Tonight at the Universal Amphitheatre, , 22-year old Laila Ali fought a late-replacement boxer—-48 year old grandma Marjorie Jones. Most of the boxing community who contacted WBAN said that this match would not last 25 seconds…Well the bout lasted a whopping 68 seconds with Jones getting knockdown three times with the third one ending the fight.   WBAN’s was told that  “Jones didn’t have a clue.”

In a mind-scringing performance of this obvious mismatch  AP reported, Laila wearing a long white robe entered the ring and bounced on her toes while taunting Jones.  “The crowd’s cheers turned to boos when the bout ended so quickly.”

News reports on the net quoted Laila saying,  “I told the referee to let me knock her out.”  What a goal to achieve….to want to knockout an old lady that is  26 years older her senior.

This bout was witnessed by a near-capacity crowd of 3,845.  The fight drew widespread criticism as a blatant mismatch.

Boxing Legends and others who viewed this fight:  Ken Norton, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Actor Will Smith, and more.

Jet magazine highlighted the fight, which was Ali’s hometown boxing debut,  “Ali needed just 68 seconds to put down the 48-year-old Jones as Ali’s famous father Muhammad Ali and his former heavyweight rivals sat ringside. The 22-year-old Ali knocked down Jones three times,  the last time with a right to the head. The referee didn’t bother to count.”

Not a good night for women’s boxing.

QUOTES FROM LA TIMES, WRITER STEVE SPRINGER – DATE OF ARTICLE – June 16, 2000

Article:  This Ali Fight Is the Greatest of Mockeries  /  Boxing: Former champion’s daughter, Laila, beats flailing 48-year-old opponent in only 1:08.   “It was the greatest farce of all time.  It was enough to spur a movement to ban women’s boxing.  Actually, it was enough to spur a movement to ban boxing in general. Laila Ali, daughter of three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, might be able to fight, but there was no way to tell from Thursday night’s sham at the Universal Amphitheatre in front of an announced crowd of 3,845.  Her opponent was a 48-year-old named Marjorie Jones, who fought like one would expect a 48-year-old to fight.  Some of the greatest heavyweights of a bygone era were on hand, with Ali joined by Joe Frazier and Ken Norton. They all had to be embarrassed by what they saw.  The biggest upset of the night was that the fight lasted a full one minute and eight seconds.   That’s how long it took Laila to knock Jones down three times, on the third occasion with a right hand that caused referee James Jen-Kin to end the fight.   Was Jones, whose style consisted of taking wild swings several feet above Ali’s head, too inept to even be allowed in the ring.”

ALI’S COMMENTS ABOUT THE FIGHT:
” In one bio page on the net, Ali said it was one of the most embarrassing moments she experienced in the sport. She said the following: “”When I had a last-minute replacement of a woman that was 49 — Marjorie Jones. And I was fighting in my hometown — the Universal Amphitheatre. It was the most embarrassing thing in the world. My husband at the time was my promoter and I couldn’t back out of the fight. So I got in there. That was very embarrassing. Because she didn’t need to be in there. She was an old lady.”