Tribute To Jerry Quarry And Fourth Annual Battle Of The Bouncers December 28, 2002

By Kent Appel

06.11 - Boxing fans, mark your calendars for December 28, 2002, for the fourth annual tribute to Jerry Quarry and the battle of the bouncers that is to be held at The Dome in Bakersfield, California. For more information, contact Bob Quarry at telephone number 661 399-1988 or send me, Kent Appel, an E-mail at kentallenent@aol.com.

The event will feature a chronicle of Jerry Quarry's career narrated by Burt Sugar, a long time boxing journalist, and there will be a live boxing card as well with bouncers from various local establishments competing and former professional and professional fighters also competing. It is a benefit to help fight Dementia Pugilistica, better known as Punch Drunk Syndrome, a condition that many boxers, past and present, are suffering from or have suffered from. It is the condition that tragically took Jerry Quarry's life in 1999 at the age of 53 years old.

“Irish” Jerry Quarry was one of the most exciting fighters to come along in the talent rich era of 1960s and 1970s heavyweights and while he never reached his dream of winning the heavyweight championship of the world, he had a career he could well be proud of. Quarry rose to the number one contender's position three times in his career, landing two title shots along the way, and he defeated very talented fighters such as Floyd Patterson, Ron Lyle, and Earnie Shavers. Quarry also defeated such notable fighters such as Mac Foster, Buster Mathis, Thad Spencer, and Larry Middleton and he was the only boxer to fight Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier twice each. Former heavyweight champion George Foreman called Jerry Quarry “the best fighter to never win the heavyweight championship of the world” and Foreman said that during his first title reign, he purposely avoided fighting Quarry.

Jerry Quarry took the family motto, coined by his father Jack Quarry, of “there is no quit in a Quarry,” to the extreme and he paid the price for it. Quarry gave every ounce of himself, every minute of every round, and he literally gave his life's blood to the sport of boxing, a sport boxing fans around the world all love. So please join us December 28, 2002 for the fourth annual tribute to Jerry Quarry and battle of the bouncers at the Dome in Bakersfield, California.