# Gorilla Jones ("The Fighting Gorilla")

Gorilla Jones was an African American boxer known as "The Fighting Gorilla" who fought out of Alexandria, Louisiana as a welterweight from 1913 to 1924. He may have provided the nickname for William Landon Jones (1906–1982), also known as Gorilla Jones, who was the second black boxer to win the world middleweight title.

## Boxing career

Jones won on a first round disqualification against Battling Ortega from a low blow in Colorado, Springs on September 1, 1921.
On January 6, 1922, Jones defeated well known black boxer Speedball Hayden in a ninth round knockout at Fort Bliss Arena in El Paso, Texas. Jones was favored in the early publicity for his powerful, aggressive infighting, and heavy hitting. Hayden had defeated Jones earlier on April 1, 1921 in Phoenix, Arizona in an eight round points decision. Jones was said to have put up a great effort but Hayden was clearly his master, deserving the decision. On November 25, 1920, Jones lost a fourth round disqualification in Columbus, Ohio, but was reported by the El Paso Times to have knocked Hayden to the mat four times prior to the foul.

### Taking the world colored welterweight championship, February, 1915

Because of the color bar in pro boxing, Jones never competed for the world title which was not open to black boxers during his career. He won the World Colored Welterweight Championship from Eddie Palmer, the inaugural champion, in a twenty round points decision in New Orleans on February 15, 1915, though he apparently never defended it.
On February 21, 1922, he met future world middleweight champ Tiger Flowers, the first black boxer to win the world welterweight title, in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico for the Southwest Middleweight Championship. He lost in a fourth round knockout of a scheduled 15-round bout. A few sources report that Jones lost via a ninth round T.K.O.
Jones had a career record of 18 wins and 17 losses. He was knocked out ten times and had two draws.

## Professional boxing record

| 37 fights | 18 wins | 17 losses |
| By knockout | 10 | 10 |
| By decision | 7 | 6 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 1 |
| Draws | 2 | 2 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round | Date | Location | Notes |
| 37 | Win | 18–17–2 | Tim Kelly | PTS | 4 | Dec 29, 1922 | L Street Arena, Sacramento, California, U.S. | |
| 36 | Loss | 17–17–2 | Tim Kelly | PTS | 4 | Dec 15, 1922 | L Street Arena, Sacramento, California, U.S. | |
| 35 | Draw | 17–16–2 | Johnny Burns | PTS | 4 | Oct 26, 1922 | West Side Arena, San Jose, California, U.S. | |
| 34 | Loss | 17–16–1 | Lee Anderson | KO | 3 (12) | Aug 15, 1922 | City Auditorium, Galveston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 33 | Win | 17–15–1 | Sonny Goodrich | TKO | 7 (12) | Jun 2, 1922 | Beethoven Hall, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | |
| 32 | Loss | 16–15–1 | Billy Britton | TKO | 12 (15) | Apr 25, 1922 | Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico | |
| 31 | Win | 16–14–1 | Eddie McGovern | PTS | 4 | Apr 20, 1922 | East Side Arena, San Jose, California, U.S. | |
| 30 | Win | 15–14–1 | Kid Reese | KO | 2 (4) | Mar 17, 1922 | L Street Arena, Sacramento, California, U.S. | |
| 29 | Loss | 14–14–1 | Tiger Flowers | KO | 9 (15) | Feb 21, 1922 | Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico | For vacant Southwest middleweight championship |
| 28 | Win | 14–13–1 | Speedball Hayden | KO | 9 (15) | Jan 6, 1922 | Fort Bliss Arena, El Paso, Texas, U.S. | |
| 27 | Win | 13–13–1 | Chihuahua Kid Brown | KO | 3 (?) | Oct 9, 1921 | Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico | Finish Fight |
| 26 | Win | 12–13–1 | Battling Ortega | DQ | 1 (?) | Sep 5, 1921 | Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. | |
| 25 | Win | 11–13–1 | Chihuahua Kid Brown | TKO | 5 (15) | Aug 17, 1921 | Armory, Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. | |
| 24 | Win | 10–13–1 | Leo Matlock | KO | 6 (15) | Jun 19, 1921 | Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico | |
| 23 | Draw | 9–13–1 | Andy Kid Palmer | PTS | 15 | Apr 17, 1921 | Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico | |
| 22 | Loss | 9–13 | Speedball Hayden | PTS | 8 | Apr 1, 1921 | Arizona A.C., Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | |
| 21 | Win | 9–12 | Sunny Jim Williams | KO | 5 (10) | Jan 14, 1921 | Fort Bliss Arena, El Paso, Texas, U.S. | |
| 20 | Loss | 8–12 | Andy Kid Palmer | PTS | 10 | Dec 11, 1920 | Douglas, Arizona, U.S. | |
| 19 | Loss | 8–11 | Speedball Hayden | DQ | 4 (?) | Nov 25, 1920 | Columbus, New Mexico, U.S. | |
| 18 | Loss | 8–10 | Battling Gahee | KO | 15 (15) | Sep 18, 1920 | National Baseball Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 17 | Win | 8–9 | Battling Norfolk | PTS | 15 | Jul 16, 1920 | National Baseball Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 16 | Loss | 7–9 | Battling Norfolk | KO | 5 (20) | Apr 21, 1920 | Passtime Athletic Club, Alexandria, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 15 | Loss | 7–8 | Young Kid Norfolk | TKO | 9 (15) | Jan 5, 1920 | Dauphine Theater, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 14 | Win | 7–7 | Eddie Palmer | PTS | 15 | Oct 31, 1919 | Tulane Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 13 | Loss | 6–7 | Sal Carlo | KO | 1 (4) | Oct 2, 1919 | Coliseum, San Francisco, California, U.S. | |
| 12 | Win | 6–6 | Jack Mitchell | KO | 12 (20) | Mar 14, 1917 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 11 | Win | 5–6 | Hock Bones | TKO | 11 (20) | Mar 2, 1917 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 10 | Win | 4–6 | Jamaica Kid | PTS | 15 | Apr 18, 1916 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 9 | Loss | 3–6 | Eddie Palmer | KO | 8 (?) | Apr 1, 1916 | McElroy, Louisiana, U.S. | Exact date unknown / Held in 1916 |
| 8 | Loss | 3–5 | Kyle Whitney | TKO | 8 (20) | Mar 18, 1915 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 7 | Win | 3–4 | Eddie Palmer | PTS | 20 | Feb 15, 1915 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | Won world colored welterweight title |
| 6 | Win | 2–4 | Eddie Palmer | PTS | 20 | Jan 23, 1915 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 5 | Loss | 1–4 | Eddie Palmer | PTS | 10 | Dec 20, 1914 | McDonoghville Park, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 4 | Loss | 1–3 | One Round Charley | TKO | 7 (10) | Feb 11, 1914 | Northside A.C., New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 3 | Loss | 1–2 | Young Tommy Coleman | PTS | 10 | Dec 12, 1913 | New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. | |
| 2 | Loss | 1–1 | Kyle Whitney | PTS | 8 | Jul 14, 1913 | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Kid Sylvester | KO | 2 (8) | Jun 02, 1913 | Phoenix A.C., Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | |
Awards and achievements :
| Preceded byEddie Palmer | World Colored Welterweight Champion February 15, 1915 – Unknown | Succeeded byCocoa Kid |