Gorilla Jones

CTL-E-7062 · Person · other · 1906–1982

VERIFIED evidence grade — build store (JSON graph)

Combined Graph record U-07934 · provenance: build store (JSON graph), record CTL-E-7062.

William 'Gorilla' Jones — the International Boxing Hall of Fame heads its biography 'William (Gorilla) Jones' and BoxRec gives his birth name simply as William Jones, while many later sources expand it to William Landon Jones, a split carried in the notes — was born in Memphis, Tennessee on May 12, 1906 and, the Hall states, was introduced to boxing competing in battle royals before turning professional in 1924 and relocating to Akron, Ohio. Wins over Tommy Freeman, Bucky Lawless and Izzy Grove put him in the welterweight top ten. After Mickey Walker vacated the middleweight crown in 1931, the Hall states, Jones stopped Oddone Piazza in six rounds to win the NBA title, defended against Young Terry, lost to Marcel Thil by a controversial eleventh-round disqualification in Paris, and in 1933 beat Sammy Slaughter in seven rounds for the NBA title again; he challenged Freddie Steele unsuccessfully in 1937 and boxed until 1940. The Hall lists his record as 101-24-13 with 52 knockouts, and BoxRec notes he was never knocked out in 138 professional fights. In retirement he was chauffeur and bodyguard to Mae West. He died January 4, 1982 and was inducted in 2009.

The record

• Also known as: Gorilla, William Jones

Notes

Sports Encyclopedia roster CTL-SPE-0448. Firsts disposition: none claimed. Exclusion disposition: not a title-denial record — Jones won the NBA middleweight title twice; his battle-royal origins (IBHOF) are carried as the era's exploitative entry route, stated as the Hall states them. NAME SPLIT (binding, flagged): the packet brief gives William Landon Jones; IBHOF heads the record 'William (Gorilla) Jones' and BoxRec gives birth name 'William Jones' — the record carries the IBHOF/BoxRec form and flags 'Landon' as the later-source expansion, never blended. He is also distinguished (BoxRec) from an earlier fighter of the same nickname (1913-1922). Record rides the IBHOF figure 101-24-13 (52 KOs) attributed; some compilations count more total bouts. Curator's Judgment (DRAFT): a two-time NBA middleweight champion who was never knocked out in 138 fights is not a footnote — Jones's durability and the Thil disqualification controversy in Paris deserve the full entry. Photo: CLEARED — Agence Rol photograph, 1932, Public domain, Commons description 'Gorilla Jones en 1932' and BnF subject heading Gorilla Jones (1906-1982) identify this fighter.

Sources

• International Boxing Hall of Fame. "William (Gorilla) Jones." IBHOF inductee biography (Old Timer). Accessed 2026-11-03. (primary source · build store)
• BoxRec. "Gorilla Jones." BoxRec Wiki. Accessed 2026-11-03. (build store)
• Wikipedia. "Gorilla Jones." Accessed 2026-11-03. (build store)

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Record CTL-E-7062 · Combined Graph record U-07934 · CultureTechLens Knowledge Graph · 3 sources.
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