Jesse Ferguson

Jesse Ferguson (born March 20, 1957) is a retired American boxer who was a Heavyweight Title Challenger and Top Contender who Beat Undisputed Heavyweight World Champion Buster Douglas, Heavyweight World Champion Ray Mercer and Cruiserweight World Champion Tyrone Booze.

His professional career is filled with matches with champions and contenders and his name is linked with numerous boxing stars of the 1980s and 1990s.

Ferguson grew up in rural Knightdale, North Carolina, one of 13 children of a tobacco farm workers William and Jesse Ferguson.

Ferguson took up boxing at the age of 22, while serving with the U.S. Marines.

After an amateur career in the early 80s, Ferguson turned pro in 1983 at the age of 25.

He had 10 straight wins (all by knockout), the most notable being a 4-round knockout of Reggie Gross.

To supplement his meager boxing earnings, Jesse Ferguson was working as a construction worker and a security guard.

This earned him a place in ESPN's 1985 Young Heavyweight tournament.

In 1986 he took on prospect Mike Tyson who was 17–0, and making his national television debut.

Tyson broke Ferguson's nose in the fifth round with an uppercut, sending him to the canvas.

Referee Luis Rivera disqualified Ferguson in the next round, for what he deemed "excessive holding."

The local commission later changed the result to a "TKO" for Tyson.

From this point on Ferguson became a part-time boxer, finding it difficult to find meaningful fights but used regularly by all the top contenders as a sparring partner, who preferred training with him than risking fighting him.

In 1987 he fought only once, on the undercard of the Tyson/Tucker fight, knocking out ex-contender George Chaplin, sending him into retirement.

In 1988 he fought 22-0 Orlin Norris for his NABF belt.

Norris was a fast-rising prospect with slick skills and some big wins under his belt already.

Ferguson's ring rust showed as he was outpointed over 12 dull rounds.

It may be said that by this point Ferguson's heart was no longer fully in the game.

He made a debut with a 4-round knockout of Richard Scott, and followed it up in the semi-finals with a 10-round points win where he outpunched James "Buster" Douglas, a fight that would become more significant over the years, as Douglas went on to upset Mike Tyson in 1990 and win the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world.

By the time he fought Oliver McCall in 1991, he had only had one fight in three years, a 6-round kayo of Terry Armstrong in 1990.

Although rusty and overweight, Ferguson appeared to get the better of McCall.

However Ferguson had been relegated to 'trial horse' status and McCall was given the decision.

In 1992 he took on Bruce Seldon where an indifferent Ferguson retired after five rounds with an eye injury.

Three years later, Seldon would win the vacant WBA heavyweight title.

Ferguson dropped decisions to two ex-world champions, Michael "Dynamite" Dokes and Tony "TNT" Tubbs, but in 1993 would see a turnaround of his fortunes.

On February 6, 1993, Ferguson fought on the untelevised undercard of an HBO event at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Ferguson was signed to fight Ray Mercer, a former World Boxing Organization world Heavyweight champion, in what was actually a heavyweight title eliminator but was regarded by many as a tune up for Mercer for a potential second shot at a world championship.

The winner of the bout was to face the winner of the main event between reigning WBA and IBF champion Riddick Bowe and former champion Michael Dokes for the titles at a future date.

Ferguson, however, defied the odds and defeated an underprepared Mercer by a unanimous decision to earn his shot against Bowe, who knocked out Dokes in the first round.

The win over Mercer proved controversial as Mercer was later investigated for allegedly trying to bribe Ferguson to let Mercer win the bout.

The fight was signed for May 22, 1993, and was staged at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC.

Ferguson came into the fight below 230 pounds for the first time in years and was considered to be in the best shape of his career.

Because the IBF did not consider Ferguson to be a legitimate contender, they would not sanction the defense for Bowe and only the WBA and lineal championships were on the line.

Three years later in 1994, McCall would knockout Lennox Lewis in two rounds to become heavyweight champion of the world.

In the final he took on Tony Anthony and knocked him out in the 10th round, earning himself a world ranking.

His success was short-lived however.

He was matched up with Carl "The Truth" Williams, who was himself coming off a disputed 15-round points loss to Larry Holmes.

Williams' experience won out, as he climbed off the floor twice to knock out Ferguson in 10 rounds.

Ferguson was employed as a sparring partner for Mike Tyson, Razor Ruddock, Lennox Lewis, and Michael Moorer.

In a theme that would continue throughout his long career, Ferguson was matched tough in his next fight.