Jesse Ferguson facts for kids

Jesse Ferguson (born March 20, 1957) is a retired American boxer. He was a top heavyweight contender who fought many champions. Jesse is known for beating famous boxers like Buster Douglas and Ray Mercer. His career was full of exciting matches against some of the biggest names in boxing during the 1980s and 1990s.

Jesse's Early Life

Jesse Ferguson grew up in a small town called Knightdale, North Carolina. He was one of 13 children in his family. His parents, William and Jesse Ferguson, worked on a tobacco farm.

Serving His Country

Jesse started boxing when he was 22 years old. At that time, he was serving in the U.S. Marines. This is where he first discovered his talent for the sport.

Becoming a Professional Boxer

After boxing as an amateur, Jesse Ferguson became a professional boxer in 1983. He was 25 years old. He started his pro career with an amazing 10 straight wins, all by knockout! One of his most notable early wins was knocking out Reggie Gross in four rounds. To help make ends meet, Jesse also worked as a construction worker and a security guard while boxing.

Rising Through the Ranks

Jesse's early success earned him a spot in ESPN's 1985 Young Heavyweight tournament. He won his first fight by knocking out Richard Scott. Then, in the semi-finals, he won a 10-round decision against James "Buster" Douglas. This win became very important later on. Why? Because Buster Douglas went on to shock the world in 1990 by beating Mike Tyson to become the undisputed heavyweight champion! In the tournament final, Jesse knocked out Tony Anthony in the 10th round. This big win helped him get ranked among the top boxers in the world.

However, his winning streak didn't last long. He soon faced Carl "The Truth" Williams. Carl was a very experienced boxer. Even though Jesse knocked Carl down twice, Carl managed to knock Jesse out in the 10th round.

Jesse Ferguson also worked as a sparring partner for many famous boxers. These included Mike Tyson, Razor Ruddock, Lennox Lewis, and Michael Moorer. Sparring partners help boxers train by pretending to be their opponents.

Facing Mike Tyson

In 1986, Jesse had a tough fight against a rising star named Mike Tyson. Tyson was undefeated with 17 wins and no losses. This was Tyson's first fight shown on national television. Tyson broke Jesse's nose in the fifth round with a powerful uppercut. In the next round, the referee stopped the fight because he thought Jesse was holding Tyson too much. The result was later changed to a "TKO" (Technical Knockout) win for Tyson.

A Journeyman's Path

After the Tyson fight, Jesse became what's known as a "journeyman" boxer. This means he often fought less often and it was hard for him to get big, important fights. However, top boxers still wanted him as a sparring partner. They preferred training with him over risking a real fight!

In 1987, Jesse fought only once, knocking out former contender George Chaplin. In 1988, he fought Orlin Norris for the NABF belt. Norris was a fast and skilled boxer. Jesse lost the fight by decision after 12 rounds.

By this time, Jesse's passion for boxing might have been fading. When he fought Oliver McCall in 1991, he had only fought once in three years. Even though Jesse seemed to do better in the fight, McCall was given the win. Three years later, Oliver McCall would knock out Lennox Lewis to become the heavyweight champion! In 1992, Jesse fought Bruce Seldon but quit after five rounds due to an eye injury. Bruce Seldon would also go on to win a heavyweight title three years later.

Jesse also lost to two former world champions, Michael "Dynamite" Dokes and Tony "TNT" Tubbs. But in 1993, things started to look up for him.

Later Career Highlights

Jesse had a big fight against Riddick Bowe in 1993 for the WBA Heavyweight Title. Bowe was a very strong champion, and he knocked Jesse out in the second round.

Despite this loss, Jesse was back in the ring soon after. He fought Ray Mercer again. Even though Jesse seemed to outpunch Mercer, Mercer was given a close win by split decision. Even the crowd in Mercer's hometown booed the decision! In 1994, Jesse traveled to the U.K. to fight Frank Bruno. Jesse was not in good shape and lost in the first round. A year later, Bruno would win the WBC heavyweight title.

In another fight in 1994, Jesse faced Larry Holmes, a 44-year-old former champion. Even though Jesse wasn't in top shape, he hurt Holmes in the second round and seemed to win the fight. But again, Jesse lost by decision. The New York Times even called it "A robbery."

By 1995, Jesse was often out of shape and didn't seem very interested in his fights. He had Jeremy Williams in trouble but quit in the 7th round due to a swollen eye. He knocked Alex Stewart down twice but still lost the decision. He also lost to Danell Nicholson after 8 rounds. In these fights, he looked uninterested.

A Strong Comeback

In 1996, Jesse was hired as the main sparring partner for champion Mike Tyson. This was before Tyson's fight with Bruce Seldon. During this time, with encouragement from Tyson's team, Jesse realized he was a better boxer than he thought.

He returned to fighting late in 1996, at 39 years old, and beat undefeated Bobby Harris. He then won two more fights before a big match on HBO in 1997 against Samson Po'uha. Jesse knocked Po'uha down several times before winning by knockout in the 8th round.

This led to another important fight on HBO in 1998. At 40 years old, Jesse faced the young and powerful Hasim Rahman for the USBA belt. Jesse lost by decision. Hasim Rahman would later defeat Lennox Lewis to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World.

Jesse then fought Obed Sullivan, who was ranked No. 4 in the world. Jesse won the fight in an upset decision!

In 1999, Jimmy Thunder had to pull out of a fight with Polish boxer Andrew Golota due to an injury. Jesse was asked to step in on short notice, and he accepted. He lost the fight by decision.

After this loss, Jesse's manager gave him back his contract and stopped taking his calls. Jesse couldn't find any more fights. His boxing career ended in 1999 with a record of 26 wins, 18 losses, and 16 knockouts.

Jesse Ferguson talked about making comebacks in 2000 and 2002, but they never happened. He felt that the boxing world had unfairly stopped him from fighting.

Jesse Ferguson's Boxing Record Summary

Jesse Ferguson had a long and exciting career. He won 26 fights, with 16 of those wins coming by knockout. He lost 18 fights. His career was marked by facing many of the best boxers of his time.