Billy Joiner (10 May 1938 - 2019), was an American professional boxer from

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, U.S.

Early life

Joiner was born in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, on 10 May 1938. His father was a former professional boxer, as was his uncle who had once knocked out Freddie Miller in a bout.'The man who fought Liston and Cassius Clay four times', 'Boxing.com', 28 July 2016. http://www.boxing.com/the_man_who_fought_liston_and_cassius_clayfour_times.html

Amateur career

Joiner was the 1962

National Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nationa ...

and National AAU Light-Heavyweight Champion and compiled an Amateur record of 86-6 (The Ring, March 1964), and won the National Golden Gloves with a win over Gerald McClure of

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

. He also fought

Cassius Clay Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

twice as an amateur between 1960-61. He made his professional debut in August 1962, stopping Jukius Dickins in two rounds.

Professional career

He was a promising heavyweight prospect in the 1960s who failed to live up to his promise. A slick boxer with little punch, Joiner is best remembered for lasting the distance with former world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston on March 28, 1969, during Liston's comeback. This was in fact their second fight. They'd fought in May the year before with Liston winning a seventh round stoppage. He also fought (and lost) to top heavyweight contenders

Zora Folley Zora "Bell" Folley (May 27, 1931 – July 7, 1972) was a mid-20th century American heavyweight boxer, known for his defensive game and punching ability. Early life Born in Dallas, Texas on 27 May 1931, Folley moved with his family to Chandler ...

, Oscar Bonavena,

Mac Foster MacArthur "Mac" Foster (June 27, 1942 – July 19, 2010) was a 20th-century American heavyweight professional boxer. He competed from 1966 to 1976, winning 30 of his 36 professional bouts, with all his victories achieved by knockout. He stopped ...

Alfredo Evangelista Alfredo Evangelista (born December 3, 1954) is a former Uruguayan-born boxer. He was born in Montevideo, Uruguay. "The Lynx of Montevideo" Evangelista faced Muhammad Ali in a bout for the List of heavyweight boxing champions, world heavyweight ...

and

Larry Holmes Larry Holmes (born November 3, 1949) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1973 to 2002 and was world heavyweight champion from 1978 until 1985. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which led to his boxing nickname of the "Ea ...

Later life

After retiring from the ring Joiner worked for thirty years with the Ohio State Highway Maintenance Department, finishing as a Superintendent. He was also employed as an amateur boxing coach.

Death

Joiner died at the age of 81 in June 2019.Obituary for Joiner, 'Boxing 247.com', 14 June 2019. https://www.boxing247.com/boxing-news/r-i-p-billy-joiner-1938-2019/120566

Professional boxing record

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References

External links

*
Billy Joiner embodies city's boxing legacy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Joiner, Billy 1938 births Boxers from Cincinnati Winners of the United States Championship for amateur boxers National Golden Gloves champions Living people American male boxers Heavyweight boxers