Today in Boxing History: Harold Johnson stops Jesse Bowdry
In October of 1960, the NBA stripped its then-champion, Archie Moore, of his title for inactivity. Contenders Johnson and Bowdry were then signed to fight for the title. Johnson had challenged Moore for the light heavyweight belt in August of 1954, and was tied on the scorecards with the champion before being stopped in the 14th round. Coming into his bout with Bowdry, Johnson had not lost a fight in more than six years. Bowdry was a solid contender who was coming off of a decision win over Willie Pastrano in a title elimination bout.
Johnson was 32, ten years older than Bowdry. However, Johnson possessed vast ring experience and superior boxing skills. He used those attributes to pick apart his opponent on his way to a ninth-round TKO.
In 1962, Moore was stripped of his title, and Johnson was universally recognized as the world light heavyweight champion after decisioning Doug Jones for the vacant belt. He successfully defended the title once before losing it via split decision to Pastrano in 1963. Bowdry’s career took a downward spiral following the Johnson defeat, as he would lose 9 of his next 11 fights. He retired in 1964.