The 1970’s and 1980’s (the post Bob Foster era) produced an array of talented light heavyweights. No longer ruled by the iron fist of Foster, the division became alive and competitive. Boxers like Victor Galindez, John Conteh, Mate Parlov, Marvin Johnson, Miguel Cuello, Mike Rossman, Saad Muhammad, Eddie Mustapha Muhammad, Michael Spinks and Dwight Muhammad Quai emerged as champions. There were also several formidable contenders. Men like Yaqui Lopez, Pierre Fourie, Ritchie Kates, Jesse Burnett, Len”Stinger” Hutchins, James Scott, Jerry Celestine, Vonzell Johnson and Jerry “The Bull” Martin.
Somewhere lost in the shuffle was a smooth boxing Irish kid named Mike Quarry. Mike always seemed to be in the shadow of his famous heavyweight brother Jerry Quarry. Truth is he carved out quite a career for himself. After a 24-2-2 amateur record, Mike turned pro in1969.After reeling off several wins to help build up his record, Mike won his fist major bout outscoring Welshman Eddie Avoth in 1970. Mike crashed the light heavyweight rankings when he won a decision over ex-title challenger Andy Kendall. Mike then won two verdicts over rugged Ronnie Wilson. Quarry then closed out a great year by winning a technical decision over the capable Jimmy Dupree for the NABF light heavyweight title.
Mike was now 35-0 and on June 27, 1972 he challenged the reigning world title holder Bob Foster in Las Vegas. Mike started well and it appeared Foster was going to get a fight from the young boxer. In round four Mike jigged when he should have jagged and Foster landed one of the most brutal left hooks I’ve ever seen. In an instant Mike was flat on his back and it would be several minutes before Quarry returned from dreamland.
Many have said that Mike was never the same boxer. Looking at his record, I don’t believe it for a minute. After the Foster set back Mike posted a 27-13-6 record against some very formidable competition. In 1973 he defeated the colorful Ray “Windmill” White. He drew with the always tough Hal Carroll.
He would drop a verdict in Denmark to Tom Bogs. He then fought to a draw over twelve rounds at Madison Square Garden’s Felt Forum against Cleveland’s Billy Wagner. It was rumored that if Wagner won that fight, he would receive a crack at Foster’s crown. Mike finished the year dropping decisions to Kendall and England’s Chris Finnegan.No chumps in that bunch.
In 1974 he lost a point’s call to Pierre Fourie. He would then decision Gary Summer Hayes and Karl Zurheide. He would travel back to the Felt Forum and upset previously unbeaten Pedro Soto.In 1975 he whipped Joe “King” Roman but then lost to highly regarded Yaqui Lopez. In 1975 Mike defeated future world champion Mike Rossman over ten rounds. In 1976 he would post wins over Eddie “Red Top” Owens and Tom “The Bomb” Bethea but lose a ten round rematch to Rossman. In 1977 Rossman would halt Mike on cuts to win their rubber match.
The loss to Rossman pretty much finished Mike as a viable contender. From 1978 to 1982 Mike went 3-4-2. He suffered kayo losses to Pete McIntyre, Tommy Evans and Bunny Johnson. Mike retired in 1982 after 81 professional fights. His final ledger was 62-13-6 with 16 knockouts. He was halted five times. Four of those stoppages came in his last ten fights.
Mike like his brother Jerry would suffer from advanced pugilistic dementia. It claimed Jerry’s life in 1999. It took Mike on June 11, 2006. Both brothers were way too tough for their own good. Although Mike would always be regarded as Jerry’s little brother, he more then proved his worth as a world class fighter. He met two world champions and nine others that challenged for a title.
Coming from the Southern Calif. area I was a fan of both the Quarry brothers. I was second row ringside at the Anaheim Convention Center the night Mike fought Jimmy Dupree, the winner promised a shot at champion Bob Foster. Mike was winning the fight early but Dupree was starting to score with right hands. The fight suddenly ended when Mike came off the ropes with a bad gash over one eye, it was ruled a head butt and Mike was awarded a technical decision since he was ahead on points at the time. From ringside I saw no head butt. The next week the bout was televised and with the slow motion camera there proved to be no head butt at all, it was a previous right hand from Dupree that caused the cut. Dupree’s management took the proof to the California athletic commission, they were turned down and the decision stood. At that time there was a-lot riding on that fight. Jerry and Mike (had he won the Dupree fight) were set-up to fight Ali and Foster on a giant double closed circuit billing, a-lot of money was riding on that Quarry brothers fight card and the California Athletic Commission made sure that the big fights in Vegas would come off as planned. So much for the politics of the fight game, somethings will never change. I also went to the Quarry training camp up at Lake Arrowhead when young Mike was training for the Foster fight. What I saw was not a championship training routine. For one, I saw no sparring pardners with any height to simulate the Foster style. There was very little discipline in the camp. I walked away telling friends that Mike was going to get knocked-cold when he faced Foster. Mike Quarry was a very slick tough boxer that was not blessed with a light-heavy punch. And poor Mike stayed in there way to long. I was very sad when both the brothers passed, their decline was long and painful to their families. Like so many fans from the Southern Calif. area the Quarry brothers were part of my youth and early adulthood. I miss those times. I have every film out there of both Mike and Jerry’s fights, I wish there were more available (I’ll never figure-out why the nationally televised Jerry Quarry/Buster Mathis fight film disappeared ?)
For all you Quarry fans there is a great new biography called “Hard Luck”, buy the book you won’t be disappointed.
Actually, he really was a fine boxer in his own right. Another thing I remember of Mike is that he faced and DEFEATED three of my friends, Ray Ayala, Pedro “Lazy Pete” Soto and Joe “King” Roman. Soto eventually defeated Quarry in a rematch. The fight I remember most was his fight with Ayala, attended that one. Ayala, who was once a fighter my uncle helped train, made things quite uncomfortable for Mike. As a mater of fact, I have a copy of that fight. Mike’s brother, Jerry, revitalized his career that night in the main event when he scored a kayo over previously unbeaten Mac Foater.
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