Top 10 Facts About Jimmy Doyle

Top 10 Facts About Jimmy Doyle

For quite some time, the boxing welterweight division has produced some of the sport’s greatest boxers. The majority of these boxers stand out thanks to their excellent abilities and techniques, which set them apart from other regular boxers. One of these welterweight boxers to ever get in the ring is Jimmy Doyle. Doyle’s skill in the ring can be summed up in one word: tactical.

In the welterweight division, Jimmy wreaked havoc by using speed, power, and technique that helped him easily run over his opponents. He was one of the most sought-after boxers of his era thanks to a deadly combination of agility, power, and endurance.

To outmanoeuvre his opponents, he relied on speed. Jimmy was able to avoid and manoeuvre around his opponents with his quick and agile footwork while also punching them with speed and accuracy to wear them down. He relied on it to deliver devastating blows that knocked out his opponents, ultimately giving him victory. His punching power was also amazing. Doyle’s exceptional toughness and discipline put him on a path to train regularly to stay focused during fights, developing fortitude that was essential for his success in the ring. 

Jimmy Doyle is still lauded by boxing fans all over the world for his ring manoeuvres and skills, which set the bar for modern fighters to follow, many years after his era. Let us find out what are the top 10 facts about him that you should know.

1. Jimmy Doyle was born James Emerson Delaney on August 12, 1924  

Jimmy Doyle was born on August 12, 1924, in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. He competed in the welterweight division as a professional boxer. The parents of Jimmy Doyle, Edward (formerly Edouard) Delaney and Marie Elodie Barret, both natives of New Orleans, emigrated to Los Angeles soon after their 1921 wedding.

2. He is of Creole descent

James Emerson Delaney famously known as Jimmy Doyle, a Creole of mixed-racial heritage, was born on August 12, 1924. He was the son of New Orleans natives Edward (formerly Edouard) Delaney and Marie Elodie Barret, who relocated to Los Angeles shortly after their 1921 marriage. Joseph Georges Delaney and Elodie Landry, members of a French-speaking family of coloured Creoles from the upper Bayou Lafourche region, gave birth to Jimmy’s father in 1886.

3. He began his professional boxing career in 1941, at the age of 17

At the age of just 17, “Doyle” made his professional boxing debut in 1941, participating in the Welterweight division. He was able to become one of the best boxers in the welterweight division. He depended on quickness to outmanoeuvre opponents. Jimmy’s swift and nimble footwork allowed him to sidestep and manoeuvre around his opponents while simultaneously punching them quickly and precisely to wear them down. He used it to deliver powerful punches that defeated his opponents and ultimately brought him victory and established him as one of the top contenders in the division.

4. Jimmy Doyle died of injuries sustained in a world title bout with Sugar Ray Robinson

Doyle competed against Sugar Ray Robinson for the world welterweight championship in 1947. Except for the sixth round, where he was twice knocked out and suffered a gash above his right eye, Robinson held the upper hand. In the eighth round, Robinson finished the fight with a single left hook when Doyle was attempting a right hook. Doyle stumbled and landed on his back. Doyle pushed himself to his elbows and attempted to utilize the ropes to get to his feet as the referee began counting, but he was unsuccessful.

As the referee counted off “nine,” the bell ending the round sounded, sparing Doyle from being knocked out completely. As Doyle was unable to continue, his handlers begged the referee to call a timeout. After the fight, Doyle was brought to St. Vincent’s Charity Hospital, where he passed away a few hours later after failing to regain consciousness.

5. He died at the age of 22

Looking at Jimmy’s total bouts at the time of his passing, you’d think that he had been fighting for a long time but best believe that he had only fought for five years since making his debut at 17 years. Jimmy passed on at 22 years having been involved in 53 matches, winning 43, 14 coming by knockouts, 3 being draws and only 7 losses.

Also Read: Top 10 Facts About Boxer Patrick Day

6. His death led to Robinson getting threatened with criminal charges 

Robinson was threatened with criminal charges in Cleveland after Doyle passed away, including manslaughter, but none of them materialized. After Jimmy Doyle’s passing, Sugar Ray Robinson was not subject to a murder investigation or charge. Although unfortunate and brought on by wounds received during the battle, Doyle’s passing was not seen as a crime. Robinson adhered to all boxing rules and regulations at the time the fight was sanctioned and governed by the Ohio State Athletic Commission. Robinson was profoundly touched by Doyle’s passing and lived with the memories for the rest of his days.

7. Doyle fought primarily as a welterweight and middleweight

Jimmy made his debut and mainly fought as a welterweight and middleweight. His prowess allowed him to emerge among the top contenders compiling a record of 43 wins, 7 losses and 3 draws before his untimely passing while still active in the game. Perhaps if Jimmy didn’t pass on too early, the fight numbers could have been much more.

8. His death led to increased scrutiny of boxing’s safety practices

The boxing community was shocked by Doyle’s passing, which raised scrutiny of the sport’s safety procedures. The fight should have been stopped sooner, according to several observers, because Doyle had already sustained a lot of damage before being knocked out. Better pre-fight medical screening, including thorough neurological testing, might have been undertaken as one of the primary strategies to find any existing illnesses that would put combatants at risk.

To reduce the risk of brain injuries, some experts also suggested that the sport’s rules be altered to reduce the number of rounds or mandate longer rest intervals. The tragedy also spurred the creation of new protective gear to better protect combatants during fights as well as greater research into the long-term repercussions of repetitive head trauma. 

Read More: Top 10 Facts About Boxer David “Davey” S. Moore

9. Doyle was pushing himself to fight to “buy his mother a house” 

During a book festival appearance on September 25, 2010, Will Haygood, an American journalist and author who is known for his 2008 article “A Butler Well Served by this Election” and was Robinson’s biographer, stated that Doyle was pushing himself to fight to “buy his mother a house”. Robinson learned that Jimmy Doyle had the intention of using the money he was going to get after winning their bout to buy his mother a house. In the next four matches Robinson had, he gave all the money to Doyle’s mother to purchase a house henceforth accomplishing what Jimmy wanted for his mother.

10. Doyle’s death could have been evaded

Sugar Ray Robinson was due to defend his world title for the first time against Jimmy Doyle in June 1947, after four non-title battles. Robinson first backed out of the fight because he had a dream about killing Doyle. A priest and a clergyman persuaded him to fight. His dream came true.

On June 25, 1947, Robinson dominated Doyle and scored a decisive knockout in the eighth round, knocking Doyle unconscious and ultimately in Doyle’s death later that night. If Robinson had stuck firm to his decision to not fight Doyle, perhaps Jimmy could have lived to see another day.

Related: 10 Boxers who sadly died in the Ring