Part 1: Looking back - Tyrone "The Harlem Butcher" Jackson

Tyrone Jackson (31-6, 25 KO’s) turned professional after a great amateur career, and it was evident that the New York based featherweight was someone to keep an eye on. He was racking up victories and looking like a guy who might just be able to work himself into a world title shot one day. And he did. Twice.

Turning pro in 1981, and at 22-0 by 1985, he earned a shot at Ki Young Chung and his IBF world featherweight title in February of that year. Admittedly inexperienced in that environment, and perhaps, despite his unblemished record, not quite ready for a world title fight, Jackson was stopped halfway through the fight.

After the fight from 1987-1989, he rattled off 8 straight wins to earn his second title shot. This time he would be travelling to Stateline, Nevada to take on tough Tony “The Tiger” Lopez to see if could walk away with Lopez’s IBF word super featherweight belt.

While the fight was on neutral territory in Nevada, it was clearly a home game for Lopez. Tony, hailing from only 2 hours down the road in Sacramento, California, had packed the place with his rabid “Tiger” supporters.

Jackson entered the ring looking loose and confident but all that seemed to vanish after the first bell and continued as the fight progressed. An ever-stalking Lopez, always aggressive, was walking down Jackson who didn’t seem to be able to relax enough to get settled into a rhythm, dictate the terms of the fight and land some of the vaunted power punches he was famous for in accumulating 25 stoppages in 31 bouts thus far in his career.

In short, Lopez dropped and stopped what appeared to be a somewhat overwhelmed Jackson who couldn’t seem to execute the fight plan mapped out by his legendary trainer, and fellow New Yorker, Teddy Atlas who had taken over training duties after the first title loss.

After the Lopez fight, Atlas wanted to retire Jackson as he didn’t know if he would be able to bounce back from the crushing defeat. Jackson, however, was adamant that he could rebuild from his title loss and convinced Atlas not to give up on him and give him one more shot. Atlas relented and decided to continue working with the fighter to see if he could bring out some of the talent that he knew was there. Atlas, knowing the emotional toll that the Lopez loss would have on Jackson, knew it was vitally important to see Jackson rebuild himself and leave boxing on a positive note.

But, if Atlas was going to stay on board, Jackson was going to have to show the Hall of Fame broadcaster and trainer something. Atlas, not looking for a soft touch, threw Jackson right back into the lion’s den against 14-2 Rodolpho Gomez in October of 1989, a bout fought in a bull ring in Mexicali, Mexico. This was not an easy environment to try to rebuild your game in, but it was exactly the test Atlas wanted for his charge.

In a recent interview, Atlas referenced the fight and its importance as the first step for back for "The Harlem Butcher."

"He was an experienced guy," said Atlas. “There was no point in putting him in with a bunch of easy fights, it wouldn’t prove anything," he said. "He needed to be put into a tough spot again, and he was. He didn’t get the win, but I saw improvement, I saw some good things," said Atlas.

After a win back in New York in January to kick off 1990, Jackson would travel to the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California to face future world champion, and future featherweight legend, Manuel Medina in May of that year. Fighting a Mexican fighter, in the heart of Los Angeles, was again not a comfortable workspace, but it would be the setting for Jackson to redeem himself.

After 12 rounds, Medina was given the unanimous decision on some very close score cards. And, while the record books show a loss, Atlas was adamant that his fighter left the ring a winner that night. Sometimes when you lose you win.

"Listen Billy, if anyone knows me, they know one thing and that is I will tell the truth. I have no agenda, I have no ulterior motive. I just tell it like it is and my fighter won that damn fight”, said Atlas adamantly. “Listen, if I thought my fighter lost the fight, I’d be the first to say it. But, if he won the fight, I’ll speak up about that too and that night Tyrone beat that guy. It was a tough environment to fight in and he went in there and won the fight," said Atlas.

And while Atlas, like any trainer, is happy to get a win, there was a lot more on the line for Jackson that night.

"I think it was so important for him to get that win, against a tough rugged guy, in a hostile environment," said Atlas. “He was proving some things to me, but even more importantly, he was answering some questions he had of himself," he said. “He had a tough task in front of him and he answered a lot of questions that night. He could leave boxing as a winner, he could leave boxing feeling like a champion," said Atlas.

When asked how Jackson was doing these days, Atlas responded, “He’s doing great, working, a good father, a good husband. Tyrone is a real good man and he accomplished something important in boxing”, he said. “Let me tell you, when I got inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame, I didn’t call a lot of people. I had some friends from my days at ESPN that I wanted there, and I had all my family. But, the one fighter I called, that I really wanted there, was Tyrone Jackson - that tells you something."

(Upcoming Part 2 - Tyrone Jackson interview)