DUKES of DEATH by MARK KRAM COLD [email protected] ACKENSACK, N.J
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DAILY WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2002 LATE SPORTS 60¢ NEWS SPORTS FIGHTERFIGHTER WHOWHO HASHAS KILLEDKILLED SAYSSAYS TYSONTYSON SHOULDSHOULD BEBE CAREFULCAREFUL WHATWHAT HEHE WISHESWISHES FORFOR DUKESDUKESOFOF DEATHDEATH PAGES 92-88 George Khalid Jones still is struggling with trauma of ring fatality last summer. JEFF ZELEVANSKY/For the Daily News HARD, DUKES OF DEATH By MARK KRAM COLD [email protected] ACKENSACK, N.J. — Cold fear STATS Hgripped George Khalid Jones as he boarded the Acela Express in ‘I want to kill him’ COUNTRIES Newark that summery day last July. WHERE AT Over and over he pondered: What LEAST 10 would people say when he showed up Mike Tyson’s throwaway line is a punch to the gut DEATHS in Washington at the funeral? Would HAVE they spot him in the crowded church of George Khalid Jones, involved in boxing’s last fatality OCCURRED and whisper among themselves, USA: 512 “There he is. The guy who did it!” He England: 125 could feel their eyes upon him, the Australia: 65 anger, the accusation, welling up Mexico: 44 from behind shiny pools of tears. And Japan: 39 what would the widow say when she South Africa: saw him? Would she become hysteri- 28 cal and scream, “You killed him. You Argentina: 26 France: 22 killed my husband!” She would be New Zealand: there with her three children, sud- 17 denly fatherless because of him. How Philippines: 17 could he ever face them? How could Indonesia: 16 he ever face any of them? Cuba: 15 “George, come along with me to Italy: 15 the funeral,” Lou Duva, his promoter, Canada: 14 had told him. “View the body, see the Germany: 12 family, and go to the reception. Go Spain: 12 down there and let people see you.” Venezuela: 12 Chile: 10 Two weeks had passed since Jones had stopped Beethavean “Honey STATES Bee” Scottland in the 10th and final WHERE round of their light-heavyweight bout MOST RING aboard the retired aircraft carrier FATALITIES USS Intrepid on the Hudson River in HAVE TAKEN New York. Carried unconscious from PLACE the ring on a stretcher, Scottland un- New York: 71 derwent two surgeries at Bellevue California: 69 Hospital Center: the first to gauge Pennsylvania: the pressure building up in his brain, 45 the second to drain blood in an effort Ohio: 36 Illinois: 23 to relieve that pressure. He lingered Massachusetts: in a coma for 6 days, during which 23 Jones found himself overwhelmed New Jersey: 22 with an ever-deepening anxiety. Michigan: 15 Nightmares filled what few hours of Texas: 12 sleep he could get, spooky harbingers TEDDY BLACKBURN/Reuters Colorado: 11 of the phone call that would finally Referee Arthur Mercante Jr. assists a fallen Beethavean Scottland, floored by a combination in the 10th come on July 2: Scottland was dead round of his fight last June 26. VENUES at age 26 of a subdural hematoma, a WITH MOST rupture of the veins between the FATALITIES brain and the skull. Uncertain if he New York: 33 The New York Daily News reported which included some boxers with Broken childhood could bring himself to attend the fu- after the death that the promoter whom he was friendly. They told him, Tokyo: 31 Whenever a fighter kills another neral 7 days later, if only because of took out two insurance policies —— London: 23 “It happens. Keep your head up.” in the ring, he is always the forgotten the profound shame that had en- a $20,000 medical policy and a Sydney: 21 Some relatives of Scottland were sur- victim, walled in by heavy shadows of Philadelphia: veloped him, he agreed when Duva $50,000 life policy. And Duva added prised to see him, but an uncle came guilt, fear and remorse. You cannot 20 told him simply, “George, this is the this, “Remember: It could have hap- up to Jones, held out a hand and said, know how it feels until it has hap- right thing do.” pened to you.” He told him boxing “We’re so happy to see you.” The un- pened to you, which is why George So they settled into their seats for was a rough game, that he should get cle told him that he should go on with Khalid Jones found himself so dis- their 3-hour journey, during which what he can out of it in the way of fi- his boxing career because “Bee would tressed when he picked up the sports Jones somberly peered out his win- nancial security and get out while he section a few weeks ago and saw a dow at the passing factories and still had his faculties. Buy a house, get have wanted you to do that.” The wid- quote from Mike Tyson. Outrageous- rivers. The then 79-year-old Duva a college fund started. As they drew ow was equally gracious, her face sad ly, Tyson had said of Lennox Lewis, looked over at Jones and said of into Union Station, Duva said, “You yet forgiving. As he filed by the open his opponent Saturday in Memphis, Scottland, “It was his time, you know? have to leave this behind you today. coffin, which was surrounded by Tenn.: “My main objective is . to kill Whether it happened in a boat or car You have to get closure.” stands of flowers, he wondered how him. He should want to kill me, too, or in the ring, God has a set time for A car picked them up at the curb she and her children would be able to because I want to kill him.” It sent a everyone.” He told Jones there had and drove them to Metropolitan Bap- cope in the years to come. And sud- wave of terror through Jones, who been an insurance policy on Scott- tist Church in Northwest Washing- denly it occurred to him: How could land, that his widow and children ton. Jones cautiously blended into there ever be closure? A piece of me is would get “a nice piece of money.” ..................... the big crowd that had formed there, going along with him to the grave. See JONES, Page 90 PAGE 92 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 2002 HARD, DUKES OF DEATH JONES bling addiction and was arrested COLD Continued from Page 92 again in 1997. He came before a judge who told him, “Mr. Jones, you are a ....................... menace to society.” So he went to STATS said that while Tyson was probably prison again for a 4-year term, only only trying to psych himself up, he this time he was leaving behind a DEATHS BY wondered if he truly knew what he woman, Naomi Del Valle, and their DECADES was saying. Jones remembered what small children. Jones and Del Valle 1920s: 116 he had said a few days before the had been together since December 1930s: 102 Scottland bout: that he had worked 1991 and not a week passed that she 1940s: 109 so hard in the gym that “I pray I don’t did not go to the prison with her chil- 1950s: 142 kill anybody.” They were only words dren. “Seeing him there was the 1960s: 16 then — typical prefight hype — but hardest thing I ever had to do,” said 1970s: 97 they have since come back to him as Del Valle, employed in customer serv- 1980s: 57 an unintended prophecy. ices by The Bank of New York. “I 1990s: 42 “Be careful what you say: It could cried every visit, but I did every sec- DEATHS THE come true,” said Jones, seated at a ond of his time with him. I just knew PAST 5 corner table at an empty North Jer- there was a better person somewhere YEARS sey diner. “And when it does come deep inside of him.” 1997: 8 true, then you suddenly find yourself Some boxing talent was in there, 1998: 2 caught in a horrible nightmare. too, if only he could clean himself up. 1999: 4 JEFF ZELEVANSKY/For the Daily News Sometimes you just say things, but He had begun boxing in jail in 1985 2000: 6 George Khalid Jones is back working out at a North Jersey Police you never think it’ll happen.” because he discovered that boxers 2001: 6 Athletic League gym. The year that has passed since received certain privileges, such as Beethavean Scottland expired has Sunday ice cream and unlimited YEARS IN been a search for life after death for cheeseburgers. He began to spar in WHICH Jones, 34. When he came back from some local gyms in early 1994, then THERE HAVE the funeral in Washington, he became turned pro that September against BEEN AT overwhelmed by the tragedy that had Marty Lindquist in Minnesota. He LEAST A DOZEN befallen his opponent, who everyone was supposed to go there as an “op- FATALITIES said was “a good guy who loved his ponent” — which is to say he was sup- 1953: 25 wife and children.” Thoughts of his posed to lose — but he won a four- 1930: 23 own mate and five children, of how round decision. He then strung to- 1932: 21 precious they were to him, would gether 10 straight victories — includ- 1949: 20 leave him in a state of anguish, his ing eight by knockout — when his ca- 1952: 19 tears streaming down the side of his reer was interrupted by that 4-year 1922: 19 handsome face. A voice inside his jail stint, of which he served 34 1948: 18 head told him: Quit boxing. Yet even months. When he came out again in 1946: 17 as he packed up his gear and stowed May 2000, he clicked off four straight 1964: 17 it away in the attic, a part of him knew victories, three by knockout.