On This Day In Boxing History!

Vinny Pazienza vs Greg Haugen III

August 5th, 1990

Trump Plaza Hotel, Atlantic City, New Jersey

August 5th

1895: Tiger Flowers Was Born In Camilla, Georgia

1931: Maxie Rosenbloom W15 Jimmy Slattery

1954: Boxing Hall of Fame's First Election Selects 24 Modern & 15 Pioneers

Matthew Saad Muhammad is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1957: Gianfranco Rosi was born in Assisi, Italy

1959: Sonny Liston KO3 Niño Valdés

1961: Gene Fullmer W15 Florentino Fernandez

1962: Calvin Grove was born in Coatesville, Pennsylvania

1968: Olympic Gold Medalist Ronnie Harris W10 Leon Washington

1971: Yory Boy Campas was born in Navojoa, Sonora, Mexico

1972: José Nápoles TKO2 Edmundo Leite

1978: Hugo Corro W15 Ronnie Harris

1990: Vinny Pazienza W10 Greg Haugen

1995: A badly decomposed body matching the description of USBA Welterweight Champion James Melvin Hughes, 29, is discovered near Mobile, Alabama, Hughes had been missing for almost two weeks.

Better known in the ring as "Jesse James" or "The Outlaw," was a professional welterweight boxer from Mobile, Alabama. He was born on October 20, 1965, and by 1995 had achieved the USBA Welterweight Championship, compiling a professional record of 22 wins (18 by knockout) and 8 losses. Hughes gained a reputation as an exciting, gritty, and tough competitor, often willing to take punishment to land his shots and known for his determination inside the ring.

In July 1995, Hughes went missing shortly after a bout with Nick Rupa—his last professional fight—while his career and personal life seemed to be on the upswing. His body, badly decomposed, was discovered about two weeks later face-down in a swamp near his home in Mobile, Alabama. His truck was found abandoned by the railroad tracks nearby.

An autopsy revealed that Hughes suffered from blunt trauma to the head, but this injury was not considered fatal. There were no knife wounds, bullet wounds, or powder burns on his body. Trace amounts of cocaine were found in his liver, but not enough to have been lethal or to have caused serious harm. The report stated that there was water in his lungs, indicating that he was alive when placed in the swamp. Despite extensive investigation, the exact cause of death could not be determined, and his case remains unsolved. The circumstances have led to speculation regarding foul play.

At the time of his death, Hughes was regarded as a fighter on the verge of major success, with hopes for high-profile bouts against world champions. His death was a significant loss to the boxing community, where he was remembered for his ferocity, entertaining style, and resilience, as well as for overcoming legal troubles earlier in his life. The murder of James "Jesse James" Hughes remains one of boxing’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

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2000: Zab Judah KO4 Terronn Millett

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2005: Ratanachai Sor Vorapin WMD12 Mauricio Martinez

2006: Vernon Forrest W10 Ike Quartey

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