| Fight Name: | Harold Johnson vs. Jesse Bowdry |
| Fight Date: | February 2, 1961 |
| Location: | Miami Beach Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida |
| Titles: | vacant NBA light heavyweight title |
| Fighter1: |  Harold Johnson |
| Nickname1: | "Hercules" |
| Hometown1: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Record1: | 62–8 (28 KO) |
| Height1: | 5 ft 10 in |
| Weight1: | 171 lb |
| Style1: | Orthodox |
| Recognition1: | The Ring No. 1 Ranked Light Heavyweight |
| Fighter2: | Jesse Bowdry |
| Hometown2: | Saint Louis, Missouri |
| Record2: | 28–5 (22 KO) |
| Height2: | 5 ft 10 in |
| Weight2: | 173 lb |
| Style2: | Orthodox |
| Result: | Johnson defeated Bowdry by 9th round TKO |
Cassius Clay vs. Jim Robinson was a professional boxing match contested on February 2, 1961.[1] [2]
Robinson was a last minute replacement for another fighter who was supposed to fight Clay on the night of the fight.[3] [4]
This fight was on the undercard of Harold Johnson vs. Jesse Bowdry for the vacant NBA light heavyweight title, which had been stripped from Archie Moore for failure to defend within six months.[5]
| Fight Name: | Cassius Clay vs. Jim Robinson |
| Fighter1: | Cassius Clay |
| Nickname1: | "The Louisville Lip" |
| Hometown1: | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Record1: | 3–0 (2 KO) |
| Height1: | 6 ft 3 in |
| Weight1: | 193+1/2 lb |
| Style1: | Orthodox |
| Recognition1: | 1960 Olympic light heavyweight Gold Medallist |
| Fighter2: | Jim Robinson |
| Nickname2: | "Sweet Jimmy" |
| Hometown2: | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Record2: | 6–6–2 (4 KO) |
| Height2: | 6 ft 0 in |
| Weight2: | 177+1/2 lb |
| Style2: | Orthodox |
| Result: | Clay won by KO in 1st round (1:34) |
Clay won the fight through a technical knockout when the referee stopped the fight in the first round.[6] [7]
Johnson, a 3-1 betting favorite, dominated the bout. Scoring knockdowns in the sixth and eighth rounds. Bowdry went down again in the ninth and got to his feet on the count of seven but the referee waved it off.
Speaking after the bout Johnson said "I don't feel like the champ yet, when I beat the old man (Archie Moore) I'll get that feeling."[8]
Confirmed bouts:[9]