The lives of 13 American heavyweight boxers, 1966 to 1972, were cut short. At least 1 out of 13 American males born between 1935 and 1948 should live past the age of 75. But none of the fighters, in the video, lived beyond 75 and Jerry Quarry died aged just 53.

Jerry Quarry one of the most influential boxers ever see    • Heavyweight boxer Jerry Quarry will b...  

Sonny Liston and Cleveland Williams, who was tragically killed in a hit and run accident, have been omitted.

Buster Mathis could have included here, particularly, as he died aged 52. He was omitted because he did not feature highly in a list of 'the ring' heavyweights.

Buster Mathis (June 11, 1943 – September 6, 1995) was an American boxer.

Mathis had a successful career as an amateur heavyweight boxer. He qualified for a spot in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but had to withdraw due to an injury. He was replaced in the tournament by Joe Frazier who went on to win the gold medal.

Mathis turned professional in June 1965 with a second round knockout victory over Bob Maynard.[citation needed] Buster Mathis went on to win his next 22 contests as well and qualified for a shot at the New York State Athletic Commission World Heavyweight Title, which had become vacant after Muhammad Ali was stripped of the title for refusing to be drafted into the United States Army.

The Title fight was to be held March 4, 1968, in New York's Madison Square Garden against 'smoking' Joe Frazier, his old rival. Frazier won by 11th-round knockout.

Buster Mathis continued to fight in the following years, outpointing George Chuvalo, but losing on points to Jerry Quarry - a fight Mathis was favoured to win. Mathis retired after losing to Quarry in 1969, but returned in 1971 to box Muhammad Ali for the NABF belt, losing on points over 12 rounds.[citation needed] Ali was later criticized for not finishing Mathis in the final rounds of the fight.

After Mathis was knocked out in just three rounds in August 1972 by Ron Lyle, he retired for good.

A 1980 Sports Illustrated article featured interviews with Mathis and many of Muhammad Ali's other opponents. It reported Mathis worked in the trucking business after he retired from the ring.

Mathis had various health problems in later years, including two strokes, a heart attack, and kidney failure. He died of heart failure at age 52.

Buster Mathis on Box Rec - http://boxrec.com/en/boxer/7001

Mike Quarry was born in Bakersfield, California. He began boxing at the age of 8 and obtained his license to fight as an amateur at 17. He tried to emulate his older brother Jerry Quarry, a renowned heavyweight fighter . "At one time Michael said, 'They might as well put on my epitaph: Here lies Jerry Quarry's little brother.'" He had his one chance at a title shot in 1972, when he went up against Bob Foster for the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association light heavyweight crowns. Quarry lost on a fourth-round knockout.

Mike Quarry died at age 55 in La Habra, California. His death was attributed to pugilistic dementia, which had also caused his brother Jerry's death. Mike Quarry's grave is in Shafter, California in Shafter Cemetery.

Jerry Quarry (May 15, 1945 – January 3, 1999), nicknamed "Irish" or "The Bellflower Bomber", was an American heavyweight boxer. Quarry was rated by Ring magazine as the most popular fighter in the sport, from 1968 to 1971, during the peak of his career. His most famous bouts were against world champions Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Ellis, Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton. His professional career record of 53 wins–9 losses–4 draws included wins over some of the best heavyweights of his era, 1965–75. Quarry also had a remarkably successful amateur boxing career. Also briefly a Hollywood actor, Quarry appeared in a number of television roles, and also played a recurring character on the show Adam-12. His younger brother, Mike Quarry, was also a high-ranked contender in the light heavyweight division.

Jerry Quarry was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1995. A TV documentary showed him barely aware of the proceedings, the dementia he suffered now severe. Quarry was hospitalized with pneumonia on December 28, 1998, and then suffered cardiac arrest. He never regained consciousness and died on January 3, 1999. He is interred at Shafter Cemetery in Shafter, California. A foundation was established in his honor to battle boxing-related dementia, a condition that has afflicted many boxers and brought Quarry's life to an early end.

Quarry's overall professional record was 53–9–4 with 32 KOs. He had been lauded by countless younger boxing stars as an inspiring star in the sport. Joe Frazier, in his autobiography, said of Quarry: "A very tough man. He could have been a world champion, but he cut too easily." George Foreman has also similarly lauded Quarry.

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There is a Jerry Quarry website at https://sites.google.com/view/boxing-...