Percy J. Price Jr.

Personal information
Nationality	American
Born	(1936-05-19)May 19, 1936 Salem, New Jersey, United States
Died	January 12, 1989(1989-01-12) (aged 52) Jacksonville, North Carolina, United States
Sport
Sport	Boxing
Medal record Representing the  United States World Military Championships 1960 Wiesbaden Heavyweight

Percy J. Price Jr. (May 19, 1936 – January 12, 1989) was an American amateur boxer. A United States Marine at the time, he competed in the men's heavyweight event at the 1960 Summer Olympics.^[1] He had gained his place on the U.S. team by defeating another young boxer then known as Cassius Clay. In his first Olympic bout, Price defeated Ron Taylor of Australia, but he lost to Josef Němec of Czechoslovakia in the quarter-finals.^[1]

After seven-year hiatus, Marine Staff Sgt. Percy Price, age 33, returned to the ring to win the Armed Forces Boxing Championships at the Philadelphia Sports Arena. In front of a capacity crowd including world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, Price, 222, won a three-round decision over 20-years Duane Bobick, 199. After the bout, Price, father of six, announced he would never fight again.^[2]

Price turned down offers of a professional career and remained in the Marine Corps until he retired in 1976. However, he won numerous military boxing titles, and also completed two full combat tours of duty in South Vietnam as a Marine platoon leader.^[3]

References