Roy Jones Jr. has the gold medal from the 1988 Olympics – thanks to a gift from the South Korean fighter who defeated him in the controversial boxing match.
Park Si-hun traveled to Jones’ ranch in Pensacola, Florida, two years ago and gave the Hall of Famer the medal that Jones seemed to have earned in a bout most observers outside of the judges believed he dominated. The news was revealed Wednesday in a video posted on Jones’ YouTube page.
Jones went to his gym on May 30, 2023, believing it was for an on-camera interview. Instead, he found Park in the ring and both fighters’ families there.
“I had the gold medal, but I wanted to give it back to you. It belongs to you,” Park said through his son, who translated.
Park was awarded a 3-2 decision in the light middleweight title bout in Seoul, South Korea, lifting the stunned Jones into the air in the ring after the result was announced. He has said the criticism he received and the depression he felt sometimes led to suicidal urges.
The International Olympic Committee in 1997 concluded it had found no evidence to support bribery allegations against the judges who voted in favor of Park. The U.S. Olympic Committee had called for an investigation in 1996 after documents belonging to East Germany’s Stasi secret police revealed reports of judges being paid to vote for South Korean boxers.
Despite not winning gold, Jones was awarded the Val Barker Trophy for the best boxer in the Games. He went on to win titles in four weight classes from middleweight to heavyweight and went 66-9 as a pro.
Park retired from boxing after the Olympics but later became a coach.