Joliet’s Billy Boy Thompson to be inducted into Golden Gloves Hall of Fame

JOLIET – There aren’t many people on the planet who can say they boxed against a heavyweight champion – and knocked that man down.

Joliet’s Billy Boy Thompson is one of those few. When they were amateurs, Thompson squared off against George Foreman in the U.S. Olympic Trials. Foreman won the fight by a TKO in the second round, but Thompson knocked the big man down in the first round.

“At that time, we were both unknown and trying to make a name for ourselves,” Thompson said about the fight with the future heavyweight champ. “I was able to knock him down in the first round, but he was so strong. I have never seen an amateur fighter – and he was only 18 years old at the time – hit so hard.

“When he hit the heavy bag, it felt like the walls of the building were going to come down.”

A list of Thompson’s achievements:

• 1964 – CYO Novice Championship winner, light heavyweight, Chicago.

• 1966 – CYO heavyweight champion, Chicago; Golden Gloves heavyweight champion, Streator; Illinois state heavyweight champion, Ottawa.

• 1967 – CYO heavyweight champion, Chicago; Golden Gloves runner-up, heavyweight, Chicago.

• 1968 – CYO heavyweight champion, Chicago; Golden Gloves heavyweight champion, Springfield; Illinois state heavyweight championship runner-Up, Ottawa; Fought George Foreman in U.S. Olympic Trials in Toledo, Ohio. Lost in second round after knocking down Foreman in the first round.

• 1969 – Golden Gloves heavyweight champion, Chicago.

• 1970 – CYO heavyweight champion, Chicago; National Golden Gloves heavyweight champion, Las Vegas (beat Ron Lyle, who later turned pro and fought Muhammad Ali and Foreman for the heavyweight championship); Voted the No. 1 heavyweight amateur in the U.S. by the Amateur Boxing Association.

• 1971 – Illinois state heavyweight champion, Ottawa.

• 1972 – Golden Gloves heavyweight champion, Chicago

• 1973 – Illinois state heavyweight champion, Ottawa.

For all of those efforts, Thompson, who was inducted into the Joliet Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2004, will be inducted Friday as part of the inaugural class of living legends into the Chicago Golden Gloves Hall of Fame.

According to the organization’s website, “In the truest spirit of our great tradition, these men came from humble beginnings and literally fought their way to greatness. They’ve honored their families, the Chicago Golden Gloves community, indeed all of boxing, and beyond.

“We know you’ll want to join us, to hear their great stories and congratulate them, as we celebrate these men who defined ‘Champion.’”

The ceremony will take place Friday during the Chicago Golden Gloves Championship bouts at Cicero Stadium, 1909 S. Laramie, in Cicero.

Thompson recalled his road to the national championship in 1970.

“I won five fights in three days in Las Vegas, three of them by knockout,” he said. “The semifinals and finals were fought on the same day. It was a different time back then. They don’t do that today.

“That was like looking at a problem in math class and just knowing you will get it right. You know exactly what to do and what the answer is. I felt like that going into that tournament. I knew I was going to win.”

Despite the success as an amateur, Thompson never fought professionally.

“I had a wife who was having a baby,” Thompson said. “I did what I thought was best and stayed with my family.”

Thompson worked for 31 years with the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad as a yard master, but he still found ways to remain around boxing.

“I had a friend who was a guard at Pontiac and Stateville prisons, and I went there and helped him train some of the inmates to box,” Thompson said. “I really enjoyed that, especially the kids that were from the inner city. When I was growing up, I played football, basketball, baseball – all of them. Some of these guys weren’t able to do that, so boxing gave them something.

“They knew who I was and my reputation, and they asked me thousands of questions. They knew I had fought George Foreman and Ron Lyle. They wanted to hear about that, and they listened to me when I taught them things.”

Thompson also taught at a gym on Scott Street in Joliet before it closed.

Several years ago, he also caught up with an old friendly adversary.

“I saw George Foreman in 2016,” he said. “We had breakfast and talked about the good old days for a little bit. He’s a busy guy, so we didn’t talk long, but it was good to have a couple of hours with him. At the time we fought, we both had big dreams. Now, he has a movie coming out on the 28th of this month called ‘Big George’ about his life. There aren’t many men who can say they fought a heavyweight champ and knocked him down.

“There’s also one person in particular I would like to thank and mention, and that’s my mother, Ada Thompson. I just always wanted to make her proud. Without her, there’s no Billy Boy. I know she’ll be watching Friday and smiling.”