One of the most infamous injustices in Olympic boxing history has finally found closure. Roy Jones Jr., widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, has received the gold medal that was controversially denied to him at the 1988 Seoul Olympics 37 years after the robbery.
Back in Seoul, Jones faced South Korea’s Park Si-hun in the light middleweight final. Despite out-landing Park by more than two to one and even scoring a standing eight count in the second round, Jones was shockingly handed a split-decision loss.
The verdict sparked outrage worldwide and led to sweeping reforms in Olympic boxing judging. But the official record stood: Park with gold, Jones with silver.
Jones went on to carve out an iconic professional career, becoming an undisputed Light Heavyweight champion and one of the flashiest, most dominant fighters of the 1990s. Yet, the sting of Olympic injustice lingered.
That changed when Park Si-hun himself made a remarkable gesture. Nearly 35 years after their bout, Park traveled from South Korea to Florida to meet Jones and personally return the medal, admitting it was rightfully his.
“In 1988, I was robbed of the gold medal in what became one of the biggest controversies in boxing history,” Jones Jr. wrote on X. “By the grace of God, a couple of years ago, the man who won that medal made the trip from South Korea to my home to return it to me.”
Park never turned professional after 1988 but went on to coach South Korea’s national boxing team. Jones, meanwhile, fought into his 50s, with his last appearance coming in April 2023 against former UFC champion Anthony Pettis.
Now, more than three decades later, the Olympic wrong has finally been made right.
