Roy Jones Jr vs. Park Si-hun took place 37 years ago at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea with gold on the line.
In what still stands today as one of the most egregious decisions in boxing history, Park was awarded the split-decision victory despite suffering a standing eight count in the second and being out-landed more than 2-1. It was such a bad call that the decision led to reforms in Olympic boxing judging criteria, yet the official record still stands: Jones Jr. walked away with the silver
medal.
Jones Jr. went on to become one of the greatest professional boxers of all time, a multiple weight champion with an incredibly unique and flashy style. An undisputed Light Heavyweight champion, Jones Jr. is widely considered the very best boxer of the 1990s. Still, it has to have hurt to wrongly leave gold behind in the “Land of the Morning Calm.”
In an incredible update more than three decades later, Park Si-hun took it upon himself to right the wrong. Roughly two years ago, Park traveled across the globe to visit with Jones Jr. at his home in Florida and return the “stolen” medal 35 years after their 1988 clash.
The video has just now released, and their exchange can be witnessed below:
“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, feeling it was rightfully mine.”
Park actually never turned professional after his 1988 Olympic run, though he eventually became a coach for the South Korean national team. Jones Jr., meanwhile, has flirted with retirement multiple times but competed as recently as April 2023, losing a majority decision to former UFC Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.
