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Joe Louis Manley: Always a Champion in the Record Books

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There’s a long held belief that certain topics can tip a civilized debate into the deep dark waters of rage and regret. I was raised to understand that politics and religion were best avoided in social settings but, over the years, I have learned that this is not necessarily the case. With the advent of social media, and Facebook in particular, forums are freely available where users can dispense with the formalities of being courteous and simply sling abuse at one and other supported and egged on by others baying for cyber blood.

In this arena, politics is a Sunday stroll and the real battle begins with boxing and the word of God. Depending on your belief system or your position on the Mayweather/Pacquiao debacle, your sexuality may be questioned along with the intimacy of your relations with a parent, usually a mother. Her indiscretions with multiple strangers will be highlighted and, invariably, your I.Q will be called into doubt. Race may become an issue. I recently offered an opinion on the Top Rank/TMT issue and I was referred to as “a bull piss drinking, homosexual, apple pie eating white bastard” which is outrageous as I avoid sugar and apple pie is totally off the menu. No deity is safe and I won’t repeat some of the sacrilege that makes its way online.

Everyone is entitled to their own personal beliefs and, providing it’s not forced upon others, then each to their own. Islam, for instance, is a religion that’s had a long standing association with the world of boxing. Muhammad Ali, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Matthew Saad Muhammad and, more recently, Mike Tyson have found favor with Islam and I can’t imagine anyone’s I.Q being compromised enough to question their belief system outside the walls of cyber space. But there were others who embraced that faith and discovered that, even in the very real world, discrimination is alive and well living among us. Joe Louis Manley, JR. was born in Toledo, Ohio on June 11th 1959. As an amateur, he was a talented Lightweight who qualified for the 1980 US Olympic team defeating no lesser an opponent than Frankie Randall to secure his place. Many felt that Manley was a good bet for a medal but it was the year of the Moscow Olympics and, as good old politics raised its head, the US team boycotted the event. The following year, Manley would become the US Lightweight Amateur champion but he had achieved all he would achieve in the unpaid ranks and, in 1981 he turned pro as a light welterweight.

It would take five long and hard years before Manley had fought his way into title contention. The years hadn’t been easy and, although he had put together an impressive record of 26-3-1, 12 KO’s, he’d faltered on the three occasions when he really stepped up in class. He’d lost by split decision to the great Harry Arroyo in ’82, to future WBA Champion Gene Hatcher in ’83 and to former WBC contender Ronnie Shields in ’85. These had all been tough fights and it seemed that Manley would always be the nearly man until he got a crack at Gary Hinton for the IBF World Light Welterweight title in the autumn of 1986. The fighters had met before and, on that occasion, the judges couldn’t separate them with the verdict coming in as an unsatisfying draw. Manley knew that this was his last chance at real success. A defeat would see him tagged with the ‘tough old boy’ label for up and coming guys so he took the opportunity with both fists clenched. On October 30th 1986, Joe Louis Manley, JR. ripped the belt from the champion with a 10th round knock out in front of a packed house in Hartford, Connecticut. He was champion of the world and no one could ever take that moment from him. Life in the ring, however, would never be as good again.

Manley would lose the title in his next outing. To his credit, he defended against the ultra tough Terry Marsh and he gave it his all. Marsh would simply prove too strong and the belt would slip from Joe’s hands never to return. Following his retirement from the game in 1989, Manley underwent a period of soul searching and found his answers in Islam.

He converted and adopted the name Bilal Ajani Sekou and later took a job as a gas technician with a Michigan based utility company. In 2008, Sekou took a $15 million lawsuit against the company alleging years of discrimination and harassment which came to a head when he was suspended from his position. Sekou stated he had been verbally abused by co workers because of his religion. His attorney, Nabih Ayad commented on the case by saying “It’s a shame that an American hero who fought in the name of the US was treated in this fashion”. Ayad went on to say that a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that there was discrimination. Today, Sekou is a family man and he runs a heating and cooling company in Michigan. He was a world champion who stood by his principles inside and outside the ring.

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