Joe Manley

Joe Louis Manley Jr. (June 11, 1959 – May 2, 2023) was an American boxer who fought at light welterweight.

Amateur career Manley qualified as a lightweight for the 1980 United States Olympic team, defeating Frankie Randall on his way to earning his berth. Manley did not compete, however, due to the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Olympics. Manley was also the 1981 United States Amateur champion at lightweight.

Professional career Manley became a professional boxer in 1981. He lost to future champion Gene Hatcher in 1983 but defeated another future champion, Freddie Pendleton, in 1985. He qualified for his title shot by winning a decision over Howard Davis Jr. in February 1986. He went on to win the International Boxing Federation light welterweight title with a 10th-round knockout over Gary Hinton in October 1986. He lost the title to Terry Marsh in 1987. He retired in 1989 after a loss to future world champion Loreto Garza and James McGirt.

Professional boxing record

Later life and death Manley converted to Islam after he retired from boxing and adopted the name Bilal Ajani Sekou. In 2008 he filed a $15 million discrimination lawsuit against his employer Consumers Energy.

Manley began to suffer from dementia in his later years and went missing from his care facility in 2017; he was found a few day later. He died in May 2023 in New Orleans.