An award winning journalist in both the music and boxing fields, Jones is a three time former Golden Glove Champion and was inducted into the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame in 1996 as Writer, TV Commentator and Ring Announcer. Spider was recently voted “Boxing Commentator and M.C. of the Year” by the Board of Governors for the World Boxing Federation.
A few years after beginning to pursue his dream of becoming a radio personality, he landed a gig hosting a syndicated TV series called “Famous Knockouts”. The show’s enormous popularity led to radio shows on CHWO Oakville, the Fan 590 and Talk 640/MOJO before switching to CFRB where he currently hosts the Spider’s Web.
In 2002 Spider was appointed the nation’s first ever Ambassador to the Skilled Trades Programs. Spider’s latest endeavor is his biography. “Out of the Darkness” is heading into its third printing in less than a year. Its overwhelming success has made him one of the hottest sought after motivational speakers in North America. He has appeared on the Fox radio Network, TSN, CBC, CTV, Global TV, Citytv, the Toronto Star, the National Post, the Toronto Sun and many other media outlets.
Spider is also a highly popular motivational speaker who is much admired for his diligent work among the youth. His inspirational life story and two time best selling book “Out of the Darkness” reveals his amazing rise from the impoverished, gang infested, inner-city projects of Detroit and Windsor and how, as a grade five dropout, he eventually returned to school at the age of thirty to become an honour student. Spider’s favourite thing is talking to his Nighthawks, whether it be about sports, entertainment, or hot issues.
As both a speaker and author Spider speaks and writes with the kind of flair and unbridled passion that provokes laughter, tears, compassion, but most of all, hope. Over the past 20 years, Spider has interviewed such notables as Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, Mark Wahlberg, Jesse Jackson, LL Cool J, Ron Howard, Scott Grimes, Doug Gilmour, Cito Gaston, Oscar De La Hoya, Roy Jones, Kris Kristofferson, James Brown, Guy Lafleur, Carlos Delgado, Jim Brown and countless others. Among his other claims to fame was to act as a sparring partner for such boxing legends as George Chuvalo and former World Heavyweight Champion Jimmy Ellis. Spider was also a member of Muhammad Ali’s training camp back in the days when ‘The Greatest’ fought Chuvalo
Spider Jones is a energetic advocate of the Believe to Achieve Organization, a youth outreach development and counseling charity. Many of Spider’s events go to the benefit of ‘Believe To Achieve‘ kids. Spider is also a widely respected inspirational public speaker and brings his motto, “You Have to Believe to Achieve,” to more than 100 schools each year. He is a 2001 recipient of the prestigious Premier’s Award, honoring him for his countless contributions in the field of youth motivation.
