The Great Roy Jones Jr., Commentator and Still Champion
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
At 44 years old, 56-8 with 40 knockouts, and a year inactive, Pensacola, Florida native Roy Jones Jr. appears unlikely to return to the ring for another fight. Still, you never know. Roy has stated he believes IBF World Light Heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins will beat WBO World Light Heavyweight champion Sergei Kovalev. Could be. We’ll see.
Roy turned pro in May 2009 with a second round stoppage of Ricky Randall. Roy defeated Bernard Hopkins by 12 round unanimous decision to win the vacant IBF World Middleweight title in May 1993. Roy won the IBF World Super Middleweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision over James Toney in November 1994. Roy later won the undisputed WBC World Light Heavyweight title with a first round knockout of Montell Griffin in August 1997, and added the WBA World Light Heavyweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision over Lou Del Valle in July 1998. Roy added the IBF World light Heavyweight belt when he won a unanimous decision over Reggie Johnson in June 1999.
Roy would eventually add the WBA Super, IBO, WBF and IBA World Light Heavyweight belts to his straps. In March 2003, Roy decisioned John Ruiz to win the WBA World Heavyweight title, weighing only 193 pounds, then went back to light heavyweight. Roy defeated, then lost to Antonio Tarver twice and Glen Johnson once. Roy defeated Felix Trinidad, then lost to Joe Calzaghe, defeated Jeff Lacy and Omar Shieka, but lost to Danny Green for the IBO World cruiserweight title, Bernard Hopkins in a rematch, and WBA World Cruiserweight champion Denis Lebedev. With more recent wins over Max Alexander and Pawel Glazewski, Roy could be back in the game at 175 to 200 pounds if he wanted it. He apparently does not.
With Roy, working as a commentator for HBO is appropriate to boxing by virtue of his knowledge, ring experience and expertise. After winning a share of the world heavyweight title and gaining recognition as the best fighter in the world, one could surmise Roy had reached the pinnacle of the sport, from which it is often hard to motivate oneself. Roy continued on for the love of the sport of boxing, but it was not the same. Then again, boxing would not be the same without Roy, whose face, enthusiasm and wisdom are its authority.
English