Roy Jr. lived in constant fear of his father's verbal and physical violence against him. The expert opinion of Boxing magazine's editor, Bert Sugar, is provided on Jones' website: "He possesses the fastest hands in boxing with lightning fast moves and explosive power in both hands." "This is just a start. Lacy had tried to pin Jones on the ropes throughout the fight, but Jones was unaffected by the tactic and seemed more worried about playing to the crowd than about Lacy's punches. For other inquiries, Contact Us. ... Getting' hurt or dyin' might've been better than the life I was livin'. [63], After the loss in the third Tarver bout, Jones resumed his duties as a commentator for HBO World Championship Boxing, calling the Floyd Mayweather Jr.–Sharmba Mitchell fight on November 19, 2005, and the Jermain Taylor–Bernard Hopkins rematch on December 3, 2005. After that, Jones Jr was brutally knocked out by Antonio Tarver after coming down from heavyweight to fight at light-heavyweight again. His return to the network was short lived, as Jones was let go from his ringside analyst role in January 2006. However, I don't make excuses, but last week I tore my biceps in my left arm again and I refused to pull out. Decisions Max Alexander Over Ten Rounds", "Roy Jones Jr.-Max Alexander PPV To Land on Ustream", "Roy Jones Jr.-Dawid Kostecki is Heading To June 30th", "Roy Jones: I Don't Care Who I Fight, Even Andrew Golota! [101] In a statement following the fight, Smoger said, "I didn't stop the fight because there were only a matter of seconds remaining in the fight and it seemed that Roy was pretending, trying to trick his opponent. Other than that [fight], chapter closed." Jones landed 249 of 500 punches (50%) while Lacy connected on 104 of 429 (24%). He entered the ring surrounded by the famous group of dancers, The Rockettes. The album, Body Head Bangerz: Volume One, featured B.G., Juvenile, Bun B of UGK, Petey Pablo, Lil' Flip and Mike Jones among others. [145] Jones ended his boxing career defeating Sigmon via a one-sided 10 round unanimous decision, also winning the vacant World Boxing Union cruiserweight title in the process. Jones rarely pressed over the first seven rounds, but put together several combinations in the eighth and 10th rounds to beat Alexander. This was also the last fight of Trinidad's career. Jones last fought in Pensacola in March 2015, when he knocked out Paul Vasquez in the first round. The fifth judge, from Uganda, scored the bout as a draw, leaving the outcome to be decided on other criteria. Halfway through the round, Maccarinelli dropped Jones with an uppercut. Hopkins landed 184 of 526 punches (35%), while Jones connected on 82 of 274 (30%). Jones Jr only retired at 49, however, in 2018 after a win over Scott Sigmon after a 29-year professional career. Phillips, who fought in his first boxing match, was 5-3 in MMA bouts and 6-1 as an amateur boxer. He also rarely led with the jab and instead was known for leading with leaping left hooks or the right cross. The fight headlined the "Island Fights 38" card, an ongoing series that combines boxing matches and MMA bouts on the same show. After one more KO, Jones went the distance for the first time against future world champion Jorge Castro, winning a 10-round decision in front of a USA Network national audience. Many believed due to Jones being lined up to challenge then-WBC cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Włodarczyk, he was given the decision. Phillips would have received $100,000 if he had knocked Jones out, but was knocked down in the second round by Jones. On March 1, 2003, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas,[45] Jones defeated John Ruiz, the man who defeated an aging Evander Holyfield, for the WBA Heavyweight title in front of 15,300 fans. Hanshaw was ranked 11th by the IBF at super middleweight. For the English footballer, see, "When Jones picks up the action, he starts to look like, (Franek was given a standing eight count in the 1st rd; and at the 2:33 of the 2nd rd), (Zaytsev suffered a broken nose in the 1st rd), (Woodhall suffered a broken nose in the 2nd rd), (Park was given a standing eight count at 2:11 of the 2nd rd), Won vacant WBU (German version) cruiserweight title, Won vacant WBF (Foundation) cruiserweight title. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). It's my last one for the bayfront ... Civic Center, Pensacola, Bayfront Arena, whatever you want to call it. Ultimately, Jones lost by unanimous decision, winning only one round (10-8 in the first) on the 3 official judges cards. Roy Levesta Jones Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American former professional boxer, boxing commentator, boxing trainer, rapper, and actor who holds dual American and Russian citizenship. Jones landed 206 of 594 punches (35%) and Hopkins connected on 153 of 670 (23%). The fight aired in the UK on Setanta Sports after 4.30am local time, peaking at 500,000 viewers. Jones stated that he often visited Russia for business activity, and a passport would avoid inconvenient rides. [9], Jones represented the United States at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games in the 156-pound weight class, being the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, where he won the silver medal.[10]. I was in pain all day, every day, I was so scared of my father. The fighters are 54 and 51 years of age respectively and have come out … [95] 2,000 tickets were reportedly sold on the day of release. Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr after weighing in (Image: USA TODAY Sports) 4. Jones scored a flash knockdown in the third round with a leaping left hook after goading Toney by imitating a fighting cock. [128], On March 20, 2016, Jones fought in Phoenix, Arizona at the Celebrity Theatre against 33-year-old MMA fighter Vyron Phillips, who had won the right to fight him after having been selected through a vote on Facebook. [26][27][28], In 1997 Jones had his first professional loss, a disqualification against Montell Griffin (26-0, 18 KOs) at the Taj Majal Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Jones landed 254 of 535 punches (47%) throughout the 12 rounds and McCallum connected on 209 of 651 (32%) Jones was soon upgraded to full champion by the WBC when former titlist Fabrice Tiozzo moved up to cruiserweight. Adam Hamdani 29 November 2020 05:41. He danced circles around Toney, utilizing his speed and athleticism to dictate the action, and landing quick combinations whenever Toney pressured him. This was the first time a championship fight took place at Pensacola. Jones unified the light-heavyweight division on multiple occasions before finally making the move to heavyweight, skipping cruiserweight altogether. The fight, billed as "Hook City", going off the boxers nicknames of 'Captain Hook' and 'Left Hook', took place at the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. On November 18, 1994, Jones was set to face undefeated IBF super middleweight Champion James Toney, who was ranked highly in the "pound for pound" rankings. I promised Bobby a long time ago that I would give him the opportunity, and I am a man of my word. Before this bout, Jones was controversially awarded The Ring Championship belt, despite Dariusz Michalczewski still being regarded as the Lineal champion in the same weight class. The reason for this is that the trophy is being awarded by the AIBA, an organization not directly connected with the Olympic authorities. BBC Sport speaks to boxers, pundits and vloggers before Saturday's exhibition fight between retired former world champions 'Iron' Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. 54-year-old Tyson is … The bout—officially sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC)—was initially scheduled to take place on September 12 at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California,[152] however, the date was pushed back to November 28 in order to maximize revenue for the event. So I thought Jones was doing the same thing here, trying to deceive Lebedev in the final seconds of the fight in order to lure Denis in to land a big punch [which Jones managed to do in the previous round]. [92], In February 2011, Vladimir Hryunov confirmed that negotiations were taking place for Denis Lebedev (21-1, 16 KOs) to fight Jones in Moscow. Dominates, Punishes and Stops Bobby Gunn - Boxing News", "Roy Jones Eyes Retirement: I Think It's My Last Year in Boxing - Boxing News", "Roy Jones: No Retirement, I'll Be in The Coffin Throwing Punches! The fight generated 500,000 pay-per-view buys and $25 million in domestic television revenue. In 2003, Jones beat John Ruiz by unanimous decision to become the WBA heavyweight world champion. As Kelly moved in behind a jab, Jones went over the jab with a right to the head. He offered direction to numerous youths and steered many of them away from trouble. He did this repeatedly in the fight. Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Jones Jr was born on January 16, 1969, making him 51 years old. [157] For this, he was banned from entering Ukraine. "[155], Using his birds as an image for his own predicament, Jones said in the same Sports Illustrated piece: "I spent all my life in my dad's cage. [104][105] The three judges scored the bout all in Jones' favour (100-90, 100-90 & 99-91). For his next fight, he fought another future world champion, Thulane "Sugar Boy" Malinga, in a non-title affair. After going the distance, Hopkins was awarded with a unanimous decision (118-109, 117-110 twice). Jones was initially gracious in his humbling defeat, stating that "We don't make excuses, it was a great performance by Danny. I'm not through yet. "[2] One judge shortly thereafter admitted the decision was a mistake and all three judges voting against Jones were eventually suspended. As the fight progressed Jones absorbed more and more punishment and suffered a cut over his left eye. Scoring and winner. He had played a basketball game in the morning and defended his boxing title in Jacksonville, Florida that evening. Ruiz had no guarantee. Jones began as a professional on May 6, 1989, knocking out Ricky Randall in two rounds in Pensacola at the Bayfront Auditorium. [31][32][33], In 1998, Jones began by knocking out former light heavyweight and future cruiserweight champion Virgil Hill in four rounds with a huge right hand to the body that broke one of Hill's ribs. The fight generated 225,000 pay-per-view buys. After almost a year away from the ring, focusing on training and working as an analyst for HBO Boxing, Jones scheduled a third fight with Antonio Tarver, on October 1, 2005, a sellout crowd of 20,895 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, which aired on HBO PPV. Jones made $2.8 million from the fight and McCallum got $750,000. Boxing legends Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr face off in an exhibition match in Los Angeles. However, Calzaghe claimed injury to his right hand in training, so the fight had to be postponed a couple of weeks, with November 8 being set as the new date. Subsequently, Jones was disqualified and lost his title. Both Jones and Griffin earned a $1.5 million purse. Jones was known for his unique and unorthodox fighting style that defied many of boxing's oldest traditions. [109][110] Jones negotiated his deal with 12 Knockout Promotions, the fight's promoter, he was assured that Kostecki would not start serving his sentence until after the fight. Jones officially weighed in at 193 lb (88 kg)[46] and Ruiz at 226 lb (103 kg). Marv Albert, calling the bout on American television for NBC, reported that two judges from Communist countries, Hungary and the Soviet Union, scored the bout in favor of Jones, while those from Morocco and Uruguay favored Park. Come February 17th, I am going to shock the world again. ", "Roy Jones Jr. I want a cruiserweight title, the world title", said Jones, who weighed in at 189 pounds. In the post fight, Jones and Gunn both embraced. Jones built a record of 15–0 with 15 knockouts before stepping up in class to meet former World Welterweight Champion Jorge Vaca in a Pay Per View fight on January 10, 1992. Jones dropped Johnson in the first round and hard in the third round, but backed off and allowed Reggie to finish the fight. [61][62], In the post-fight interview with ESPN's Brian Kenny, Jones said that he would like to fight again. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Jones was also able to counter most of the shots Sigmon threw. [112], On December 21, 2013, Jones defeated Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf (17-3-1, 8 KOs) by unanimous decision for the vacant WBU cruiserweight title at the Dynamo Palace of Sports in Krylatskoye in Moscow, Russia. Jones Jr finished his career with a boxing record of 66-9. [71] Jones fired a combination in the tenth round to send Trinidad down once more. Speaking of the event, Jones said, "My last day at the Bay. Hopkins collapsed to his knees in his dressing room, drained from a brutal fight and exhausted by the end of his 17-year wait for revenge against Jones. After round 9, the scorecards read (87–84, 85–86, 90–81). [153], Jones was born in Pensacola, Florida. Immediately after his second fight with Montell Griffin, Former heavyweight champion George Foreman remarked that Jones did not need a jab to setup his punches due to his extraordinary quickness and that he is probably the only boxer in history he could say that about. He competed in boxing from 1989 to 2018, and held multiple world championships in four weight classes, including titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight, and is the … [40], In 2002, Jones retained his title by knocking out Australian boxer Glen Kelly in seven rounds via knockout. Against the ropes, he then absorbed a huge right hook which caused him to stiffen and fall face down on the canvas. [130], Square Ring Promotions announced on July 29, Jones would return to his hometown, Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida on August 13 against journeyman "Rockin'" Rodney Moore (17-11-2, 7 KOs) in a cruiserweight bout. [94] The fight, a 10-round bout, which was billed as the "Battle of Two Empires" was announced to take place on May 22 at Dynamo Palace of Sports in Krylatskoye. All three judges scored the fight 98-92 in favour of Jones. [119][120] This was a second straight stoppage and fifth consecutive victory for Jones. [158], Roy and his wife Natlyn[159] have three children, Roy Jones III, DeShaun, and DeAndre. Jones reportedly fractured his wrist a few weeks before this fight and fought almost exclusively one-handed. Roy Jones Jr won world titles in four different weight divisions Credit: Getty Images - Getty How old is Roy Jones Jr and how tall is he? "[139][140] Jones later told On The Ropes Boxing Radio, "Yeah I think it's my last year in boxing, and I tell people all the time." The boxing icon was born in Pensacola, Floria, where he currently resides with his wife and three sons. Jones Jr won a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, but his loss is regarded as one of the worst robberies in amateur boxing history. [47] Jones also became the first fighter to start his career as a light middleweight and win a heavyweight title[48], and the second reigning light heavyweight champion after Michael Spinks in 1985 to move up in weight and claim a major heavyweight championship in his first fight in the division. Roy Jones Sr. fought Marvin Hagler on June 10, 1977[4][5][6] (which happened to be Hagler's 36th pro fight,) on the undercard of the Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Vinnie DeBarros fight. [131] On fight night, in front of more than 5,000 fans in attendance, in a slow-paced affair, Jones won a one-sided 10 round unanimous decision with shutout scores of 100-90 on all three cards. [98][99][100] Referee Steve Smoger was also accused of incompetence because he did not stop the fight even though Jones could no longer defend himself which led to Jones taking unnecessary damage. Event in Krasnodar, Russia is Sold Out", "Roy Jones Jr. Destroys Hany Atiyo in One Round", "Roy Jones Jr. Wins In Club Fight, Eyes Huck Title Shot", "Roy Jones Picks Up Second KO Win In Less Than a Month", "Roy Jones Jr. vs. Eric Watkins: Winner, Scorecard and Reaction", "Video: Roy Jones Jr scores KO win in Connecticut", "Enzo Maccarinelli to fight legendary Roy Jones Jr in December", "Roy Jones Jr officially becomes Russian citizen with Moscow passport ceremony", https://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/story/_/id/14354583/enzo-maccarinelli-stuns-roy-jones-jr-fourth-round-knockout-moscow, "Roy Jones Jr returns to ring to beat fan by technical knockout in second round | Sport", "Roy Jones Jr KO's Vyron Phillips in an exhibition", "Jones Jr. back in action Aug. 13 against Moore", "Roy Jones Jr. shuts out Rodney Moore | Boxing News", "Roy Jones Jr. Tears Right Bicep, Admits Career Could Be Over - Boxing News", "Roy Jones Jr: I'm Addicted To Boxing, No Retirement Right Now - Boxing News", "Photo: Roy Jones Jr., Bobby Gunn Face Off at Kickoff Presser - Boxing News", "Roy Jones Jr. v Bobby Gunn kick-off press conference round-up", "Photo: Roy Jones Jr., Bobby Gunn Make Weight, Ready For War - Boxing News", "Roy Jones Jr. stops Bobby Gunn in eight, wants to continue fighting - The Ring", "Roy Jones Jr. Moore did not fight between 2005 and 2012 and has lost nine consecutive fights, although only one of them came by knockout. He had such hand speed that he could often throw hooks in rapid succession. Ajamu also lost two points for repeated low blows in round seven and one more in round eight. Jones came in ranked as the #6 light heavyweight in the world by The Ring. [34][35] Jones followed that with a win against WBA light heavyweight champion Lou Del Valle, by a decision in 12 on July 18, to unify the WBC and WBA belts. "[102] Jones, when asked about his feelings on the punch responded "I forgive him". Decisions Benmakhlouf - Winner Takes All", "Roy Jones Stops Courtney Fry in Five Rounds", "Roy Jones Jr. So if you want to come to see my last day in Pensacola, be there February 8. Jones was ahead on all three judges scorecards by the end of the fourth round, (50-44, 50-44 & 50-45). He received 40% of the profits, which he had to share with promoter Don King. At the time of announcement, Gunn was a former IBA cruiserweight champion and bare-knuckle heavyweight champion, with a record of 72-0 with 72 knockouts. The fight lasted the full 8 rounds, and was declared a draw. Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, IBO, WBF (Federation), IBA, and. Jones was a master at this sort of style, and used this to his advantage by sticking his chin out to bait his opponents into hitting him, only to pull back and counter the off-balance opponent with his own punches.