HISTORY IN THE MAKING
by Stephen S. Johnson
(INSIDE BOXING, October 29, 2002) - March 1, 2003. Thomas and Mack Center. Las Vegas, Nevada. This is the scheduled date and venue for what could be a history-making event.
On this date and in this arena the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion of the World, Roy Jones, Jr. (47-1, 38 KO's) vs. WBA Heavyweight Champion of the World, John Ruiz (38-4-1, 27 KO's) for Ruiz' heavyweight title belt.
The fact that these two men are highly respected for their character in and out of the ring should be in of itself a great marketing tool for professional boxing.
Maturity in age goes to Jones who will turn 34 on January 16th. Ruiz, who will turn 31 on January 4th is not far behind.
For the last several years there has been no opponent that could match the skills of Roy Jones, Jr. in the light heavyweight division. There have many pretenders that have been dispatched with little lingering afterthought.
The ones that decided they would verbalize to the media their opinions on how they would take Jones into areas he had never been before were given a thorough beating.
On September 7th of this year, Jones ended a scheduled 12 round title bout against Clinton Woods of England by way of TKO in the sixth round.
Since his controversial loss by way of disqualification in March of 1997 against Montell Griffin, Jones has won 13 straight fights.
That loss was avenged 3 months later with Jones knocking out Griffin in the first round. He has not been tested since.
Talk of Jones meeting the Undisputed Middleweight Champion of the World, Bernard Hopkins, fell apart as Hopkins wanted ridiculous concessions by Jones early on in negotiations. An agreement could never be made on division of purse or what weight the fight would be staged.
There has never been a professional boxer to lay claim to the trifecta of middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight titles in his career.
Michael Spinks is the only light heavyweight champion to ever win a heavyweight title. In September of 1985, Spinks rested the IBF version of that title from Larry Holmes by 12 round decision.
Roy Jones, Jr. will be attempting to make history should he defeat John Ruiz come March 1, 2003.
The 6 foot 2 inch John Ruiz won the WBA heavyweight title with a 12 round decision against Evander Holyfield in March of 2001. He had lost to Holyfield in August of 2000. The two fought to a draw in December of 2002. In his most recent fight on July 27, 2002, Ruiz defeated Kirk Johnson by disqualification.
Ruiz is not known as a hard punching heavyweight. But, nonetheless, he is still a heavyweight fighting at 225 pounds.
Jones has lightening quick fists and just as fast hands that first mesmerize then devastate his opponents. But, nonetheless, he is still a light heavyweight fighting at 175 pounds.
The challenge for Roy Jones, Jr. will be if he can convince the boxing public that the title Heavyweight Champion of the World can be given to him should he merely outbox John Ruiz.
The one thing we know about Roy Jones, Jr. is that he has always accepted, and even relished, challenges. This fight against John Ruiz will test his abilities in all aspects of the fight game.
Roy Jones, Jr. is smaller and older than John Ruiz. That is something Jones will most definitely remind everyone of in the next few months.
The inability of ANY light heavyweight (including Roy Jones, Jr.) to outfight and not outbox any current heavyweight titleholder is the uphill battle facing Roy Jones, Jr.
But he is the man who has faced, and eventually defeated, any and all uphill battles prior to this scheduled heavyweight title fight.
I, for one, will not be quick to bet against him.