KEEPIN’ UP WITH MR. JONES

(INSIDE BOXING) There seems to be no end to the Roy Jones saga. Boxers ranging from middleweight to light heavyweight are all allegedly forming a line to take on the undisputed light heavyweight champion. But when the dust settles the pretenders to the throne are just that…pretenders.

According to many, Roy Jones, Jr. is at a crossroads in his professional boxing career. How this stance is taken is baffling. There are currently no fighters from middleweight to light heavyweight that pose any real threat of dethroning Jones as the best boxer in the world today. Several have made allegations that Jones would not fight them.

Darius Michalczewski went on record as saying that he was having discussions with the Jones camp and Jones was uninterested in entering into any fight plans with him. The offer made by Michalczewski was for Roy Jones, Jr. to accept some $2 million dollars while he would receive $4 million dollars in a bout that would happen sometime late September or early October.

Jones, being the businessman he is, laughed at the ridiculous offer. This was not only an insult to Jones, but to any boxing fan in the world. Roy Jones, Jr. is the draw in any bout he is involved in for the immediate future. To think otherwise is insane. But to think he would go and fight in another country for a lesser amount is even more comical.

The controversy surrounding Jones began when his contract with HBO was about to expire. From that point Jones had been preparing to negotiate his own fight deals. But there was no way HBO was going to allow SHOWTIME, FOX or any other television venue the chance at signing Jones to a contract. They re-signed him to a 3 year, 6 fight agreement.

Roy Jones, Jr. is currently the only undisputed champion of the world. He is recognized by the WBC, WBA and IBF as their light heavyweight champion.

Until another champion can match that statistic there should be no conversation in regards as to whom the premier boxer in the world presently is. Roy Jones, Jr. is in the predicament of being the best light heavyweight in the world…with no comparable challengers. Is this his fault?

Lennox Lewis, the heavyweight champion of the world is in the same predicament. He is currently the best heavyweight in the world…with no comparable challengers. Is this his fault?

Just because there are no viable candidates to dethrone either of these Hall of Fame boxers, why are some media types willing to insult and degrade the skills of either?

The climate has gotten to the point where Lennox Lewis has stated that he will retire from the ring. Roy Jones, Jr. may soon follow.

Felix Trinidad admits he is probably another year to year and a half from being able to handle Jones. Bernard Hopkins eliminated himself by saying $3 million dollars was not enough money to be destroyed by Jones for a second time. Darius Michalczewski has no business being mentioned in the equation.

If Michalczewski wants to prove to the world he is worth a multi million dollar purse he then needs to add names such as Hopkins and Joppy to his resume.  Picture a scenario where the winner of the Hopkins vs Joppy fight will then battles Michalczewski here in the United States.

Michalczewski will never sign that deal. He wants the luxury of fighting where he feels the odds are in his favor. For some strange and unbelievable reason, Michalczewski feels he is the draw in a fight against Roy Jones.

Prince Naseem Hamed tried that strategy and look where it took him. He found out that he has to come to the United States if he wants to be recognized as a big gate attraction.

Roy Jones, Jr. has been a shrewd businessman for quite some time. Joint business ventures with Michael Jordan while unveiling his own line of designer clothing allow you to realize he has been preparing for life after boxing for some time. But it seems some have equated this with him being vulnerable.

He made a strong business decision when he elected to re-sign with HBO and not negotiate a deal with any other network. Financial terms of the contract were not released but Jones was obviously satisfied with the arrangement or he would not have signed.

Bernard Hopkins, William Joppy and Felix Trinidad are all good and talented fighters. Should they take the media hype serious, one or maybe even all three will see what Roy Jones, Jr. is really about…sooner than they’d like.

Boy Wonder

02/22/01