Five years ago when you asked anybody in the boxing world about Roy Jones Jr. you’ll surely get answers in the superlatives. He was fresh from writing history by being the only boxer in the past century to win championship belts in both middleweight and heavyweight division- 106 years to be exact. Roy dominated anybody and everybody that stood in his way including Bernard Hopkins a decade prior. But after 5 years, and perhaps as some suggest, 5 years of overstaying in the game, Roy’s once impeccable status as perhaps one of the greatest boxers of all time has taken a huge turn south. He lost 3 straight fights after 2003, two by brutal knockouts from Antonio Tarver and journeyman Glen Johnson. Although he has won his previous 3 fights, most people feel that they were against inferior competition and a washed up Felix Trinidad aside from the fact that all 3 ended in ho hum fashion.
This is not your uncle’s Roy Jones Jr. But despite various ramblings from boxing fans that he should step away from the game, Roy isn’t having any of it. He will step in the ring on November 8 against one of the best pound for pound boxers right now in Joe Calzaghe for the latter’s Ring Light Heavyweight belt at Madison Square Garden in New York. Calzaghe will be the biggest fight in Jones’s career and probably the best he’s ever faced. And at this stage of Jones’ career, many are already calling this his final curtain call.
Not too long ago, the same was said about Bernard Hopkins when he was to fight undefeated Kelly Pavlik. Like Calzaghe, Pavlik was an undefeated, younger pound for pound star and came to the ring as a heavy favorite. As we all know by now; Hopkins played the role of the bus driver as he took Pavlik to school. Jones aims to follow a similar path, and more so, restore his legacy. A victory over Calzaghe will definitely erase all casted doubts on his greatness, and possibly even reopen the possibility of a rematch and an epic battle against Bernard Hopkins- a fantasy fight all boxing fans would love to see happen. But before he can entertain thoughts of a mega million showdown with Hopkins, he needs to take a page from The Executioner’s story book and prove to the world that he can turn back the hands of time.
This is “make or break” for Roy. Yes he can continue to make a living after this and fight no name boxers but as far as legitimacy and his legacy is concerned; all roads lead to Madison Square Garden on November 8. Roy can talk the talk, and he can even walk the walk and dance the dance when he’s motivated and determined to do so. But can he actually do it? A question most athletes who have received immediate success in their careers after suffering setbacks often get is whether they have the heart to bounce back and climb back on top. Roy has put in work to take baby steps on that path, but will he actually climb Everest once again? Roy said in the most recent episode of HBO’s 24/7 coverage of his upcoming fight regarding what’s at stake for him and Calzaghe.
“If I lose, who cares?”
Frankly Roy, mind games aside as to whether who the pressure will be on, the only person whose care really matters is you. This could be your storybook ending or the final notes on your boxing career’s tombstone.
