Roy Jones, Jr. - Why is he still fighting?
Published May 10, 2009 by Martin Bean
By Gavin Stone.
With Roy Jones Jr. having just entered his fortieth year and recently come off a victory against a now journeyman in Omar Sheika many have asked the question, why is Roy Jones Jr still fighting?
After being regarding as the best pound for pound boxer in the world for a ten year period (1994-2004) and having beaten John Ruiz to win the WBA Heavyweight Championship of the World, Jones was at the pinnacle of a cut throat sport. However, a devastating run of three defeats in 2004 and 2005, two of which resulted in humiliating knockouts Jones career seemed to be all but over. Many saw this as a rapid and dramatic end to a once great fighters career - mainly due to diminishing athletic abilities which exposed an unorthodox technique, whilst others suggested that Jones's switching of weight divisions, going from initially middleweight up to heavyweight and then back down to light-heavyweight, had produced increase and then atrophy of muscle mass which significantly affected his ability inside the square ring. There could be a good case put forward for both theories of Jones's demise.
Whilst Jones could have walked away from the fight game a wealthy man with a room full of achievements which guaranteed a place in the Boxing Hall of Fame, but he chose to continue. The media and boxing community saw this as a case of a fighter trying to regain a level that once was. Many fighters have fought on well past their primes due to a self belief that regardless of age and setbacks they still have the powers to reign above all once again.
Jones fought and defeated borderline contenders in Prince Badi Ajamu and Anthony Hanshaw to set up a bout with marquee fighter -although past his prime and well above natural weight - in Felix Trinidad. Given Trinidad's profile, and Jones's reputation as a once great fighter who may still have something left to offer, the fight received a large amount of public attention. Jones went onto defeat Trinidad by a unanimous decision, a victory which opened the door for suggestion that it may have been the later above suggested theory as to Jones's demise in that sudden muscle loss in coming back down from heavyweight had affected his abilities - primarily neural, and that he may well be able to regain the level of fighting he once displayed. Consequently the man regarded as 'Superman' signed to fight leading pound for pound fighter Joe Calzaghe. Going into the Calzaghe fight Jones was regarded an underdog, even though Jones was prime for prime seen as the superior fighter. Whilst Jones showed in the first two rounds glimpses of a once great fighter having dropped Calzaghe to the canvas with a lightning speed combination of punches, Jones was dominated by Calzaghe losing a 12 round decision.
While this would have been a logical exit point for Jones, with many great fighters having gone out of the game with a loss, Jones soon scheduled the Shieka bout to be staged in his home town of Pensacola, Florida. Jones went onto defeat Shieka by technical knockout in the fifth round (the first time Jones had stopped at opponent in seven years) in a victory which failed to impress the media and general public. However, loyal Jones fans maintained that there are still miles left in the Jones tank of abilities.
So the question remains, why does Roy Jones Jr keep fighting on?
Jones is an extremely wealthy man, fighting on for financial gain seems unlikely, especially given his vast array of business interests. Staying in the ring to defy journalistic and public opinion appears of little chance, as Jones was never one to give an inch let alone the mile it would be to keep fighting on to prove his critics wrong.
Could it be that Jones has something to prove, not to anyone else but himself? Any man who enters the square circle of combat has a great amount of self belief and personal pride, often misinterpreted as arrogance. Jones is like any other fighter, and could it be that Jones is fighting on to regain some self satisfaction as a true fighter? With all of his other projects outside of the ring in recent years such as record label, movie appearances, professional basketball and commentary, could it be that Jones forgot what it was like to be exclusively a fighter, a warrior in the tradition of those that went before him, the internal spirit and self vision which made him the man he was to achieve greatness? Of course, it could be that Roy Jones Jr's ego has reached beyond reality, and he genuinely believes that he is the same fighter of a decade ago.
Either way Jones legacy is set in stone, he is a guaranteed Hall of Fame fighter regardless of how his career is completed. His achievements are in the record books. Jones was arguably the greatest athletes to ever lace on the gloves.
The back end of Jones career is not unlike many great fighters; Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard all went out with losses and fights which many said should not have happened.
To try and explain the mentality of a fighter one must borrow the phrase from the final installment of the Rocky series; 'Fighters Fight'.
Gavin Stone writes for Boxing Stable, which is a combat sport resource website. Boxing Stable focuses on the athletic qualities of combat sport athletes, with particular emphasis on Boxing, Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).http://www.boxingstable.com.
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