Roy Jones Jr. was once the unquestioned pound-for-pound king of boxing, but now he has fans begging for him to stop fighting. Jones entered the ring Saturday in his first professional bout as a Russian citizen, but after suffering a brutal knockout at the hands of Enzo Maccarinelli, it may be his last.
Jones, 46, was knocked out for the fifth time in his career, and this one was arguably the most frightening. He had been on an eight-fight winning streak, but that run was preceded by a three-fight skid in which he was brutally knocked out twice. Since then Jones has been campaigning against low-level cruiserweights. As of now, it seems like he has no desire to hang up the gloves.
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“Regarding the situation of my last fight, everything has it’s time. It was a fair fight. In boxing there is always someone who wins and someone who loses. I am a citizen of Russia and I will make every effort to ensure that Russian boxing is firmly entrenched in the global arena,” Jones said.
Here are three reasons why Jones should re-think that.
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1. He’s Got A Great Job
Jones is one of boxing’s finest color commentators, calling almost every major card for HBO alongside Jim Lampley and Max Kellerman. Not only does boxing pull Jones away from the broadcasts occasionally, repeatedly being knocked out could eventually hinder his ability to be an effective commentator.
That would be a shame, as Jones’ commentary, while sometimes poorly articulated, is very insightful and predictive. Jones is one of the few fighters to be truly great inside the ring, and then be able to help fans visualize it on the microphone. No one wants to see a man well past his prime lose that ability in anonymous fights overseas.
2. Being Compared To Apollo Creed After A Fight In Russia Is Not Good
The way Jones was knocked out, which is to say he was completely unconscious, was eerily reminiscent of the fictional fighter Apollo Creed’s knockout in Rocky IV vs. Ivan Drago. **SPOILER ALERT** Creed was killed in that fight, and for a brief moment it seemed possible Jones’ lights had gone out for good too.
Jones’ KO losses have all been scary; because he used to rely so much on his cat-quick reflexes, he often left himself open for big shots because he could react and counter. His defense didn’t develop as much as it could have, which has left him vulnerable in his late 40s. Nobody wants to see Creed die again, let alone to a real person.
3. It’s Actually Ruining His Legacy
Legacy is important to fighters, and Jones’ is close to being permanently tarnished. These cruiserweight fights in his twilight won’t erase the pure brilliance of his prime, but he’s at a point where these losses – and the farcical atmosphere about them – have to be mentioned along with his victories over the likes of James Toney and Bernard Hopkins.
Much like Willie Mays’ finals season with the Mets always worms its way into conversations about him, these late-stage knockouts will be in the back of people’s minds when Jones comes up. He’s better than this.
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