Boxing’s Baddest: The Fans Speak! V. 1 Issue 14
By Mike Samuels
11.11 - Roy Jones
Jr. and Johnny Ruiz are finally goin’ to
get it on! March 1st, 2003, is the current
date for things to happen, but what really will go
down? And just why am I such a "Jones hater?"
Could it be true? Am I jealous of Big Roy’s success,
or am I just frustrated like the millions of other
fans in this game? Hmm … read on to see some
of the wicked views, and cries of hate shot at me.
Be careful! It could get nasty!
Mike Samuels, I’m sick of this shit you Jones haters keep babbling on about.
First of all Jones started out at middleweight, At least he’s not one of these pussies like Bernard Hopkins who stays at one weight class, and only fights fighters half there size. Hopkins won’t fight Calzaghe, but he’ll fight De La Hoya. Look at the L.Heavy. Division, Eric Harding, Reggie Johnson, Montell Griffin, Julio Gonzalez, Lou Del Valle and Clinton woods, are 7 of the top 10 in that weight class he’s faced and beat them all. Even though there not pound 4 pound fighters who cares it’s his 3’rd weight class, and who knows they might be good fighters if Jones wasn’t there. And you said "A joke like John Ruiz"? That’s absurd! He’s a top 5 Heavyweight, Jones was a Middleweight. I don’t care if he’s the worst heavyweight that’s more guts then any fighter out there. He’s a lot better the Buster Douglas I’ll tell you that, and I say tell you because it’s pretty obvious to me that you don’t know one thing about boxing.
Jay c.
Things aren’t always as obvious as they seem my man. Now that I’m done laughing, I’ll attempt to sort out the mess you’ve left me with.
So Jones has moved from weight class to weight class, what’s your point? That makes him better than a fighter who fights at one weight his whole career? Jones has cleaned out every division he’s ever been in and never ducked a soul, eh? You should check your facts before you come across as some hard nose boxing guru and try to slam me with this foolishness. The Light heavyweight division has a load of talent, but please explain to me how Clinton Woods is one of the seven in the top ten? Who has he beaten? You see, brotha, the rankings are so screwed up that I could get my mom to enter that weight class and have two fights under her belt, and ya know what? I can almost promise you that she’d end up being ranked in the top twenty, if not better than that. So don’t shoot off at the mouth on how your boy Roy has beaten all the best competition of his weight class.
Have you ever noticed how Mr. Jones doesn’t grant rematches? He’s damn sure to get one against Montell after he lost via DQ, but he never gave a very GREEN Bernard Hopkins another shot, much less anyone else. The hate for Jones doesn’t stem from staying at one class and beating up junkies, but from the way Jones conducts himself. The guy calls out more fighters than he can even understand, and please tell me, when’s the last time he fought someone that he’s openly challenged?
Hmmm … I’m waiting. So is everyone else.
The funny thing is, you consider guys like Woods a top contender. Where was Jones when Steve Collins was around? Nigel Benn? Michael Nunn? Oh, he must have got the flu during those guys’ runs. Now sure, I’d be willing to bet that Jones thrashes them all, but nothing was ever proven, so as long as Roy Jones continues to box the way he does, he’s just blowing hot air up my ass.
Incase you haven’t noticed, John Ruiz is a J-O-K-E. He’s a top five heavyweight? Wow, you’re train of thought is more screwed up than the rankings themselves. Ruiz is the most undeserving champion in the game today. Tell me, what did he do besides get KTFO’d by David Tua in 19 seconds and go toe-to-toe with a beaten down and aging Holyfield (and those fights were even competitive!)? He’s a seed of Don King, and then he tries to sue the guy? I’ve seen it all. Where is Tua’s rematch, by the way? Tua’s been in with better opposition than the highly overrated Bubba. But I’m sure you knew that, since you know everything and I don’t know boxing from my big toe, right partner?
Why should Roy Jones have to go challenge anyone? He is the man in boxing; all should come to him, like Dariusz, Bernard and anyone else. Because if Roy beats anyone, he really gains nothing because he is already at the tip top of the hill, whereas if any of these other fighters beat Roy they go from being relatively unknown to the top of the game. Anyone that wants to fight Roy should give in to make the fight happen, and then they would be in a position if they beat Roy to make demands for future fights. When Roy was coming up that is what he had to do, and rightfully so he feels the same way about everyone beneath him.
Clint
Some of that can be argued, Clint. Roy shouldn’t have to go to Germany to fight the Tiger, but he continues to open his mouth and tell the public that he will go there if it comes down to it and put a whoopin’ on anyone, no matter who they are because he’s the best pound for pound fighter. And as much truth that the idea that Jones should just wait for everyone to come to him, he boasts himself to high to sit and do nothing. When you’re going to be as good as Jones, and constantly blabbing your mouth to everyone – then beating a Glenn Kelly – it’s about action, not words, and it’s about giving the fans what they want.
Roy doesn’t get that. He hasn’t fought for the fans in a long time.
Why is RJJ so scared to face washed up Michalczewski? I understand him ducking dangerous Jirov, but I do not understand why he can’t go to Germany too shut DMs trap?
Bottom line: Jones is nothing but a coward, loudmouth who is fooling the boxing public.
Rebel
I’m asking myself the same questions.
You people who hate on RJJ kill me. The boxing Mecca of the world is the US. Every fighter from every other country comes to the US to make a name for themselves... to see if they are the best. Kostya is the REAL champion; now imagine if he said he wouldn't fight outside of Australia. Lennox is the REAL champion, imagine if he refused to fight in the US, the boxing world would shun him worse then they do now. But nobody ever brings this up about Darius and he's not even the REAL champion. Even the Klitscho's, who are managed by the same management company as Darius comes to the states, but he won't, and that's Jones fault. He's ducking Darius, be real. Of course there is corruption in US boxing, but most of that falls into either rankings, or judging. Nobody ever leaves a fight that was held in the states and claims there was some substance on the gloves, or a mysterious disqualification. And decisions, no matter how obviously corrupt, are rarely reversed. So Jones has every right to fight in the US. If he were a soccer team, he'd have to go to other countries to prove he's the best team because the US isn't the best country in the world as far as soccer. But for baseball, football, basketball, and boxing we are. Which is why people from all over the world want to come here and play. Why not Darius. And I don't even blame it on him. I think his handlers don't want to lose their meal ticket.
DV
I feel you on that; D. DM and a handful of other Euro-based fighters will never leave their home because of the "meal ticket" deal. The thing that pisses off people is how Jones makes it seem that he would go to Germany and bust up DM without breaking a sweat. If so, then what’s stopping him? Sometimes you have to let the past go, because if you live in it you will never get to the future. Look at Michael Moorer, he went to Germany and beat Axel Shultz in front of his home crowd. All it comes down to is, if you’re the best go out and prove it Against All Odds, that’s the attitude you have to have. Yet the only "attitude" Jones shows is behind the microphone, and that isn’t very strong.
I agree with you about Roy Jones. He is just trying to blow more smoke up the ass of boxing fans by claiming he wants to fight John Ruiz. I agree that the boxing industry and fans should forget about this fight and Jones should fight the best fighters between 168 and 190 and not risk a lose/lose situation. However, the problem is that that idiot Jones was the one who brought up the idea of him fighting Ruiz, not boxing fans or the boxing public. All the boxing public wants to see is a fight between the best fighters around. Jones is the one who created the monster that is the publicity around this fight, which incidentally will never happen. What I would like to see is for Roy Jones to shut up and stop trying to draw positive attention and accolades to himself by talking about fights he knows he will never participate in and just admit and accept the fact that he is a coward who will never fight anyone who might actually hit him.
Dude75
You bring up the point I’ve been trying to make forever. Jones brings it on himself and he doesn’t back it up. Enough said.
Jones was a talented athletic fighter at one time but he hasn't been challenged...ever. Does he take challenging fights? Never. Will he fight Ruiz? No way, its just more BS from Roy's big mouth. Roy's problems of public perception are the product of his own reluctance to face quality challengers. He deserves the bad press. It's sickening that Jones makes 5 million a pop to face fighters that not only have no chance to win but also are not even remotely popular. Jones is a fraud to real boxing fans. Thanks for your echoing article. It reflects popular sentiment.
Andy G.
The HBO idea of giving him 5 milly a pop is the biggest joke to come out of boxing since Leon Spinks, and it’s even more sickening that he gets that kind of money when guys like Tapia, Gatti, and Ward struggle to make their big dollars.
The only thing I see being bad for boxing are hack writers who write en vogue hate pieces that seem to elevate the writer over the sport that pays his/her dividends. Such misplaced hatred does not make for a good read. Like it or not, the fight is going to happen, Ruiz is a legit champion, just not the "man who beat the man". Ruiz is a titlist, one of many in the sport of few undisputed champions, and a man tough enough to win ugly bouts with former champions as well as against top contenders who have a propencities for dirty tactics. If Jones does indeed win this fight, he will have taken a bigger risk than you will ever in your life, and he will be the second man ever (first in over a hundred years) to go from middleweight to heavyweight, winning titles at each stop. That, my friend, is what would seem to be a great plus for Jones, but I guess that you wouldn't realize that since you have the hate blinders on. If you can't lighten up and enjoy the fighters of this day and age, if you can't look forward to a fight that is as unique as the Jones-Ruiz fight, then I suggest that you cover another sport. Golf perhaps?
Perhaps you should take off your "I don’t know what I’m talking about" blinders and READ what is posted. Nowhere in my piece did I hate on Roy Jones for fighting Ruiz, or for backing out. You probably weren’t aware of that since you’re more of a "hack fan" who is frustrated in all aspects of the sport, so you get a huge kick out of attacking people like myself who are out enjoying the sport and enjoying bringing coverage to the people. And just what makes you think that Roy Jones fighting a bum like Ruiz is more challenging than anything I’ve ever done in my life? Do you know what you’re talking about? I’ve done a lot more "challenging" things than run my mouth, or lie to the public. But I’ll save that for another day. Feel free to explain to me how Ruiz is a "legit champion."
Who’d he beat again to earn his shot?
Here's a tuff one: The George Foreman of the 70's vs. the Lennox Lewis of now.
Your thoughts?
Thanks for the question. I’ve had about all the Roy mail I can handle for a week. This is an intriguing matchup, actually. Lewis is a very pure boxer, much like Ali was when he upset big George. But Ali was hit with some thunderous shots in that fight and I don’t see Lewis having enough chin to withstand a prime Foreman’s attack. I’d pick Foreman by KO during the middle rounds.
Mike Samuels can be reached at Tyson180@aol.com
