As a scribe of the sport for over a decade and a fan for many more, what we witnessed this past Saturday qualified as one of the most troubling moments I’ve ever personally witnessed. In the aftermath, I sat quietly and analyzed all the rhetoric online from a mass of fans who felt they had the answer to the question, “why” (does Roy Jones continue to fight)? The overwhelming response of course was harsh condemnation. “Maybe he needs the money”…..”He’s gotta be broke”….yada, yada, yada. Neither of those possibilities could be proven, but going deeper in thought, revealed an answer that probably could.
What I realized was that it’s quite easy to analyze someone’s career from a cushy seat in media row or the lazy-boy recliner in our living room, but the truth is far more complicated than any of us actually understand. Of all the duties I’ve partaken in life, never have I fallen in the realm of undisputed greatness at the highest level. My point? For us fans and media, it’s entertainment. For you, Roy, a personal quest to be the best is much deeper. For decades we’ve celebrated your greatness without realizing that the same ego-centered spirit that propelled you to epic status is the one that sustains your effort to achieve a comparable level of greatness once again.
Fans often sit quietly and watch as many athletes run themselves into the ground, but it’s very troubling to see one run himself to the grave. When Adrien Broner, Manny Pacquiao, and Ronda Rousey loss, we saw a bevy of memes online. Everyone with access to the internet bashed them beyond control. If you want to know how much ‘love’ and respect the fans have for you, try to look up the memes online of fans taking shots at you. I scanned the internet for quite some time and had a difficult time finding the same volume directed towards you. That level of respect is something I can’t think of associated with ANY fighter in the game today.
There’s no greater proof that fans respect you as the legend you are and have opted not to take those same shots (pun intended). In all fairness, your drive for greatness is something most will never truly understand for the simple fact that unlike you, practically all of us have never been wired with that DNA strong enough to propel us to ‘legendary’ greatness! For 26 years now we’ve watched you rinse and repeat this formula. Sadly, the results that used to come with those efforts are now little more than an arrested development, grasping for time on a clock not worth a dime.
Just a few days ago we watched the release of the movie “Creed”. Most of us hated to see Apollo (Creed) killed in the ring while representing America in Russia. But that was a movie, and he was indeed in the building to see the opening screening for the new film. This, my friend, is real life. And too many fatal blows could one day have fans lining up to see you, too. But not for a movie. The time has come, my man. You’ve given us all you have to give (in the ring). There’s no reason to continue. We haven’t “forgot” how great you are. But we can see how bad this has become. Continue to train, continue to commentate; but take the gloves off. The time has come, Roy.
Signed,
A concerned writer/fan
(Vivek “Vito” Wallace can be reached at 954.770.9807, wallace@eastsideboxing, Twitter (@lefthooklounge1), and FaceBook)