It’s one of those stories that, when you read it, you have to double check to see if you really have read correctly. Once great multi-weight king Roy Jones Junior – who recently announced how, contrary to some reports that said he had retired, made it clear he has not yet done so – will indeed fight again. Sort of.
It’s up on a number of boxing sites, so it must be true: Jones, 47, will “fight a fan” in a March 20th pay-per-view event in Phoenix that will also feature MMA and wrestling bouts.
Apparently, Jones Jr put out a video to promote the event (surely one of the craziest in the oft-colourful history of this sport, if it actually comes off, that is!) and fans have been invited to shoot back with their own 90-second video, in which they explain why they should be the one to land the exhibition bout with Jones Jr – and if the fan who gets in there with the former Olympian and future Hall of Famer actually wins, he (or she) will pick up $100,000.
Yes, it really is that bizarre. A big chunk of fun and nothing more? If you look at it that way, then, yes. But aside from the issue of how far the once sublime Jones has fallen, there must be some safety concerns. What if the lucky/unlucky fan actually gets clipped, even by a half punch by Jones Jr and winds up getting hurt? Just who will oversee the health and safety aspects of this promotion is a good question. And then of course, there is this way-out-there question (in keeping with the way-out-there-ness of this entire story) what if Jones Jr were to suffer the ultimate – and I the mean the ultimate – embarrassment and found himself getting dumped on his backside!
Why Jones Jr is doing this (again, if it actually comes off) is, however, the most valid question of the lot. The Floridian/Russian citizen simply cannot allow himself to find something else to do in life and walk away from boxing. If that is what you could call the planned March 20th show.