25.02.05 – Pensacola, FL – Roy Jones, Jr.’s Square Ring, Inc. has signed two of the elite amateurs from the 2004 class to promotional contracts. Mickey Bey, Jr. was the 125-pound 2003 U.S. National champion and 2004 US Olympic Team member and his younger brother Cortez, the 2003 125-pound runner-up. They join recently signed 2004 Light Heavyweight Olympic Gold Medallist Andre Ward (2-0, 1 KO) to the Square Ring team..
“Mickey, Jr. and Cortez Bey have had stellar amateur careers and not only have the talent, but also the desire to become world champions,” said Jones. “Along with Andre Ward, we have a three young men who have very bright futures in this sport and I’m proud to have the opportunity to guide them.”
” Along with Roy Jones Jr. our entire organization is thrilled to have signed amateur standouts Mickey and Cortez Bey of Cleveland,” said Square Ring executive Brad Jacobs. “This signing, in addition to our recent signing of Gold Medalist Andre Ward goes a long way towards Roy’s goal of guiding the careers of tomorrows champions.”
The Bey brothers, who hail from Cleveland, OH, had been dominant throughout their amateur careers, which culminated in each making the finals at the 2003 National PAL Championships. It was the first time in history that brothers would be matched in the championship bout. The younger Cortez, who had been fighting at 119-pounds prior to this tournament but could no longer make the weight, had made a pact with No. 1 ranked Mickey, Jr. going in, “If I make the finals against Mickey, I will pull out.” He made good on the deal, which paved the way for Mickey, Jr., winner by walkover, to eventually be named to the 2004 US Olympic Team.
Cortez, after defeating four of the five top ranked 125-pounders in making it to the PAL finals, including the 2003 National Champion, then decided to move up to 132-pounds in a last ditch effort to make the Olympic Team himself. There were only two opportunities left for Cortez to join his brother on the US team, but was denied one opportunity due to late entrance unable to fight in the last due to illness.
The twenty-two year old Mickey Bey, Jr. is a two-time National PAL Champion, 2002 National Golden Gloves and two-time US Jr. Olympic Champion. Cortez Bey, a year younger than junior, was 2002 US Jr. Olympic Champion.
Raul Frank (26-4-1, 13 KOs) hails from Guyana and currently fights out of Brooklyn, NY. Frank has lost only once (Vernon Forrest L12) in his past fifteen bouts dating to 1995 and is currently ranked No. 11 junior middleweight by the International Boxing Federation.
Roy Jones Jr., whose stellar amateur career culminated with being named 1988 Olympics Most Outstanding Boxer, won the Silver Medal at the 1988 games after being robbed of Gold, and burst onto the pro scene in 1989 at age 20. The self-managed and self-promoted Jones would go on to become world champion in four weight classes and become the first former middleweight champion to win the heavyweight crown in over 100 years. He will now use his unprecedented credentials to guide future world champions.