18.06.07 – He’s hasn’t been lacking for clients since he and Oscar De La Hoya parted ways. Light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson is one of his newer pupils and so is undefeated junior lightweight champion Joan Guzman. Now unbeaten (28-0-1) super middle/light heavyweight Anthony “Tyger” Hanshaw is studying under Pugilistic Professor and Poet Laureate Floyd Mayweather Sr.
Last week in Chicago, Hanshaw stood face to face on Rush Street with boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. and informed his July 14 PPV TV opponent (Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Ms.) that he will not only knock the 50-4 Jones out but that the KO will be so devastating that RJJ will retire from the ring.
“I heard that,” trainer Mayweather said. “Good for Tony the Tyger. He only told the truth and the truth, as the saying goes, will set you free. We’ve got a perfect game plan. Tony said that Roy is yesterday’s news in boxing and he is correct but once Tony puts a real blast on him in Biloxi, Roy Jones will become ancient history. There is no doubt in my mind that Hanshaw, at age 28, is in prime time while Roy Jones is just another summer rerun. We respect the man for what he used to be.
“I don’t know why Roy Jones and promoter Murad Muhammad picked Tony anyway,” Mayweather said. “When you’ve got a blazing match in one hand, you don’t pick up a stick of dynamite. That’s what Roy and Murad did when they went to promoter Gary Shaw and agreed to fight Hanshaw. This old lion got no teeth, he is feeble now. Tony the Tyger is going to put an Old School whuppin’ on Roy Jones.”
Mayweather thus echoes what Hanshaw said to Roy’s face in Chitown.
“I was shocked myself,” Muhammad said, “because in New York and at our press conference at the IP Casino/Resort/Spa, our host in Biloxi, Tony had been a real gentleman. He was talking about how much he admired and respected Roy Jones. But something set him off in Chicago and he started talking bold. He did say he would knock the man completely out of the sport. It’s rare someone speaks like that to a superstar of Roy’s magnitude.”
Jones smiled when he heard Hanshaw’s fighting words. The 38-year-old who has been a world champion at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight said he liked to hear the Tyger roar.
“Finally, Tony showed some verbal fire,” Jones said. “That’s good because it will help the promotion and I want the world to see how I school this kid. As for Poppa Mayweather, he will be writing some sad poems when he sees how I handle his protege. At least Hanshaw is talking like a threat to me. I like that. No, I love that. Tune in and watch how I defuse him. I’ts the Tyger who will turn out to be toothless.”
“He’s Baack! Witness The Return Of A King: Jones-Hanshaw” is co-promoted by Murad Productions and Square Ring Inc., in association with IP Casino-Resort-Spa. The scheduled 12-round, to be fought at a limit of 175 pounds, will be beamed all around North America and the world from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi.
Price for the PPV telecast is an affordable $29.95. The show will be distributed by In Demand, Dish Network and others and the telecast will be produced by Madison Square Garden Network.
Tickets, ranging from $500, to $300, $100, $75 and $30 are on sale through Ticketmaster and other outlets.