by James Slater: One top class fighter I positively felt for sure would go out of the sport of boxing both on top and with a still perfect, or near perfect record, was the great Roy Jones Junior. Back in his sublime 1990s peak, when Jones really was “Superman,” the idea of him losing was simply unrealistic. However, Jones, now aged 41 and winless in his last two outings, eventually lost a step or two and sure enough he lost; even by KO on occasion.
Still, despite being taken out inside a round by Aussie cruiser Danny Green late last year, and despite then losing a lop-sided decision to former victim Bernard Hopkins, Jones has anounced he will box on. ESPN.com has reported how the 41-year-old is in talks to face “Bronx Bomber” Danny Santiago in Jones’ hometown of Pensacola in October. What Jones can possibly think he has left to offer the sport only he knows, but on he goes, further risking his health and reputation.
The Santiago fight isn’t signed yet, but let’s take a look at what R.J will be facing if he does go through with the bout.
Santiago is 37 and he has a decent 31-4-1(19) pro record. He has won his last two, both on points – one win in May of last year, another this May – and Santiago has been in with world class fighters before. A pro since 1997, Santiago lost his unbeaten record in 2002, when he was TKO’d in back-to-back fights. Recovering his momentum, Santiago won what was probably his biggest victory in 2004, when he stopped the useful Elvir Muriqi inside four-rounds. Then, traveling to Germany to challenge WBO 175-pound boss Zsolt Erdei, Santiago, in giving it a real shot, was TKO’d in the 8th. In his next fight, later in 2007, Santiago was stopped in four-rounds by Antonio Tarver.
So, as decent a fighter as he is, and as much of a chance he would perhaps have against today’s Roy Jones, 57-7(40), Santiago, every time he has stepped up in class, has been well beaten. But how much, if anything, has Jones got left here in 2010?
Jones’ fans, the ones who saw him literally soar in his prime, have had a tough time watching their hero try and fight recently. Stopped inside a round by Green? That would have been utterly unthinkable ten years or so ago; despite how tough and hard Green is. The loss to B-Hop, in the “long awaited” rematch proved to be even worse viewing for the Jones faithfull. Dragging on for the full 12-rounds, in a fight where Jones’ reflexes looked as poor as they ever have, the rematch was a stinker.
Now, even older and presumably with his skills having eroded even more severely, does the Hall of Famer of the future decide to fight again. Maybe he can pound out a win over Santiago, maybe not. But where does even a victorious Jones go from the October fight?
For the record, Jones’ adviser, John Wirt, CEO of Square Ring, told ESPN.com that the fight is only one of a number of options Roy has to consider. In reality, we all know the once fabulous champion’s only sensible option is to call it a day, enjoy his life and retire.