By James Slater: Though his fans have long been urging him to hang up the gloves, the living legend that is the once sublime Roy Jones Junior has been steadfast in his desire to carry on fighting. And though the former multi-weight king who was all but untouchable in his peak years has recently suffered embarrassing losses at the hands of Danny Green and, in a long awaited return, Bernard Hopkins, he has just signed on to take another risky fight.
Dan Rafael of ESPN broke the news that will likely be sad news for fans who remember the great Jones in his heyday: the 42-year-old will travel to Moscow on May 22nd to face once-beaten cruiserweight contender Denis Lebedev. Jones has not won a significant fight in a long time, and it remains to be seen what a win over the Russian with the 21-1(16) pro record will mean. Sure, Jones, if he can win in May, will have beaten a solid 200-pound fighter; but there is no title at stake and no assurance that the May 22nd winner will get a title shot. In short, this fight has the look of an all-risk, no-reward fight for Jones.
Reportedly, Jones, with his promotional outfit Square Ring, had a number of interesting offers, but the Lebedev bout in Moscow was chosen as it is a “unique opportunity.”
“How many big fights have been in Russia?,” John Wirt, CEO of Square Ring asked. “We had an offer in Canada, something in the U.S, but this was a unique opportunity. Roy has no issue in going to Russia. We’ll have fair judges and a fair referee.”
Wirt went in to say that the ten-rounder, which will be fought at 200-pounds, will suit Jones because “R.J” was struggling to get down to 175-pound recently – most recently for the rematch with Hopkins. But can the 42-year-old possibly go to Russia and beat the man who has only lost, on points, in a close one, to WBO boss Marco Huck? Is Jones hoping he can win and that a victory will lead him into a fight with Huck?
At this time in his life Jones, who has absolutely nothing else to prove, should be sitting back, doing the good job he does as a commentator and looking forward to his inevitable enshrinement at Canastota. Instead, unable to give up the boxing bug, he is agreeing to take dangerous-looking fights in faraway countries. In his prime, when HE was able to call the shots, Jones refused to fight Dariusz Michalczewski in Germany. Now, way past his best, he faces another KO loss; this one in of all places, Moscow.
For the record, Jones will be giving away 11 years in age to Lebedev, and who knows how many natural pounds in weight. I can only see a Lebedev KO win in May. How about you guys?