By James Slater: Last night in Hollywood, Florida, World Boxing Association (WBA) cruiserweight ruler Guillermo Jones of Panama fought for the first time in over a year, as he retained his belt with a punishing, one-sided 6th-round TKO over a game but overmatched Mike Marrone.
From the outset right until the very end, 39-year old Jones, now 38-3-2(30) proved way too strong, way too accurate and way too good for his 26-year-old challenger. Marrone, hailing from Vero Beach, tried his best but he was unable to come close to winning a round. Marrone, a former heavyweight prospect, is now 20-4(15).
Marrone said he would have liked to have carried on in the 6th, but his corner did the wise thing and threw in the towel. Jones, who hasn’t lost a fight since his 2005 split decision defeat to the then upcoming Steve Cunningham, said after last night’s easy win that he craves more action. As is the case with just about any fighter weighing 200-pounds and above, Jones wants a shot at one of the Klitschko brothers.
“I would like to fight a Klitschko,” a victorious Jones said last night. “They’re fighting blown-up cruiserweights, but I can fight at heavyweight. I’m a fighter. I have always come to fight and I always will. The tiger is hungry. He needs more meat!”
Fans will take Jones’ words with a pinch of salt no doubt. First of all, there is the question of Jones notorious inactivity (just three fights since the summer of 2007): will the man known as “El Felino” fight again soon, or will he again disappear? Other question marks can be attached to Jones regarding his age and his size. Okay, at 39, Jones is younger than Vitali and only four years older than Wladimir, and at 6’4,” Jones is perhaps tall enough to be able to fight well as a heavyweight (Jones has boxed as high as 213-pounds before – back in 2007, when he took out journeyman Jeremy Bates inside a round). Still, most fans will not be willing to give the Panamanian much more than a long shot against either brother.
That said, the idea of Jones against a Klitschko is far more appeaking than the upcoming December fight we are actually getting, between Wladimir and Jean Marc Mormeck. Jones is bigger than the Frenchman, he is more aggressive and he hits harder. But would fans buy yet another fight that sees either Klitschko Vs. a former cruiserweight?
Jones doesn’t have a shortage of interesting fights down at his natural weight class. New interim WBA ruler Denis Lebedev against Jones would be an intriguing affair, as would Jones against WBO cruiser king Marco Huck.
Whoever he fights next, let’s just hope Jones fights again without allowing a year to go by this time.