Sometimes when Jones fights opponents who are far below his caliber, he has to look out for the other mans well-being. USA Today, August 29, 1990, p. 1C; June 13, 1996, p. 14C; September 26, 1997; April 30, 1998, p. 14C. Jones aims to select matches that cany big purses, and he has expressed frustration that his weight class is paid is so much less than the heavy-weights are. Updated: Jun 7, 2022 / 09:55 PM CDT. Won Golden Gloves in 1986 and 1987. He used to train Roy before they had a fallout. See the linked article. His Hall of Fame induction will put Jones on a mantle of greatness with fellow Pensacola athletes running back Emmitt Smith and linebacker Derrick Brooks -- both enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and pitcher Don Sutton, who is enshrined at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, not far from the Boxing Hall of Fame. "This is what I do. Jones was an extremely talented fighter who had "savvy", was very quick and could box or punch; He innovated in the ring and was unmatched in his natural ability; In addition to boxing, he was talented in all other sports and in music and acting as well; Jones fought from middleweight to heavyweight and deserves to be ranked among the best that To fully duplicate Bob Fitzsimmons feat of 1896 on the 8th November 2003, Jones returned to the light heavyweight division to regain his championship belt from Antonio Tarver. Jones has seen up close the effects of one severe knockout punch on a friend of his: Gerald McClellan, whose eyesight, hearing, and speech were badly damaged. After stopping JJ McDonagh, Eubank Jr defeated James DeGale at The O2 last year before beating Matvey Korobov in Brooklyn prior to Christmas. Jones Jr was born on January 16, 1969, making him 51 years old. Jones having played a basketball game in the morning before defending his boxing title in Jacksonville, Florida in the evening! Bill Vilonais a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and now senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. March of Dimes1995 Honorary Chairman. He took on the most challenging fighters out there, and trounced most of them in a few rounds. His onlyloss was the result of a foul. She appeared in court Monday for a preliminary hearing. And despite hanging the gloves up not too long ago, Jones Jr wants in on that ring feeling once again. Captured WBA light heavyweight crown in 1998; defended it in January 1999. Qs Ne, Jones, James Earl 1931 And look what happened. A year later, he was quoted in the same paper:This game is not a good game for anyoneme or anyone else. For his next fight, he faced the more experienced Stephan Johnson in Atlantic City, beating him by a knockout in round eight. Jones again winning by majority decision and a score of 117111, 116112 and 114114. Jones able to take solace from the fact Park himself apologised to Jones afterwards. /KO1996 Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter in the World and 1996 Best Fighter in the World (in poll of boxing experts). Roy Jones Jr & Jodi Solomon Boxing Near-death Experience Brought Balance Look at the history of the guys who were great. Millions of people believe Jones obviously won the Gold Medal. Such a disgrace was the incident considered, that it led the Olympic organisers to establish a new scoring system for Olympic boxing. event bout wiki. In addition, Jones has done a lot of motivational speaking, primarily to younger people. I went to the beach and did this or that, but one of the main highlights was meeting Roy Jones Sr. man great story. Born Roy Jones Jr., January 16, 1969, in Pensacola, FL. He could drop his arms, feign indifference, then suddenly land a fury of fists with machine gun speed and efficiency. So great was Jones that he essentially did not lose his first fight until he was 35 years-old. won the Heavyweight Championship, he shares this unique accomplishment with the Over the course of the 12-round unanimous decision, Jones demonstrated his greatness. Jones also loves the game of basketball, and he even played professionally with the United States Basketball Leagues Jacksonville Barracudas during the summer of 1996. This behavior never really changed; if anything it became more brutal as Roy Jr. grew up. At a Glance . And he still keeps a flame burning:I will die with a little hope in me, Jones said in aUSA Today piece. Undefeated in 46 bouts, Toney was widely rated as the worlds best. Assn. for the Improvement of Boxing (the Marciano Foundation) 1996 Humanitarian of the Year.Boxing 1996Best Pound-for Pound Fighter in the World. Toney was 44-0-2 at the time; Jones was 26-0 in the prime of his career. Market data provided by Factset. Born Roy Jones Jr., January 16, 1969, in Pensacola, FL. He is the only boxer ever to start his career at Junior middleweight yet go on to become a Heavyweight champion of the world. These boxers incited and pushed each other; many of their fights were epic battles. Ring magazine called Jones performance the most dominant of any big fight in 20 years. Like so many other Juniors, Roy Jones Jr. was born into a family with a boxing tradition. Bill Vilonais a retired Pensacola News Journal sports columnist and current senior writer for Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. has invested in his Florida mansion to make it an amazing home. With the winner receiving the entire purse. He is totally disciplined in his approach to training, avoids drugs and drink completely, is highly involved in his hometown community, and dedicates much of his time to charitable organizations and projects. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. . Jones was disqualified for the infraction. Essentially, Jones did not lose a fight from 1989 until 2004 in a TKO lost against fellow Floridian Antonio Tarver. BOXER. "I dont do all that. Roy Lavesta Jones Junior, a former American professional boxer, ring technician and absolute legend of the sport holds one particularly unique career achievement. After six rounds, a TKO finally was called. But no one suggests that the 5 11 Jones should switch sports. WNBA star Brittney Griner has a fellow superstar athlete in her corner as she fights to return home to the United States. be ranked among the best that ever fought Chris Eubank Jr believes he may have found the perfect trainer to help him achieve his potential in Roy Jones Jr. Won Silver Medal at 1988 Olympic Games. Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, Cruiserweight, Heavyweight. Jones wanted to steer clear of allegiance and obligation to boxing's two biggest all-time promoters, Bob Arum and Don King. Not a bad resume! great Bob Fitzsimmons and James Toney (who was denied his title victory). . Contemporary Black Biography. This bout was unsanctioned by the Florida boxing commission. Unlike other famous athletes from Pensacola, boxing enabled Jones to often dictate where he fought. Chris Eubank Jr believes he may have found the perfect trainer to help him achieve his potential in Roy Jones Jr. 180cm Reach: 74 inches. His final official bout occurred at the Bay Center on Feb. 8, 2018 as part of Island Fights 46, which just had its 72nd show during Memorial Day weekend as a renown circuit for aspiring MMA fighters. Jones Jr's wife also tried to get into boxing promoting at one point, but never pursued it . You dont give a kid $2 million and the prestige of a world title. Part of the reason probably is his refusal to market himself as a spectacle merely as a spectacular fighter. Roy Jones Jr. was set on doing it his way 33 years ago when entering the professional boxing world. Selected awards: Ring Sports Magazine1993 Fighter of the Year; 1995 Man of the Year; 1996 Sportsman of the Year.Ring, Boxing Illustrated, and Boxing Scene magazines1994 Fighter of the Year. In 2019, Natlyn launched her own boxing gym, She Warrior, in 2019, with the aim to empower women's sport. Roy Jones Jr and Jodi Solomon proudly introduce their commercial and professional boxing gym. (His final tally as an amateur would be 121-13.) The other side of the issue is that Jones does not want to maim anyone. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Toney had gone undefeated in 46 bouts and was rated the best in the world. Look at their condition 10 years after theyre done. State honor: Roy Jones. This is an absolutely marvelous feeling, said Jones, speaking to boxing media members after his selection. "First, shes an athlete. He danced circles around Toney, scoring a flash knockdown in the third round. "They dont speak no English and she dont speak the language that they speak. Los Angeles. He also runs a youth program in Pensacola. Father, an exfighter, was Roy Jr.s boxing teacher.Education: Graduate from Washington High in Pensacola in 1987. Which led to calls for Jones to be awarded the gold medal. A cinema room that seats ten people is yet another cool feature in the mansion, for Jones Jr. and his family and friends to relax and watch whatever they like. One of Pensacola's greatest athletes, among. In 2019, Natlyn launched her own boxing gym, She Warrior, in 2019, with the aim to empower women's sport. RJJ boxing school - Moscow Russia Boxing Career: Amateur, Professional, Trainer, Commentator, Rapper Nickname: Superman, RJ, RJJ, Captain Hook Height: 5 Ft 11 inches. Easily regaining the world light heavyweight title by first knocking Griffin down within the first 20 seconds of the fight. Roy Jones Jr. trains aspiring boxers at his gym in Pensacola, Florida. Many people in the boxing industry would love to see him do exactly that. But Jones kept going, by his own choice, because boxing was his love, his life. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. It evolved as expected with both men battling fatigue, age, and well-past-prime skills, but they occasionally showed some flashbacks. "If my athlete affiliations can help rectify the situation why wouldnt I try?" 188cm Stance: Orthodox Weight Class: Middleweight, Roy Jones Jr . He refused to set up matches against any serious contenders, and stuck instead with second-or third-raters. Jones, 52, who always touted Pensacola in his fights, was a first-ballot selection and easy choice to headline an eight-member class into the Boxing Hall of Fame. Jones first professional loss occurred in March 1997 with a disqualification against Montell Griffin. Derrick Brooks (Booker T. Washington High, 1990) Enshrined as linebacker in 2014 into Pro Football Hall of Fame. But not outside of it. Sign in or register here to comment BoxingScene Default Griffin established an early lead but by round 9 Jones was ahead on the cards and dropped Griffin to the canvas. That group includes Floyd Mayweather (2021) and Bernard Hopkins (2020) a fighter that Jones defeated in 1993 as a middleweight, then lost to Hopkins seven years later as a light heavyweight. He hopes to someday return to continue his work with the aspiring fighters. Jones landing 86 punches to Parks 32 yet somehow lost a 3-2 decision and thereby was only awarded the Silver medal instead of a deserved Gold. The Committee presented Jones with the Olympic Order in September 1997, but this belated consolation prize was no substitute for the medal that was stolen. Roy Sr.s father had been a hard-working laborer, and had been tough on him the way he was on Roy Jr. He was operating a gym in Moscow where he trained young boxers before Russia's war with Ukraine forced him to shutter his operation. Jones began as a professional on May 6, 1989, knocking out Ricky Randall in 2 rounds in Pensacola at the Bayfront Auditorium. With such an impressive start to his professional career it was only a matter of time before Roy Jones Jr would get a title shot. Jones dominated his opponents much as Sugar Ray Leonard had done 12 years earlier, never losing a single round en route to the final, but the final itself would result in possibly the worst decision in Olympic history and Roy Jones would only receive the Silver medal. The boxers walk-in wardrobe is also a thing of beauty, housing all of his ring-gear, clothes as well as his trainer collection. After he won the heavyweight title? Jones Jr. for the first time in his career was the underdog, but it made little difference quite frankly as Superman boxed rings round Toney (as he would go on to do to many others) and even handed Lights Out a very rare flash knockdown in the 3rd round on route to a 12-round unanimous decision. Roy Jones Jr. trains an aspiring fighter at his gym in Pensacola, Florida. And the list goes on; Jones is as involved in community-building and humanitarian work as any fighter ever. Though the decision stood, the World knew who had really won and that there was a sensational talent on the horizon who was about to turn pro. However, he is now hoping to take the next step in his career by linking up with none other than Jones Jr a true legend of the sport. Not many boxers are tough enough to admit, as Jones did inUSA Today, that his real desire isto be loved and feel wanted. On another occasion, inSports Illustrated Jones discussed the idea ofliving large, in the ring and out:Sure, Ill do some show-boating in the ringIm the only true performer in the ring today. Jones described his childhood inSports Illustrated: After a while I didnt care about gettin hurt or dyin anymore. Jones is pictured here training at his gym in Pensacola, Florida. Get in on the latest boxing conversations in our Forum and comment on articles. The exact timeline of events isn't known. This bout was unsanctioned by the Florida boxing commission. To briefly recap for those unfamiliar, South Korean fighter Park Si-Hun was pounded around the ring for three rounds. I want a personto-person life.. Jones is also noted for holding a record seven belts at the same time; the WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO, NABF, WBF, and IBA light heavyweight championships. (Lorraine Taylor/Fox News Digital). The court ordered her detention to be extended for six months. (Lorraine Taylor/Fox News Digital). It was part of the Island Fights series. He then avenged that decision by quickly knocking out Griffin in a rematch five months later and won his next 15 fights, including a heavyweight title against John Ruiz in 2003. This game doesnt usually deal you a good hand, not in the long run.. Used to think about killin myself anyway. Theres no way to know whether or not Jones would have become a world champion fighter without this extremely punitive upbringing, but theres little question it toughened the young man. The current interim WBA super-middleweight champion has . After making his pro debut on May 6, 1989 at the Pensacola Bay Center, Jones rose from junior middleweight to super middleweight champion. ." innovated in the ring and was unmatched in his natural ability; In addition to But part of the reason Jones fights infrequently is because there are no fighters with comparable talent. "I just couldnt believe how nice he was, and, you know, you fall in love., Brady could star in 'Netflix roast' while still 'trying to win back Gisele', Stephen A told 'fix your face and listen' by ESPN guest after fiery debate, OnlyFans star and ex-racing driver Renee Gracie drives fans wild in bikini snaps, Brady admirer Veronika Rajek almost spills out of plunging black jumpsuit, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Natlyn met Jones Jr when they were just teenagers, Jones Jr and Natlyn have three kids together. Jones was never short of a word or two throughout his boxing career and some of those best words can be found here: Jones hilariously summing up his own career with the rap song Yall mustve have forgot which complete with lyrics can be viewed here. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. They still have a good relationship, but Al Merkerson was his trainer. Bout is serving a 25-year sentence on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization. Won IBF belt in June of 1999 to become the first undisputed light heavyweight champion since 1985. ) He combined power punches with a flair and charisma that connected with fans across the world. In 1994 former New York City prosecuting attorney Star Jones made the leap from public service to publ, 12555 Manchester Road And foremost. Roy Jones Jr. protege Frederick "Freddy" Wilhite killing the jump rope at Roy Jones Boxing gym in Pensacola. He can be reached atbvilona@bluewahoos.com. 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