While digging through my old DVD collection last weekend, I came across one of my favorites. My Roy Jones Jr.'s Greatest Knockouts DVD is not only my favorite because it's simply fun to watch, but also because the level of skill Jones exhibited during his prime is, in my estimation, equal to laying eyes on an original Picasso or looking up at the Sistine Chapel in person. During his reign as the best pound for pound boxer in the world, Jones dazzled all who were lucky enough to witness his fights with blinding speed and spectacular knockouts that had to be seen to be believed. Not even greats such as James Toney and Bernard Hopkins could overcome Roy's seemingly endless supply of talent. Heck, at the height of his career Jones had many boxing fans ready to rewrite history in order to proclaim him the greatest fighter ever.
Well we all know what, or should I say whom, happened next. After winning the WBA's version of the heavyweight title from lightly-regarded John Ruiz, Jones moved back down to light-heavyweight and stole a decision from Antonio Tarver to reclaim the WBC and IBO light-heavyweight titles, only to be knocked out in sudden and dramatic fashion by Tarver in the rematch six months later. Future losses to Glen Johnson and Antonio Tarver, again, made the majority of fight fans give up on Jones and look elsewhere for a new name to put at the top of the pound for pound list. Although Jones seemed to win back some of what he had lost with wins over Prince Badi Ajamu, Anthony Hanshaw, and Puerto Rican superstar Felix Trinidad, many questioned whether Jones still had enough left in the tank at age thirty-nine to outclass volume-punching kingpin Joe Calzaghe. After seeing Jones get utterly dominated by Glen Johnson's ruthless aggression and high punch output back in 2004, I found myself unwilling to put much faith in Jones because I believed he had lost the speed that had made him so dominant in his youth.
As fight night drew closer, it became apparent to my friends and I that although we were praying that Jones could pull off the upset victory in order to set up the long awaited rematch between himself and Hopkins, the outcome would most likely not swing in Jones favor. These suspicions were further validated when Jones stepped into the ring in Madison Square Garden on the night of the fight looking somewhat less confident then he did back in the days when he used to enter the ring with an unshakeable swagger that practically oozed confidence that all but guaranteed certain victory.
When the opening bell rang, all were looking on with eager curiosity as to how Jones would deal with the sheer volume of Calzaghe's punches. Most had barely gotten settled in their seats when Jones landed a blow on the side of "Super" Joe's head that put him on the canvas for the second time since his borderline controversial split decision victory over Bernard Hopkins back in April. Excited as all hell, everyone jumped up out of their seats and I began to second guess my earlier prediction of a majority decision for Calzaghe. However, Calzaghe, seemingly unfazed by the knockdown, returned to his feet and looked ready to go. The crowd, by this time high on nostalgia, wanted to see Jones go on an aggressive attack against the Welshman. Would the old Roy Jones step up to the plate and finally end Calzaghe's undefeated record in astounding fashion? Nope, Jones simply hesitated and practically opened the front door and invited Calzaghe right back into the fight. Calzaghe, ostensibly embarrassed from the flash knockdown, went on the offensive and hammered Jones with a barrage of punches that Jones had no solution for.
By round five reality had finally set in. There would be no spectacular body shot knockouts or flashy hands behind the back maneuvers from Jones today. No, instead the viewing public was treated to Jones being pounded on the ropes by a hail of rights and lefts from Calzaghe, a horrible cut over Jones left eye that almost caused a stoppage, and Jones, with his hands up, standing toe to toe with Calzaghe, almost as if to say "go ahead, I'm going to stand up to your best shots".
In the end, Jones fell short, way short. All three judges scored the bout 118-109, which could favorably be compared to a football game that ended with a final score of 60-7. Despite the outcome, however, not even the brutal beating Calzaghe administered to Jones can take away from the fact that at his peak, Jones possessed skills that even some of the greatest fighters of all time could only dream of. Jones must now realize that his best days in the ring are behind him rather than in front of him, but he can take solace in knowing that he was one of only two men in the long history of the sport to go from middleweight to heavyweight champion of the world, and the first to do so in 106 years. How many fighters can you name off the top of your head that have accomplished a goal that can be comparative to that?
After watching the Jones-Calzaghe fight, I immediately popped in my Roy Jones DVD and pressed play. I prefer my last images of Roy Jones Jr. to be of him with his hands raised above his head in victory, leaving his opponents speechless and in disbelief at what they had just experienced. Indeed, Jones might not be able to recapture his prime, but what he has done is leave fight fans like myself with a wealth of memories that cannot simply fade because of last Saturday's fight. I have to wonder if Calzaghe would have still displayed some of his showboat antics if he were to have faced off with Jones while he was in his prime, makes you wonder, huh?
