Roy JonesRoy Jones. Roy Jones Fight statistics for Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones is one of the most famous and exciting boxers of all time. In this article you will learn in detail the details of the life and career of the outstanding ex-champion.

early years

Roy Levesta Jones Jr. was born on January 16, 1969 in a small town called Pensacola, Florida, USA. Already at the age of 6, he began boxing under the strict supervision of his father.

Roy Sr., by the way, was a Vietnam veteran, after his service he worked at a naval base near Pensacola. He had some experience in professional boxing. Jones Sr. achieved a record of 13-6-1 (5 KOs) and retired, and one of his most famous opponents was the legendary, to whom Roy lost with a TKO score of 3.

Roy Jr.'s mother, Carol, on the other hand, was a kind and flexible woman. The Jones family owned a small pig farm and a boxing gym. There were a lot of poor guys working out in that very gym, and Jones Sr. did everything possible to have time to help everyone. But with his own son he was merciless.

Little Roy

A demanding father provided young Roy with a strict training regime and discipline. Sometimes he got down on his knees and boxed with his young son, and sometimes he hit the young man on the thighs with a piece of pipe, or threw improvised objects if he did something wrong during training. Jones Sr. sincerely wanted to make his child a champion, a terminator, a universal fighter, leaving him no choice. His main motto was: kill or be killed.

As a result, young Jones grew up in constant fear of violence from his father, but day after day, under his supervision, he honed his skills and character. He sparred with bigger and older guys to the point of exhaustion. His dad made him run 10 miles every day (16 km - approx. T0Fight). Later, in many interviews, Roy Jr. would say that he had thought about suicide more than once.

“I spent my whole life in my father’s cage and I never knew one hundred percent who I was until I got out of it.”- Roy Jones said in an interview.

“I ran 10 miles every damn day, sparring with bigger guys until I collapsed from exhaustion. Nothing but training. I was called the most gifted professional... Talent? Bullshit! No fighter in history has worked like me. No one. Dot"— Jones in a long interview with Bryn-Jonathan Butler for Bleacherreport, 2015.

Amateur career:

In 1984, Roy Jones Jr. Next - Roy Jones) won the National Youth Olympic Games in the 54 kg weight class. In 1986, he took the National Golden Gloves Championship at 63 kg, and the following year, the Golden Gloves at 71 kg.

In 1988, at the next Golden Gloves, Jones won bronze, losing in the semifinals to Gerald McLellan. Later, he would become Roy's friend and would also be known as one of the most feared middleweight punchers.

Also in 1988, at the Olympic Games in Seoul, Roy represented the United States in the junior middleweight division. He was the youngest member of the team. Jones won one after another, including beating Soviet boxer Evgeniy Zaitsev in the quarterfinals.

In the final, Jones faced a boxer from South Korea named Park Si Hoon. Roy completely dominated the fight, but the judges gave the victory to Si Hong (3-2). The Soviet and Hungarian judge gave the fight to Jones, the Uruguayan and Moroccan - to the Korean. The representative of Uganda said that the result should be a draw, but he gave the advantage to the Korean for aggression, which, by the way, was not in sight.

Jones received a silver medal. To say that he and the entire boxing world were shocked by this decision is an understatement. The wave of indignation was so powerful that even 50 Korean Buddhist monks apologized to Jones. They said they felt a deep sense of shame.

The hit statistics were shocking. In each round, Roy Jones landed at least twice as many accurate punches as his opponent. Eventually - 86 accurate strikes per fight against 32 at Xi Hong's. The Korean himself also apologized to Jones after the fight.

A subsequent investigation showed a strong likelihood of a corruption scheme, but the IOC said there was no hard evidence of this. However, three judges were permanently banned from boxing. Roy tried to achieve his gold medal, but his attempts were in vain. Only in September 1997 the International Olympic Committee awarded him the Olympic Order, but this belated consolation prize could not replace the real well-deserved gold.

For his performance at the Olympic Games, Roy Jones received the Val Barker Cup ( prize for the most technical boxer of the Games - approx. ToFight). He finished his amateur career with a record 121-13 .

Beginning of professional career: middleweight

Roy Jones had his first fight in the professional ring on May 6, 1989. From the very beginning of his professional career, Jones Jr. rejected all offers from the largest boxing promoters. His coach and manager was his father, who at the initial stage selected his opponents quite carefully. Well, my son quickly dealt with them, leaving not the slightest chance. Many began to criticize the managerial policies of Jones Sr. As a result, the talented Olympian Roy began to lose the reputation he had earned at the Games.

An interesting incident happened to Roy Jones in July 1990. Jones' opponent on July 14 of that month was supposed to be Dennis Johnson, however, his candidacy was dropped after the fighter began asking for more money than he deserved. A replacement was announced in the form of a boxer named Derwin Richards.

Roy won by knockout in the first round. However, then interesting details emerged. The sports editor of one of the Pensacola publications, Junior Ingram, discovered a day later that there was no Derwin Richards in the ring with Roy on the night of the fight. The photographs of the real Derwin and the “fake” one were of different people. Ingram contacted Richards, who confirmed that he was in another state on the night of the fight.

Florida State Athletic Commission Assistant Director Shelley Bradshaw discovered two days later that Derwin Richards' record did not match that of Jones' opponent shown in the poster. She stated that she did not check such details because she was too busy with other matters.

As a result, an investigation began. During the investigation, it turned out that boxer Tony Waddles from Oklahoma was in the ring that night. Waddles also claimed that boxing event organizer Elvis Belt promised him $700 for the fight; the boxer was surprised to learn that his fee was actually listed as $2,000. Belt was accused of fraud. As it turned out later, fights with fake names and speculation on fees were quite common in the state of Florida.

Jones continued to score victories over mediocre opponents, with most of his early career fights taking place at junior middleweight ( 69 kg) and average weight ( 72 kg). In 1992, he defeated former world welterweight champion Jorge Vaca and future Argentine middleweight champion Jorge Fernando Castro, breaking his nose. This was Roy's first fight out of eighteen that went to a judge's decision.

Roy with his father

It was after this fight, in the late summer of 1992, that a turning point occurred in Jones' career. He stopped working with his father. The final turning point in the relationship between father and son was Roy's friend's dog, which frightened his younger sister. Jones Sr. tied the Rottweiler puppy to a tree and shot it with a gun.

Roy hired a new coach, Elton Merkerson. The level of his opposition also began to grow. Jones scored three early victories and took second place in the IBF middleweight rankings. This title was left vacant by James Toney, who was moving up. The organization immediately appointed an eliminator. The title fight pitted the second ranked number, Roy Jones, against the first ranked number, Bernard Hopkins. This was the first title fight for both of them.

On May 22, 1993, Roy more than confidently defeated Hopkins. Bernard looked for success at close range, but Jones was much faster and more accurate. He became the new world champion. After the fight, Roy stated that he boxed with a broken right arm.

When looking for a word that best describes Jones, the first term that comes to mind is “flamboyant.” This is exactly the image the boxer created for himself with his extravagant outfits and demeanor in the ring.

"I have fun in battle"

“Jones hits like a heavyweight and moves like a lightweight.” — George Foreman

Roy Jones loved to irritate his opponents, worked well to stay ahead of the curve, used various feints and deceptive movements, and hit from different angles. All this thanks to excellent speed and reaction, combined with a sense of distance. Plus, he had knockout power. His signature blow was the jumping left hook, which he could perform both to the head and to the body.

Jones fought his next fight after Hopkins at a higher weight - super middleweight ( 76 kg). His opponent was the experienced and awkward African Thulani Malinga. Roy dominated throughout the fight, and at the end of the 6th round he landed a powerful left hook. Malinga fell, he tried to get up, but his body did not obey. Knockout. In May 1994, Jones made his first defense of the IBF middleweight title, knocking out Thomas Tate in quick succession.

Super middleweight:

Afterwards, Roy decided to move up to super middleweight for a fight with the local champion - . At that time, Tony had already achieved more than outstanding achievements and occupied a high position in the ranking of the best boxers in the world, regardless of weight ( according to some publications - first place in this rating). He came into the Jones fight as a 6-to-5 favorite.

Both fighters were entitled to a fixed fee (Tony - $2.5 million, Jones - $2 million) plus interest on all income minus expenses (Tony - 45%, Jones - 35%). The fight collected 300,000 pay-per-view purchases. It took place on November 18, 1994, and can hardly be called particularly spectacular or competitive. At the beginning of the third round, Tony was knocked down, and at the end of the fight, Jones celebrated a confident victory by decision. The Ring called Jones' performance "the most dominant in a big fight in twenty years."

Then, Roy made his first defense against mandatory challenger Antoine Byrd, and then met with Vinny Pazienza, confidently and brilliantly dealing with him. This was followed by a quick victory over Mercui Sosa, the fight took place in the 78 kg limit.

In June 1996, Roy Jones fought Eric Lucas, who five years later would become the world super middleweight champion. 7 hours before the fight with him, Roy took part in a basketball match, playing for the Jacksonville Barracudas team in the US Basketball League. He spent 14 minutes of playing time on the court and earned five points for his team. Thus, Junior Jones became the first athlete in history who managed to perform at two sporting events on the same day, and even within different sports. Four months after the fight with Lucas, Jones scored another victory and decided to move up to light heavyweight.

To summarize this excerpt from Roy's biography, it is worth noting that, perhaps, it was in the super middleweight division that Jones was at the very peak of his capabilities. Already at the time of leaving this weight, he was considered the best boxer in the world, regardless of weight, according to The Ring.

Light Heavyweight

In November 1996, Roy Jones fought his first fight in the light heavyweight category. He became his rival. Despite the fact that Mike was known as one of the most prominent boxers in middleweight history, he was already in the twilight of his career. Roy fought the battle quite carefully. He defeated 39-year-old McCallum in a one-sided fight and managed to knock him down. This happened simultaneously with the gong for the end of the 10th round. In this fight, Jones won the interim WBC title, but was later recognized as a full champion when the previous title holder, Fabrice Tiozzo, moved up in weight.

Next, Roy had to fight with the undefeated Montell Griffin, who had already scored two victories over James Toney. Jones was a 6 to 1 favorite for the fight in March 1997. It started actively.

Griffin looked for success by driving his opponent to the ropes. From the fifth round, Jones picked up the pace and the fight became somewhat more spectacular. At the end of the seventh round, Montell Griffin was knocked down. At the end of the ninth round, Roy shocked his opponent and rushed to finish him off. After a few more misses, Griffin dropped to his knees. The referee was late in reacting to the knockdown, and Jones delivered several more blows to his kneeling opponent. Heavy knockout.

Seeing Griffin's serious condition, referee Tony Perez decided to disqualify Roy. He later stated that if Montell had continued the fight, he would have simply taken a point or two off Jones. However, now, Jones' record has seen his first defeat - by disqualification.

“I wasn’t sure he fell. I didn't have time to think or see if he was on his knees or just crouched. And in general, I didn’t feel that the referee was trying to separate us.”- said Roy Jones himself.

After this incident, a wave of criticism followed towards Roy. A rematch was immediately scheduled. The fight also started actively. Already in the first seconds, Griffin was given a knockdown. Jones looked like a boxer, clearly looking to strike and win quickly. At the end of the first round, Montell found himself on the canvas again, missing a left hook. He tried to get up, but couldn't. And Roy Jones thereby regained his WBC title.

However, in early 1998, he relinquished the title and decided to move up two weights to heavyweight, signing a contract to fight James "Buster" Douglas for the IBA title on May 2. Meanwhile, in March, Graziano Rocchigiani became the new WBC light heavyweight champion, who defeated Michael Nunn by decision in the fight for the “vacancy”.

At the same time, Roy Jones refused the fight with Douglas and signed a contract for a fight with the outstanding ex-champion Virgil Hill. This fight took place in April, a weight limit was set ( 80.5 kg). Hill got off to a good start, pressing and jabbing hard, but Jones' speed advantage was solid. At the beginning of the fourth round, he caught his opponent with a right hand to the body. Hill was unable to continue the fight, this was the first early defeat of his career. The knockout was named “Knockout of the Year” by The Ring.

After this, in June 1998, the WBC declared Jones "champion on holiday" and Graziano Rocchigiani, who won the full title, "interim champion". Thus, Jones and Rocchigiani had to meet in the ring and reveal the real champion. Promoter Murad Muhammad canceled the fight because Graziano did not show up for a press conference. And the WBC stripped him of his title. Later, in the early 2000s, he won the case, achieved substantial compensation and the return of the full WBC title.

In the next fight, Jones' opponent was the newly crowned WBA light heavyweight champion, Lou Del Valle. A few years earlier, he was Roy's sparring partner. Jones won a landslide victory, but during the fight he was knocked down for the first time in his career.

Roy's next fight was also a unification fight - with the WBO champion named Otis Grant. Jones scored an early victory in the 10th round. What is noteworthy is that out of 137 jabs thrown by Grant, only one found the target.

This was followed by a passing match, after which Jones again fought a unification fight. The opponent was IBF champion Reggie Johnson, who lost to Roy by decision. With this victory, Jones becomes the first undisputed light heavyweight world champion in almost 15 years. Towards the end of 1999, he had a minor motorcycle accident and injured his left wrist, but a month later he entered the ring and defended against David Telesco.

In May 2000, Roy defeated Richard Hall, but after the fight both fighters tested positive for anabolic steroids. Moreover, the content of prohibited substances in Hall’s tests exceeded the norm ten times, and Jones’s - 5-6 times. Roy said that it was all due to sports nutrition, in particular the fat burner Ripped Fuel. The state of Indiana, where the fight took place, did not have legal authority to test for steroids. No fines or sanctions were issued, with the exception of warnings.

Jones made several more defenses and captured a pair of minor titles. On 02/02/02 he had a famous fight with Glen Kelly, the same one where in the 7th round Jones put his hands behind his back. Also the day before, The Ring awarded him its light heavyweight title, which had not been awarded to anyone for almost twelve years.

Heavyweight Voyage and Trilogy with Antonio Tarver

At the beginning of 2003, Jones again came up with the idea of ​​making a foray into the heavyweight division. This time he accomplished his plan. Jones' opponent was WBA heavyweight champion John Ruiz. He made his third defense of this title. Jones was a 9-to-5 favorite. Additionally, his guaranteed purse was $10,000,000 + 60% of profits.

Jones' diligent preparation for this fight meant a solid increase in muscle mass without noticeable damage to speed and endurance. A combination that is very difficult to achieve, and therefore - Jones did not reach the heavyweight limit, but entered the fight with a record weight in his career at that time - 87,6 kg. Johnny Ruiz was 15 kg heavier.

In the fight, the champion sought success in attacks to the body, but he had little success. The difference in speed and class was noticeable and the dimensions could not affect it. Roy Jones was more accurate than his opponent, and several missed accentuated blows from a real “super heavyweight” did not bother him. As a result, he celebrated his victory by decision after 12 rounds.

Jones - Ruiz

Thus, Jones became the seventh boxer in history to win titles in four weight categories. In addition, he is the second former middleweight champion to win the heavyweight title. ( The first was Bob Fitzsimmons back in 1897 - approx. ToFight). The Jones-Ruiz fight was named “Event of the Year” by The Ring and collected 602,000 pay-per-view purchases.

Jones did not stay in the heavyweight division; he renounced the title and returned to light heavyweight. It is worth saying that Roy himself expressed a desire to fight with, who at that time was at the end of his career. His promoter claimed they were unable to secure fights with Tyson, Lewis and Holyfield. Jones's side refused the fight with Corrie Sanders for financial reasons.

“After winning the heavyweight title, I wanted a fight with Tyson. I did everything to make this fight happen, but Mike didn’t accept it. Look what Tony did to Holyfield and what I did to Tony. I could fight Tyson, just like Holyfield. And I would try to knock him out"

Thus, Roy had no choice but to look for worthy opponents in the light heavyweight division, and there they were. Two of Jones' remaining titles at the time were won by his compatriot, trained southpaw boxer Antonio Tarver.

The fight took place on November 8, 2003. Roy Jones was an 8 to 1 favorite. From the very first seconds of the fight, Antonio Tarver began to put pressure, actively using his jab. From the third round, Jones managed to seize the initiative. He emphasized the right punch to the body. In general, the fight turned out to be competitive; Roy won by decision of the majority of judges. The hit statistics were slightly in favor of Jones. He got his titles back.

A rematch was scheduled, which took place in May 2004. In the second round, Tarver landed a left hook and Jones fell. Knockout of the year according to The Ring and the first early defeat in Roy’s career.

In the next fight, Roy met with another champion of this weight -. Johnson rushed into the attack from the first seconds. Roy spent the entire first round at the ropes, and his opponent shot him. From the second round, Jones began to move more and traditionally acted proactively. As for Glen Johnson, he mostly had success when his opponent got to the ropes. At the very beginning of the ninth round, he landed a right hand to the temple. Roy Jones fell and lay on the canvas for quite a long time. The hardest knockout.

Jones left the arena in an ambulance. The fight received the status of “Upset of the Year 2004”; before the fight, Glen Johnson was considered an underdog at a ratio of 6 to 1. Roy did not enter the ring for almost a year. And in October 2005, he faced a third, decisive fight with Antonio Tarver.

In this fight, unlike the previous two, Jones moved more than usual and tried to twist his opponent. The middle rounds turned out to be quite spectacular. At the beginning of the eleventh three-minute period, Jones was shocked. However, the fight came to a decision, and Antonio Tarver celebrated the victory. Statistically, Tarver landed almost twice as many punches throughout the fight.

Jones blamed the defeat on his father, whom he called on for the first time since 1992 as his second coach. However, the fighter claimed that his father did not comply with the regulations, argued with main trainer Elton Merkerson and interrupted him. In the next two years, Roy had only two fights with mediocre opponents.

In 2008, he defeated the famous Puerto Rican Felix Trinidad. It was the only notable victory for several years, but against an opponent long past their prime. This fight took place in the intermediate limit of 77.1 kg. The fight collected 500,000 PPV buys.

The fight with Calzaghe and the final stage of his career

At the end of the same 2008, Roy Jones fought with the undefeated former super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe, who had previously defeated Bernard Hopkins in the light heavyweight division. The fight was initially scheduled for September, but was then postponed due to Calzaghe's injury.

Cut in fight with Calzaghe

The Welshman was knocked down at the end of the first round when Roy caught him in a counter move. Calzaghe took his quantity, throwing lungs ( and not really) blows. At the beginning of the fight, Roy managed to work well ahead, but as the fight progressed, he lost his advantage. Midway through the seventh round, he suffered a serious cut above his left eye. During the fight, Joe Calzaghe landed 985 punches and won by unanimous decision.

“I did my best today, this guy was better than me.” — Jones after the fight with Calzaghe.

In the next five fights, Roy suffered three defeats: early from Danny Green, a decision in a rematch with Bernard Hopkins and a knockout from Russian Denis Lebedev. Over the next few years, Roy did not face any serious opponents, with the exception of Enzo Maccarinelli, to whom he also lost by knockout.

Needless to say about the natural loss of former speed and reflexes, about serious problems with the knees, and, in the end, about the age of this boxer... His boxing career continues to this day and spans almost 30 years. The last stage of his career takes place mainly within the framework of the first heavyweight division, where Roy also dreams of becoming a champion...

Achievements in and outside of boxing, personal life

The Boxing Writers Association named Roy "Boxer of the Decade for the 1990s." He became a 9-time world champion in four weight categories and was the undisputed light heavyweight champion for several years. He was repeatedly named “Fighter of the Year” and “Man of the Year” by many sports publications.

Roy and his family still live in Pensacola. He has a wife and six children, as well as a large farm. Natlyn and Roy got married in the early 2000s, but they have known each other since they were young. Roy Jones became her first boyfriend. Even now, Roy very rarely communicates with his father; they live in the same city, but in different houses. House and two cars ( Bentley and Rolls-Royse) Roy Sr. was bought by his son...

In 1998, Roy Jones founded his label Body Head Entertainment. In 2002, a hip-hop album called Round One was released, which peaked at number 50 on the Billboard chart. In 2004, Jones organized the musical group Body Head Bangerz, with which he released another album.

Roy has his own promotional company and often appears as a boxing commentator. He is actively involved in charity work, especially in the field of working with youth in his native Pensacola. He actively helps his disabled friend Gerald McClellan and visits hospitals. He has appeared in many films and television shows, and has provided voice acting for video games.

Roy Jones has dual citizenship - American and Russian. On August 19, 2015, in Crimea, he met with Vladimir Putin and received a Russian passport.

One of his hobbies for a long time was cockfighting; at one time he even raised roosters himself. He still has a passion for basketball and spends every morning playing at the military base in Pensacola.

Prepared by Alexander Amosov

Read also

In the history of boxing there are many outstanding fighters who have reached great heights. But, perhaps, it is difficult to find a boxer who, in the manner of fighting, in the speed of the blow, in the unpredictability, would be at least somewhat similar to Roy Jones Jr.

From this article you will learn the main milestones in the biography of Roy Jones, each of which is accompanied by a video of the fights of this great athlete.

Childhood

Roy Levesta Jones Jr. was born on January 16, 1969 in Pensacola, Florida, USA. Roy Jones Sr., his father, was also a professional boxer, but he never managed to become a champion. Therefore, he dreamed that his son would continue his path and reach heights that his father had not conquered.

When Roy put on gloves at the age of 10, it immediately became clear that he had a unique talent and a very bright future in boxing. After all, even then he began to defeat guys who were older and heavier than him.

1988 Olympics

In 1988, Roy Jones performed at the Olympic Games in the capital of South Korea, Seoul. Throughout the tournament, Roy easily defeated his opponents and reached the finals, where he faced the Korean Park Si Hoon. Almost no one doubted that Roy Jones would win and receive the gold medal. However, it all ended unexpectedly and scandalously.

Throughout the fight, Roy Jones had a significant advantage over his opponent, but according to the judges' decision, the victory was given to the Korean athlete. As a result of the scandal of the judges who gave the victory to the Korean,
was removed from judging, and Roy Jones decided not to compete outside the United States again, so as not to fall for the bias of the judging again.

The Olympic Games marked the final stage of Roy Jones Jr.'s amateur career. The Roy era began in professional boxing.

Beginning of a professional career

Roy's first coach was his father. Worried about his son, he selected opponents for him very carefully, not very famous, and not very skilled. As a result, fatherly love played a cruel joke. Jones Jr. did not like to easily defeat weak opponents, which is why there was a quarrel with his father, and Roy found himself a new coach. It was Elton Merkenson.

Under the leadership of a new coach, by 1992, Roy Jones had won 20 victories, 19 by knockout, without suffering a single defeat. Roy danced in the ring, moved as he wanted, hit from any positions, from any distances, from any angles, in a word, he did everything in the ring that his heart desired.

As a result, in 1993, having defeated Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins on points, Roy Jones won his first title. He became the IBF world middleweight champion.

Roy's next step was the transition to second middleweight in 1994. In his first fight, which became a fight for the IBF super middleweight world title, he faced the then undefeated James “Lights Out” Toney. The fight lasted until the final bell, and the victory was awarded to Roy Jones on points. Thanks also to this fight, in 1994 Roy received the title of “Fighter of the Year”.

Roy Jones Jr. is a very versatile person. One of his hobbies is basketball. In June 1996, on the afternoon before defending his title, Jones played basketball for a professional team, and in the evening he defended the title in brilliant style, defeating Eric Lucas.

The second middleweight was conquered and Jones moved to the light heavyweight camp. Sweeping away everyone in his path, he almost immediately became a champion in this weight. Thanks to this, Roy was at the top of the ranking of the best boxers in the world, regardless of weight category. By this time, Jones Jr.'s record included 34 victories and not a single defeat.

1997 was the year of the first defeat. In a fight against Montell Griffin, the WBC light heavyweight champion, Montell took a knee in the ninth round after a left hook to the jaw. Jones, in an attacking rush, did not notice this and delivered a couple more to the head, from which Griffin fell to the canvas. Such finishing was the reason for disqualification. Thus, Roy Jones suffered the first defeat in his professional career.

However, in the same 1997, revenge took place. In the first round, Roy Jones knocked Griffin out with a blow to the jaw. Here's how it went:

This is how Roy Jones’s career progressed until 2003. He mocked his opponents in every way due to his too great superiority over them. They simply had no chance of winning.

Career peak

This prompted Roy to move to heavyweight. It was a shock for the whole world. They tried to dissuade him, citing health risks. They thought that Roy was already going too far and this could end badly.

But Jones Jr. did not heed the persuasion and chose WBA world champion John Ruiz, who defeated Hollyfield himself, as his opponent. This fight was expected as some kind of extraordinary event. Whatever the outcome, there was a sensation: either Jones’s first defeat, or the victory of a middleweight boxer over a heavyweight. Roy Jones fought the fight very confidently and smartly, tactically completely outplaying Ruiz. Ruiz was never able to oppose Jones, and he, having created a sensation, became the world heavyweight champion.

Perhaps this was the peak of Roy Jones' career, after which he began to decline. After all, no one is a robot, and even the greatest people are inexorably influenced by time.
Roy Jones has returned to light heavyweight. Antonio Tarver settled there during his absence. Jones won the first half of the fight, but then suddenly went into defense. And Tarver successfully began to punch through it. The fight was even and Roy did not have his former superiority. Some of the rounds in the second half of the fight remained with Tarver. However, Roy won on points, and Antonio Tarver did not agree with the results of the judging and demanded revenge.

First defeat by knockout

The rematch took place on May 15, 2004 in Las Vegas. On this day, something happened that all Roy’s fans feared and that his opponents desired. From that day on, Roy Jones ceased to be the best boxer in the world. In the second round of the rematch, Antonio Tarver hit Roy in the jaw with a left hook, causing him to collapse. Jones stood up, but there was emptiness in his eyes and the referee stopped the fight. This was Roy Jones Jr.'s first knockout. The first and most offensive.

In the next fight with Glen Johnson, Roy was knocked out again after receiving a right hook. It seemed as if Roy had begged for this blow. Next was the third fight against Tarver, which Tarver won on points.

The end of the Roy Jones era

After such shocks, Roy seemed to be afraid of missing a blow, going into defense. But this is not his strong point and not his style. Roy Jones became a boxer with whom many could now compete. And he had to really survive. There was no longer that courage. There were brilliant victories over Jeff Tracy and Felix Trinidad, and bitter defeats, such as from Danny Green and Joe Calzaghe. The only thing that remained clear was that the era of Roy Jones had come to an end.

The only fight in which Roy resembled his prime in style and speed was against Bernard Hopkins in 2010. However, Hopkins won that fight on points. Watch the last round of this fight:

In May 2011, Roy Jones traveled to Russia to fight rising star Denis Lebedev. Here, many boxing fans could not decide who to root for: a legend, perhaps the best boxer in history, or a native Russian boy. Moreover, Denis was considered the favorite. The fight took place with Denis having a confident advantage and ended badly for Roy Jones: ten seconds before the end of the last round he was knocked out.

According to Roy’s promise, if he defeats Glazewski, his next opponent will be Wlodarczyk, the WBC cruiserweight world champion.

This is the professional path of Roy Jones Jr. This is real life, in which there was a phenomenal rise, a peak, a turning point, a decline and a constant irreconcilable struggle with oneself. Despite everything, Roy continues to enter the ring and prove, first of all, to himself that he has not given up, that he can still fight for the highest places. Isn't this a real role model for any man?

Let's take another look at the best moments in the career of this outstanding athlete:

Biography of Roy Jones but very bright, versatile and extraordinary. Roy Jones was born on January 16, 1969, Pensacola, Florida, USA. Roy Jones's father, also a professional boxer, instilled in his son a love of boxing from childhood. Roy Jones Sr. failed to become a great ring star, so he put all his efforts into making his son one. Jones Jr. began training at the age of ten, and it immediately became clear that he was a born boxer and the boy had a great future ahead of him.

At the age of 15, Roy becomes the winner of the Junior Olympic Games in the USA. Wins one of the most prestigious US tournaments - the Golden Gloves at the age of 17.

By the age of 19, Roy Jones is already achieving great success in his sports career, which his peers can only dream of. At the Olympic Games in Seoul (Korea) he takes part in the junior middleweight division and defeats his opponents with unprecedented ease. No one had any doubt that the gold medal rightfully belonged to Roy, but the Korean judges condemned the boxer and gave the medal to his compatriot Park Si Hoon. The International Olympic Committee, observing such injustice, later presented Roy Jones with the prestigious Vela Balker "Best Boxer" award.

Soon Jones ends his amateur career and becomes a professional boxer. At that time, Roy Jr.’s promoter and trainer was his father. And either to protect his son, or for some other unknown reasons, Jones Sr. chooses weak opponents for Roy. Therefore, Roy Jones decides to change his manager to another, a professional, and now enters the ring with serious opponents, such as Glen Thomas - and triumphantly wins again.

On May 22, 1993, Jones fights with the strongest boxer Bernard Hopkins, who occupied the first position in the ranking at that time. Despite the fact that the fight was not easy, Bernard Hopkins had no chance of winning. Roy Jones showed a clear advantage over Hopkins and carried the fight to a unanimous decision victory with strong confidence. From this moment in Roy Jones's biography, the boxer becomes the owner of the championship title.

Further biography of Roy Jones and will be marked by such outstanding events as fights with Thomas Tate, James Tawney (after which Roy becomes the champion in the second weight category), and on November 22, 1996 - Roy Jones becomes the winner of the title in the new weight category, defeating the famous champion Mike McCallum.

As sad as it is for fans, he will soon biography the winner was stained by a defeat in a duel with Montell Griffin. Griffin forced Roy to attack, which was quite unusual for Roy, because his strong point is counterattacking. No, Roy didn't lose. In the 9th round, he simply knocked down his opponent with a powerful blow, and when he was already on his knees, he began to finish him off. Johnson was disqualified. This fight caused huge hype in the press. Jones' haters rejoiced; Montell said he was within a hair's breadth of victory (which was not true). And this was the first and only time in the biography of Roy Jones when he became furious. On August 7, 1997, Roy knocked Griffin out in the first round. And he commented on his fight like this: “You wanted it, you got it.” No one else managed to bring Roy to such a state.

Next came a pipeline of victories over the strongest Boxers in the light heavyweight category: Virgil Hill, Lou Del Valle, Otis Grant, Reggie Jones, Eric Harding, Darick Harmon, Julio Gonzalez. The words victory and the name Roy Jones became inseparable. The WBC presented Roy with an award - 1st place in the Pound for Pound ranking (the best boxer in the world, regardless of weight categories). Only now a problem arose - the lack of opponents in his weight category. It was this fact that prompted Roy to take a rather unprecedented step, moving through the category to heavyweight, which at all times was considered the “face” of boxing and the most prestigious category. Here Roy faces the champion Johnny Ruiz, the weight differences were simply colossal, but nevertheless Roy wins. Biography of Roy Jones and opens a new page - champion title in the fourth weight category, a great boxer who has no equal.

And in this place it would be good for him to end his career; at 35 years old this is no longer shameful. The victory over Ruiz was the peak of his career, and the already aged Roy, without his former passion, was destined for the road down.

Having returned to his native light heavyweight (preparing for the fight with Antonio Tarver was not easy, because in 3 months Roy had to lose 10 kg to participate in this fight), despite the fact that the fight ended in the predicted victory of Jones, it took place without the previous brilliance . Roy became a prisoner of his talent - now even a victory, but not similar to the previous ones, was equated to defeat. Therefore, Jones Jr. agrees to a rematch.

There are many assumptions why Roy was knocked out already during the second round: some blame coach Tarver for this, others simply say “lucky blow”, others - that they underestimated their opponent, fourth - that Roy simply got old and lost his main qualities - speed and feeling of a rival. For the first time in his life, the legendary boxer learned what a knockout was, because... Throughout his professional career, no one has ever knocked Jones onto the floor of the ring. He had done this so many times that he was absolutely sure of his invulnerability. This defeat caused an acute psychological breakdown in the champion. After all, he was already planning to end his career as an absolute champion and was already knocked out at the end.

So Jones decides to continue. The fight against Glencoff Johnson, the IBF world champion, was supposed to dot all the i's - in this fight, the greatest Roy Jones Jr. entered the ring, stripped of all his titles.

And again, as in the fight with Tarver, the boxer lacked basic motivation. The first thing that caught your eye was Roy’s faded, indifferent, devoid of their former sparkle. There was no longer any fire in them. And in the 1st minute of the ninth round, Jones misses a blow, hits his head on the ring and loses consciousness.

The reasons for the loss are quite clear, which cannot be said about the prospects of Roy Jones. Perhaps defeat will deprive him of confidence, or maybe, on the contrary, it will add motivation and anger. In any case, the name Roy Jones is already inscribed in golden letters in the world history of boxing.

Biography of Roy Jones is not limited to just victories and knockouts in boxing, it also includes a number of other talents. Roy Jones is a professional basketball player, music producer, rap artist, actor, and sports commentator.
Entertainment, Inc. was among the elite independent record labels." Roy, who is already on the popular charts, does not hide his ambitious plans for its promotion.

Living in his hometown of Pensacola, Roy is no stranger to the simple things of life on his farm: raising pit bulls, horses, and even breeding fighting roosters. Being a wonderful father, Roy organizes a children's golf tournament every year. He also makes it a point to communicate with the youth of his native United States as often as his schedule allows. In his meetings, he emphasizes the importance of education and a healthy lifestyle without drugs.

Those close to him describe Jones as “ten thousand times more of a man than a boxer,” and that says a lot.

We also suggest watching the film Roy Jones biography.

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Very few people notice that Roy Jones Jr. is a man with a stunning combination of charisma and talent. A thoughtful, quiet personality, he is a boxing superstar and international celebrity. Actor, rapper, music producer, professional basketball player and just a great guy. Undisputed world middleweight champion. In this article you will be presented with a brief biography of the boxer.

Childhood

Roy Jones (see photo below) was born in Pensacola (USA) in 1969. His father was a professional boxer. Since childhood, he tried to instill in his son a love for this sport. The elder Roy Jones did not become a star in the ring, but had high hopes for his child. The boy began training at the age of ten, and his father realized that a great future awaited his son.

First fight and Olympic Games

In 1984, Roy Jones Jr. won the Junior Olympic Games, which were held in the United States. And two years later he won such a prestigious tournament as the Golden Gloves.

By the age of 19, the athlete had reached the ultimate dream of any boxer - participation in the Olympics. The competition took place in Seoul, and in the 1st middle weight, Roy easily dealt with his opponents. Everyone was sure that Jones would win the gold. However, the judges condemned him in the final, giving the medal to his compatriot. Seeing such injustice, the Olympic Committee presented the athlete with a special Vela Balker award called “Best Boxer”.

Going Pro

Soon, Roy Jones ended his amateur career and turned professional. At that time, his father was the boxer's trainer and promoter. In an effort to protect his son, Jones Sr. selected exclusively weak opponents for him. Roy decided to change the manager and hired a professional. He selected only serious opponents for him, against whom the boxer triumphantly won.

Title fight

In May 1993, Roy Jones, whose photo was on the cover of many sports publications, fought with Tot, who occupied the first line of the boxing rating. The fight was very difficult for both participants. But Jones looked more confident and clearly dominated his opponent. The judges unanimously awarded Roy the victory and the championship title. Three years later, the boxer became the champion in the new weight, defeating Mike McCallum.

First defeat

In 1996, the athlete was disqualified for violating the rules during the fight. This was the first formal defeat that Roy Jones suffered in his career. The boxer fought Montell Griffin. The latter tried to impose his battle tactics on him. That is, he forced Roy to constantly attack, although Jones’ strong point was counterattacking. Of course, the champion did not lose, but he was very angry. In the ninth round, he knocked Griffin down with a powerful punch and continued to finish him off while he was on his knees. That's how Roy got disqualified. This “defeat” of the champion caused a lot of hype in the media. Roy's haters rejoiced, and Griffin said in every interview that he was literally on the verge of victory. Of course it was a lie. And Montell paid for it. A year later, Jones knocked him out in the first round of a rematch. Roy refused to allow himself to lose control of his emotions any longer.

New victories

Next came a series of victories over athletes in the light heavyweight category. Roy Jones defeated Julio Gonzalez, Darick Harmon, Eric Harding, Otis Grant, Virgil Hill and many others. The boxer’s name has become synonymous with the word “victory.” The WBC awarded Jones the first place in the Pound-for-Pound rating (the best boxer in the world, regardless of weight). Now Roy faced another problem - the lack of opponents in his category. And the athlete made an unprecedented decision - moving to heavyweight, which has always been the most prestigious category and was considered the “face” of boxing. Here Roy fought with Johnny Ruiz, who held the champion title. The difference in the weight of the boxers was colossal, however, the hero of this article won. Thus, Roy Jones became the champion in the fourth weight category.

Return to light heavyweight

The victory over Ruiz was the peak of the boxer's career. Roy was 35 years old, and the ideal solution would be to retire. But the athlete decided to continue, although his enthusiasm had subsided a little.

Roy Jones, whose films are famous in Russia, returned to light heavyweight for a fight with Antonio Tarver. To participate in this fight, the boxer had to lose as much as ten kilograms. Jones won, but the victory did not bring much joy. Everyone was waiting for revenge.

First knockout and decline of career

The rematch took place in May 2004. Tarver knocked Roy out in the second round. At that time, there were many speculations about what happened. Some considered it simply a “lucky” blow, others spoke of underestimating their opponent, and still others referred to Roy’s age and his loss of speed. It is noteworthy that throughout his entire career, Jones never found himself on the floor of the ring. The boxer was confident in his own invulnerability. The loss broke Roy and resulted in a further series of rare victories and disappointing defeats. Jones's career was gradually coming to an end. But the main thing is that the athlete forever inscribed his name in the world history of boxing.

Activities outside boxing

Roy Jones is not limited to just training and fighting. The athlete has other talents. He is a sports commentator, actor, rapper, professional basketball player and music producer. Roy is also actively promoting his record company, Body Head Entertainment.

In his hometown, Jones has his own farm, where he raises horses, pit bulls and breeds fighting roosters. Being an exemplary father, the boxer annually organizes a children's golf tournament. Roy also meets with young people in the United States, trying to convey to them the importance of education and sports.

On June 30, 2012, Jones met Pole Pavel Glazewski in a rating battle. Trying in every possible way to portray himself in his youth, Roy, nevertheless, was forced to act with a strict calculation of strength and therefore, with rare exceptions, neglected combination work, relying on single power attacks. Glazevsky acted with a significant degree of caution and, for the most part, decided to attack when the American retreated to the ropes to carry out a counterattack. Jones also used the jab well at first, but the longer the fight went on, the fewer direct punches he threw with his front hand. The turning point of the fight was Jones' knockdown in the 6th round, in which he went after a left side pole. Glazevsky did not go for the finishing move, and from then on Roy became even less active, taking long pauses and giving greater attacking will to his opponent. Pavel did not fail to take advantage of this, especially trying in the final rounds, although the final three minutes was still won by the invigorated American. At the end of 10 rounds, the opinions of the judges were divided: two gave the victory to Jones with a score of 96-93 and 96-94, while the third saw an advantage for Glazevsky with a score of 95-94.

Fight with Zine Benmaklouf

On December 21, 2013, a fight took place between Roy Jones and Zine Benmaklouf in Moscow. In the first two rounds, Jones confidently controlled the situation, keeping his distance. In the third round, the ex-champion knocked down his opponent, but Benmaklouf managed to get up. After this, the pace of the fight slowed down. In the final rounds, fatigue significantly reduced Jones' activity, but he remained more accurate than his opponent. Following the results of 12 rounds, the judges unanimously gave the victory to the American - 118-109, 119-108 and 120-108.

2014-2016

In 2014 and 2015, Jones had 6 fights, all of which ended early. On July 26, 2014, Jones knocked out Briton Courty Fry in the fifth round, and on September 26 of the same year, he won by knockout over Hani Atiyo. In 2015, fights against Willie Williams, Paul Vasquez, and Eric Watkins ended in early victories. On December 12, Jones lost by knockout in a rating fight against Enzo Maccarinelli, in which he competed under the Russian flag.

After the loss, Roy Jones Jr. made a statement that he was ending his cooperation with promoter Vladimir Khryunov and hiring Umar Kremlev.

On February 10, 2016, the sports director of the Patriot promotion company, Dmitry Luchnikov, announced the end of the sports career of Roy Jones Jr.

Now Jones will concentrate on his musical activities, and also organize a professional boxing tournament in Russia.

However, Roy Jones continued to fight in 2016.

Professional fight statistics

The table lists the results of all boxing matches. Each line indicates the result of the match. Additionally, the match number is indicated by a color that indicates the result of the match. Explanation of symbols and colors is presented in the table below.