Roy Jones Jr Vs Trinidad - KOD
- Thread starter THE KOD
- Start date
When Roy Jones Jr. fought Antonio Tarver for the second time, Tarver spoke up before the opening bell when the referee asked both boxers if they had any questions.
Tarver didn't have one for the referee, but he had one for Jones. "What excuse are you going to use tonight?" he asked.
Jones never had an excuse that night, though blindness might have worked because he never saw the left hook that crashed against the side of his head and left him out cold on the canvas in the second round.:scared
I bring that up not just because it was one of those raw moments in sports that only boxing can deliver. I do it because I've got a question of my own for Jones, who plans to enter the ring once again next week at Madison Square Garden to fight Felix Trinidad.
Actually, I've got two.
Why in the world are you still fighting, and what makes you think anyone will pay $49.95 to endure the pain of watching you do it?:00hour
Let's start with Question No. 1, because at least Jones has a chance of explaining that. Besides, the second question is best left for promoter Don King, who knows how to dress up a turkey when he needs to sell one.:SIB
Even King should be ashamed, though he's likely to fill some seats a week from Saturday because Trinidad has always been popular among the large Puerto Rican population of New York.
But just when boxing is making a small comeback of sorts with some attractive bouts, King is trying to return the sport to its days of shame with a matchup of two fighters who have no business being in any ring, much less one as storied as the one in the Garden.
The mixed martial arts people have to be laughing about this one because it's just this kind of fight that sent so many boxing fans in search of something a little more interesting.
But back to the question: Just why are you fighting, Roy Jones Jr.?
"I am Superman and I don't care about anybody else," Jones said the other day.
That didn't really explain it and, to be truthful, Jones did say more. Almost all of it seemed to revolve around it being God's will that at the age of 38 he should still be fighting and that unless God suddenly strikes him down he plans to continue to fight for a lot longer.:shrug:
No matter that he's lost three of his last five fights and has been knocked out in two of them. No matter that the man who was the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of his time has lost much of the speed and many of his reflexes and is lucky to even be ranked No. 9 among light heavyweights by the WBC, just behind someone from Ghana named Braimah Kamoko and just ahead of Poland's Dawid Kostecki.
Fighters are always the last ones to know when to hang it up, and great fighters figure it out even later because they surround themselves with "yes" men who tell them they are still great. They rationalize losses and convince themselves that they can still do what they could in their prime.
At least in this fight, Jones isn't the only one conning himself. Trinidad was once an undefeated champion at 147 and 154 pounds, a fearsome puncher who knocked out almost everyone who stood in front of him and was the first to beat Oscar De La Hoya.
But he's fought only twice in nearly six years, and in his last fight took a beating at the hands of Winky Wright.
It would all be comical if getting hit in the head weren't so serious. Other athletes may risk being embarrassed by playing too long, but boxers who fight too long and get hit too much often end up with their brains scrambled.
Jones might have been the most talented boxer of his time, with a combination of power and skill that comes around only once in a generation. And he parlayed that talent into a ton of money, though he rarely fought anyone who might have threatened his reign at the top.
If he and Trinidad had been at the same weight and met in their prime, they might have put on a fight for the ages. Now they're putting on a fight for the aged.
The only real winners here will be those who are smart enough not to put up $49.95 to see them fight.
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I will be right there watching this one go the distance. I hate it when its this fawking easy.
Tarver didn't have one for the referee, but he had one for Jones. "What excuse are you going to use tonight?" he asked.
Jones never had an excuse that night, though blindness might have worked because he never saw the left hook that crashed against the side of his head and left him out cold on the canvas in the second round.:scared
I bring that up not just because it was one of those raw moments in sports that only boxing can deliver. I do it because I've got a question of my own for Jones, who plans to enter the ring once again next week at Madison Square Garden to fight Felix Trinidad.
Actually, I've got two.
Why in the world are you still fighting, and what makes you think anyone will pay $49.95 to endure the pain of watching you do it?:00hour
Let's start with Question No. 1, because at least Jones has a chance of explaining that. Besides, the second question is best left for promoter Don King, who knows how to dress up a turkey when he needs to sell one.:SIB
Even King should be ashamed, though he's likely to fill some seats a week from Saturday because Trinidad has always been popular among the large Puerto Rican population of New York.
But just when boxing is making a small comeback of sorts with some attractive bouts, King is trying to return the sport to its days of shame with a matchup of two fighters who have no business being in any ring, much less one as storied as the one in the Garden.
The mixed martial arts people have to be laughing about this one because it's just this kind of fight that sent so many boxing fans in search of something a little more interesting.
But back to the question: Just why are you fighting, Roy Jones Jr.?
"I am Superman and I don't care about anybody else," Jones said the other day.
That didn't really explain it and, to be truthful, Jones did say more. Almost all of it seemed to revolve around it being God's will that at the age of 38 he should still be fighting and that unless God suddenly strikes him down he plans to continue to fight for a lot longer.:shrug:
No matter that he's lost three of his last five fights and has been knocked out in two of them. No matter that the man who was the greatest pound-for-pound fighter of his time has lost much of the speed and many of his reflexes and is lucky to even be ranked No. 9 among light heavyweights by the WBC, just behind someone from Ghana named Braimah Kamoko and just ahead of Poland's Dawid Kostecki.
Fighters are always the last ones to know when to hang it up, and great fighters figure it out even later because they surround themselves with "yes" men who tell them they are still great. They rationalize losses and convince themselves that they can still do what they could in their prime.
At least in this fight, Jones isn't the only one conning himself. Trinidad was once an undefeated champion at 147 and 154 pounds, a fearsome puncher who knocked out almost everyone who stood in front of him and was the first to beat Oscar De La Hoya.
But he's fought only twice in nearly six years, and in his last fight took a beating at the hands of Winky Wright.
It would all be comical if getting hit in the head weren't so serious. Other athletes may risk being embarrassed by playing too long, but boxers who fight too long and get hit too much often end up with their brains scrambled.
Jones might have been the most talented boxer of his time, with a combination of power and skill that comes around only once in a generation. And he parlayed that talent into a ton of money, though he rarely fought anyone who might have threatened his reign at the top.
If he and Trinidad had been at the same weight and met in their prime, they might have put on a fight for the ages. Now they're putting on a fight for the aged.
The only real winners here will be those who are smart enough not to put up $49.95 to see them fight.
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I will be right there watching this one go the distance. I hate it when its this fawking easy.
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glad to see your on the over.
my early thoughts on the Klit - sultan fight are that there is going to be a KO in the fight.
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There is no way Jones is hitting the canvas in this fight. He is too crafty and able to slip punchs.
Just let the payday happen for both men.
Nice long fight. Some heated moment actions where they have flashs, but once they get beyond that they will settle in and take it the distance. When that happens this play wins.
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Felix can endure the punishment.
Roy Jones is not knocking him out.
Aged over the hill fighters making that last few million before fishing days.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Felix Trinidad Quotes
TITO: ?I made my decision and I want to fight. I am very well prepared.?
What do you think about Jones making the knockout prediction?
TITO: ?I think he is going to be embarrassed. It is a promise that he will not be able to fulfill. He is just one more fighter to say something like that. It does not matter to me at all what he says.?
KOD - exactly , words are nothing when trying to hype a fight.
How do you feel when you are not boxing?
TITO: ?It was an easier life. It is a very relaxed life with my family. When I am boxing I have a lot more responsibility on my shoulders. I have to sacrifice for training.?
Does he feel like something is missing in his life to go back?
TITO: ?There are a couple of decisions I had to make. First of all, I had to think about my family. The fans have driven me to be back in boxing, they are always telling me to fight. Everywhere I went people were screaming for me to come back, and then you have my promoter, Don King, who has been persuing me to convince me to come back and box, and finally myself. After the reaction of everyone and my promoter, I feel the passion to come back. I?m back. At the end, I made the decision because I wanted to come back.?
Did it hurt your pride to lose such a lopsided decision against Winky Wright?
TITO: ?It didn?t hurt my pride. My pride has never been hurt. But I didn?t feel well about the loss. I will prove on January 19 that I still have my pride.?
KOD - Show us that pride Tito, stand strong and get on the bicycle if you have to, there is no shame in going the distance
How did you not feel well?
TITO: In the way that I lost the fight, I didn?t feel well. I like to win every fight and I lost that one. So I did not feel good about it. It is impossible to feel good when you lose.?
How does he want his fans to remember him when he retires?
TITO: ?I want to be remembered as a great champion; that I always went into the ring and gave my best as a fighter that fought for all of my fans; as a person, that I did my best in everything that I do.?
What would you like for your birthday tomorrow?
TITO: ?For my birthday, I will love a huge victory next Saturday for me and for all of Puerto Rico.?
KOD - fans will help Tito through
There has been a lot of talk about knockouts?
TITO: ?It all began at a press conference when he told me he was going to knock me out in four rounds. I then told Roy Jones that he would not be able to do that because he will not last two. Since then everyone has been talking about knockouts but I am ready to fight 12-rounds. I can beat him under two, under 4 or the full 12, it really doesn?t matter. And it is going to be a great fight and I don?t think anyone should miss it.?
KOD - I am ready to fight 12 rounds:00hour
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Roy Jones Jr Quotes
Press release posted on Jan 09, 2008 at 11:15 AM
You are making a lot out of stopping Tito?
RJJ: ?He is smaller than me and it will be hard to not try to knock him out.?
Will it be a negative if you don?t knock him out?
RJJ: ?Trust me, he is not going to go 12 rounds with me. I hear, ?If he does this or if he does that...?. ?He may try to do all of that but he is not going to go the distance with me. I really can?t see him going the distance with me.?
Roy, I see you haven?t had a knockout in seven fights - what are you going to do different?
RJJ: ?You have to look at it like this. Superman had to gain a lot of weight to fight at heavyweight. I had to take off a lot of weight to go back down. That was all muscle. It took me a while to get back to where I feel good again. When I added all of that muscle and then had to lose it, I don?t think people were paying attention. I won the heavyweight title then came back to win the light heavyweight title. If you didn?t win the heavyweight title then go back down to win the light heavyweight title, then you didn?t do what Bob Fitzsimmons did.?
Don King: ?Yes, Roy, there is no one that can say they came back down to win both. I think it is phenomenal what is going on. These two guys have pride and glory.?
After the loss to Johnson, what made you continue to fight?
RJJ: ?I feel so good, but I haven?t told you all that, number one. I had to go through a phase where I had to do something for myself. After I won the heavyweight title I came back down and of course there were going to be consequences for that. Because I did something that someone doesn?t do every day. It had been 106 years since a former middleweight champion won the heavyweight title. To accomplish that feat, there is a price to pay when you do something historic. People don?t understand that. Look at Muhammad Ali. He was at the top but look at the price he has to pay now. He went so high to the top that no one knew the consequences he was going to have to pay. We have to pay a price for the things we do and a lot of times people don?t realize that. My Christian brothers and sisters know exactly what I am taking about? because if you don?t sacrifice, then you are wasting your time. I knew I was going to have to sacrifice and I paid the price. I am not sure if that was the sacrifice, but I feel like it was. Now I am back, my body is back to where I want it to be and I guarantee he is not going to make 12-rounds with me.?
We hear here in Puerto Rico that it is difficult for you to make weight. Has it been?
RJJ: ?If it were, why would I tell you? You are down there in Puerto Rico and you will tell Tito. Are you serious? If I was, you would be the last person to know? (Jones said with a laugh).
Do you still think the fight will last no longer than 4 rounds?
RJJ: ?It will no last longer than 4 rounds. No
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The stupidest thing that Roy Jones can do is make this KO statement. It lets the other fighter be aware of a certain round and make sure he does not get knocked out during that time. Of course
Jones is looking to hawk the fight because few people except me want to watch this fight go the fawking distance.
Thanks Roy Jones Jr for helping our cause.
You are making a lot out of stopping Tito?
RJJ: ?He is smaller than me and it will be hard to not try to knock him out.?
Will it be a negative if you don?t knock him out?
RJJ: ?Trust me, he is not going to go 12 rounds with me. I hear, ?If he does this or if he does that...?. ?He may try to do all of that but he is not going to go the distance with me. I really can?t see him going the distance with me.?
Roy, I see you haven?t had a knockout in seven fights - what are you going to do different?
RJJ: ?You have to look at it like this. Superman had to gain a lot of weight to fight at heavyweight. I had to take off a lot of weight to go back down. That was all muscle. It took me a while to get back to where I feel good again. When I added all of that muscle and then had to lose it, I don?t think people were paying attention. I won the heavyweight title then came back to win the light heavyweight title. If you didn?t win the heavyweight title then go back down to win the light heavyweight title, then you didn?t do what Bob Fitzsimmons did.?
Don King: ?Yes, Roy, there is no one that can say they came back down to win both. I think it is phenomenal what is going on. These two guys have pride and glory.?
After the loss to Johnson, what made you continue to fight?
RJJ: ?I feel so good, but I haven?t told you all that, number one. I had to go through a phase where I had to do something for myself. After I won the heavyweight title I came back down and of course there were going to be consequences for that. Because I did something that someone doesn?t do every day. It had been 106 years since a former middleweight champion won the heavyweight title. To accomplish that feat, there is a price to pay when you do something historic. People don?t understand that. Look at Muhammad Ali. He was at the top but look at the price he has to pay now. He went so high to the top that no one knew the consequences he was going to have to pay. We have to pay a price for the things we do and a lot of times people don?t realize that. My Christian brothers and sisters know exactly what I am taking about? because if you don?t sacrifice, then you are wasting your time. I knew I was going to have to sacrifice and I paid the price. I am not sure if that was the sacrifice, but I feel like it was. Now I am back, my body is back to where I want it to be and I guarantee he is not going to make 12-rounds with me.?
We hear here in Puerto Rico that it is difficult for you to make weight. Has it been?
RJJ: ?If it were, why would I tell you? You are down there in Puerto Rico and you will tell Tito. Are you serious? If I was, you would be the last person to know? (Jones said with a laugh).
Do you still think the fight will last no longer than 4 rounds?
RJJ: ?It will no last longer than 4 rounds. No.?
Could you see yourself fighting at 39?
RJJ: ?Yes, and let me tell you why. That is the reason why I never wanted to drink and I never wanted to smoke. Because I wanted to be able to perform at any time and at any age if I had to. I wanted to keep my options open because I didn?t know what would happen in my career. But I don?t know because it?s really not my call and I don?t know when I am going to leave. Whatever He says, I have to go do. It wasn?t my call. I didn?t know when I was going to come here. How will I know when I am going to leave? I may have thought so. But I don?t know what He had planned for me. What He had planned for me was to go further than I would have wanted I had to go.?
Do you think if you beat Tarver and Johnson that you would be fighting now?
RJJ: ?I don?t know. Probably not. If I beat them I probably would have walked away. He knows what He wanted, not me. But I would have cheated the world out of a whole lot of blessings that He gave me. I feel like there is a lot more entertainment for me to give this sport than I had let them see already. When they robbed me of the [Olympic] gold medal, He knew what that would do to me. It would make me come back and show the world that I would be the best professional fighter ever. And I did that. Had I won, He knew I probably would have quit. But I didn?t win, so He wouldn?t let me quit.
?I want to go out the way I want to go. If they beat me being myself, then that?s it. Right now I am back to being me. I am back, 100%.?
Don King: ?You can watch Roy Jones train on http://www.donkingnetwork.tv and see all of the great things that we are doing to make this a great show. And we want you to get an all-round view of this phenomenal fighter, the best of the last decade. Look what George Foreman did. He came back and won the title at 45? Time moves on but God utilizes you in the way he wants to utilize you. You can run and not be weary. This fight is as big as when he fought Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle. He was being counted out when everyone was saying that Ali was too old to fight and he couldn?t do this and he couldn?t do that. It was a foregone conclusion from 90% of the fans that he was going to get destroyed.?
What does a win mean for you in this fight?
RJJ: ?A win doesn?t mean much. He?s got to go. He?s got to go in fo?. Just to win the fight would not be good enough for me at this time. He has to go. I really don?t care when; he?s just got to go. The way I see it, Bernard Hopkins is not as good as me. Oscar De La Hoya is not as good as me. Fernando Vargas? Not as good as me. None of those guys can be my equal, and they stopped him [Trinidad].?
Don King: ?That is why I am so honored and pleased that I am a great part of this event. I think you are all going to see a new Roy Jones. This is role-model time, when everyone says ?No, you can?t,? you say, ?Yes, I can.??
RJJ: ?I love what I do. When you see me in the ring, you will say, ?He loves what he does.? I have a good time performing for people. The people have not been getting all they can get. I am the big guy. I am the one that has to go perform on January 19th. The women that have to get up every day to fight breast cancer? I want to know that they have a chance to win. They have something that they can?t even see. They just know that it is on them. I am going to go out and fight to give them another reason to fight. They have told me I give them the fight. So I feel I have to go out there and perform and have fun because you never know who may be watching. My blessing is to be able to go out there and perform.?
Don King: ?These boxers are committed to what they have to do. They have to work at it, stick to it and make it happen. That means you have to be focused and disciplined? the struggle goes on. Both of these guys, with Tito coming out of retirement and the only one he was looking for is Roy Jones. This other fighter, Floyd Mayweather, was only looking at the dollar signs. Then his [Trinidad?s] father told him about Roy Jones. Roy heard about it and put himself to work. Right now, it is incredulous. No one can believe it is Roy Jones. You are talking to Roy Jones Jr., the man who has committed himself to excellence.
Hopkins-Calzaghe? If Calzaghe wins?
RJJ: ?If Joe Calzaghe wins, yes.?
If Hopkins wins?
RJJ: ?He doesn?t want me. I?m not going to waste my time if he doesn?t want me.?
Who will you want to fight?
RJJ: ?I don?t know yet. I would fight Glen Johnson, Antonio Tarver, Chad Dawson?I don?t care. Let me tell you one more time, my time, my probation period is over. I don?t care who he is. Line them up and I?ll go to them. I don?t care where he?s at. If we have to go to London to fight Joe, if we have to go to Tampa to fight Tarver, or if we have to go to Miami to fight Glen. I don?t care. My name is Roy Jones Jr. I am Superman and I don?t care about anybody else.?
Why did Tito pick you?
RJJ: ?He wanted to fight somebody with a bigger name. If he fights a person like me, I am explosive with both hands, so he knows he has to come in on top of his game, so he knows he has to get himself ready. He fought somebody like a Bernard Hopkins or a Winky Wright, he wouldn?t have to get himself that ready because they are not power punchers. He knows he is a power puncher and to get to another power puncher, you have to be a power puncher. If you put a power puncher in with a boxer, the power puncher is usually going to get beat because those guys will just stay away and outbox them. So he knows Roy is going to be right there in front of him. So he figures, ?This is the best chance I can take.? He asked for me. I didn?t ask for him.?
Don King: ?He wanted the best. I can tell you that right now. I sat with Tito and his father in Puerto Rico. We would make money from beating Floyd Mayweather but we wouldn?t get any prestige from beating Floyd Mayweather. Roy Jones is the giant on the scene. He is the biggest name and he has history attached to it. Going beyond the payday and adding to his legacy at the same time. This is what counts.?
RJJ: ?Personally, if I have the chance to beat Trinidad, I took the gamble. He took the guarantee. Just like I took the guarantee against Ruiz and he took the gamble. I was the bigger fighter, so I took the guarantee. And I will get it back like Ruiz did.
?I can get a title shot any time I want to. They know I can beat 110% of the champions out there right now. I just have to be motivated. Most of them are going to be trying to not give me a shot.
?The knockouts did not change me as a fighter. I was more of a boxer as a heavyweight. The problem was when I came back to light heavyweight, I lost all of the muscle and I lost all of the energy. I was going for the knockout because I didn?t want to go the whole 12 rounds because my body was tired. I couldn?t understand why my body was tired and it didn?t dawn on me until now.
?The reason why everyone should tune into this fight is because anyone who has ever seen Roy Jones Jr. knows that Roy Jones Jr. puts on a show every time he gets in the ring. I am going to give you a show regardless of who or what is on the other side. Now, with Tito Trinidad on the other side, he comes to fight all day long. He?s bringing his left hook to the game and he thinks he is going to knock me out if he can land it. So if you want to see a wonderful fight?two guys who are going to go at it for real?and I?ll give you my word right now that he?s not going 12 rounds with me. You want to see a wonderful fight and you want to see a good fight with him getting knocked out, then you want to put your money down and check it out on January 19.?
Don King: ?The irresistible force against an immovable object. That is what is going to make this fight.?
Have you done anything different to get down to this weight?
RJJ: ?What I did do is have a much longer camp to let my body do it the right way. It has probably been about a three-month camp. Right now I feel like my old self. I love it. I am a true professional and I will be right where I need to be come fight time.?
I noticed you kept your hands up a little higher in the Hanshaw fight?
RJJ: ?I used a different style against Hanshaw because he was so quick, but I think I will keep that style. Especially if the guy is not that big of a puncher it is a good style to use. I am not sure I will use that in the Trinidad fight yet.?
?Right now I feel like I have my body back. I can make those three-punch combinations. The 11th round, that is kind of late to knock somebody down. But it didn?t surprise me at all. I could have taken Hanshaw out, but I needed the rounds.?
Would you go to London to fight Calzaghe?
RJJ: ?If they sign to fight on January 20th, after I get out of the ring against Trinidad, I will go straight to the UK for sure. I love Calzaghe, don?t get me wrong. I think he is one of the best super middleweights to come along. The way I look at things, I try to be as fair as I possibly can. I look at the way the world goes and I want to be fair. Now Hatton came over here to fight Floyd Mayweather, now maybe it is our turn to go over there. So if I need to go, I?ll go.?
There is a report that Tyson wants to fight Holyfield a third time. Could you see yourself fighting the winner?
RJJ: ?I could see myself fighting the winner of anything.?
RJJ: ?After losing to Tarver and Johnson, I needed to get myself back physically?not only physically but mentally also. You don?t want to go out like that. I had to go back and do something different. I had to go back and redefine myself. You need to go back and re-motivate yourself. I needed to go back and find myself and see what is going on.?
How big of a factor will the Puerto Rican contingent be at the Garden?
RJJ: ?I will just have to tune that out.?
Would you fight Calzaghe at super middleweight, since you haven?t fought there since 1996?
RJJ: ?I am fighting Trinidad at 170, so what?s two more pounds??
RJJ: ?He is smaller than me and it will be hard to not try to knock him out.?
Will it be a negative if you don?t knock him out?
RJJ: ?Trust me, he is not going to go 12 rounds with me. I hear, ?If he does this or if he does that...?. ?He may try to do all of that but he is not going to go the distance with me. I really can?t see him going the distance with me.?
Roy, I see you haven?t had a knockout in seven fights - what are you going to do different?
RJJ: ?You have to look at it like this. Superman had to gain a lot of weight to fight at heavyweight. I had to take off a lot of weight to go back down. That was all muscle. It took me a while to get back to where I feel good again. When I added all of that muscle and then had to lose it, I don?t think people were paying attention. I won the heavyweight title then came back to win the light heavyweight title. If you didn?t win the heavyweight title then go back down to win the light heavyweight title, then you didn?t do what Bob Fitzsimmons did.?
Don King: ?Yes, Roy, there is no one that can say they came back down to win both. I think it is phenomenal what is going on. These two guys have pride and glory.?
After the loss to Johnson, what made you continue to fight?
RJJ: ?I feel so good, but I haven?t told you all that, number one. I had to go through a phase where I had to do something for myself. After I won the heavyweight title I came back down and of course there were going to be consequences for that. Because I did something that someone doesn?t do every day. It had been 106 years since a former middleweight champion won the heavyweight title. To accomplish that feat, there is a price to pay when you do something historic. People don?t understand that. Look at Muhammad Ali. He was at the top but look at the price he has to pay now. He went so high to the top that no one knew the consequences he was going to have to pay. We have to pay a price for the things we do and a lot of times people don?t realize that. My Christian brothers and sisters know exactly what I am taking about? because if you don?t sacrifice, then you are wasting your time. I knew I was going to have to sacrifice and I paid the price. I am not sure if that was the sacrifice, but I feel like it was. Now I am back, my body is back to where I want it to be and I guarantee he is not going to make 12-rounds with me.?
We hear here in Puerto Rico that it is difficult for you to make weight. Has it been?
RJJ: ?If it were, why would I tell you? You are down there in Puerto Rico and you will tell Tito. Are you serious? If I was, you would be the last person to know? (Jones said with a laugh).
Do you still think the fight will last no longer than 4 rounds?
RJJ: ?It will no last longer than 4 rounds. No.?
Could you see yourself fighting at 39?
RJJ: ?Yes, and let me tell you why. That is the reason why I never wanted to drink and I never wanted to smoke. Because I wanted to be able to perform at any time and at any age if I had to. I wanted to keep my options open because I didn?t know what would happen in my career. But I don?t know because it?s really not my call and I don?t know when I am going to leave. Whatever He says, I have to go do. It wasn?t my call. I didn?t know when I was going to come here. How will I know when I am going to leave? I may have thought so. But I don?t know what He had planned for me. What He had planned for me was to go further than I would have wanted I had to go.?
Do you think if you beat Tarver and Johnson that you would be fighting now?
RJJ: ?I don?t know. Probably not. If I beat them I probably would have walked away. He knows what He wanted, not me. But I would have cheated the world out of a whole lot of blessings that He gave me. I feel like there is a lot more entertainment for me to give this sport than I had let them see already. When they robbed me of the [Olympic] gold medal, He knew what that would do to me. It would make me come back and show the world that I would be the best professional fighter ever. And I did that. Had I won, He knew I probably would have quit. But I didn?t win, so He wouldn?t let me quit.
?I want to go out the way I want to go. If they beat me being myself, then that?s it. Right now I am back to being me. I am back, 100%.?
Don King: ?You can watch Roy Jones train on http://www.donkingnetwork.tv and see all of the great things that we are doing to make this a great show. And we want you to get an all-round view of this phenomenal fighter, the best of the last decade. Look what George Foreman did. He came back and won the title at 45? Time moves on but God utilizes you in the way he wants to utilize you. You can run and not be weary. This fight is as big as when he fought Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle. He was being counted out when everyone was saying that Ali was too old to fight and he couldn?t do this and he couldn?t do that. It was a foregone conclusion from 90% of the fans that he was going to get destroyed.?
What does a win mean for you in this fight?
RJJ: ?A win doesn?t mean much. He?s got to go. He?s got to go in fo?. Just to win the fight would not be good enough for me at this time. He has to go. I really don?t care when; he?s just got to go. The way I see it, Bernard Hopkins is not as good as me. Oscar De La Hoya is not as good as me. Fernando Vargas? Not as good as me. None of those guys can be my equal, and they stopped him [Trinidad].?
Don King: ?That is why I am so honored and pleased that I am a great part of this event. I think you are all going to see a new Roy Jones. This is role-model time, when everyone says ?No, you can?t,? you say, ?Yes, I can.??
RJJ: ?I love what I do. When you see me in the ring, you will say, ?He loves what he does.? I have a good time performing for people. The people have not been getting all they can get. I am the big guy. I am the one that has to go perform on January 19th. The women that have to get up every day to fight breast cancer? I want to know that they have a chance to win. They have something that they can?t even see. They just know that it is on them. I am going to go out and fight to give them another reason to fight. They have told me I give them the fight. So I feel I have to go out there and perform and have fun because you never know who may be watching. My blessing is to be able to go out there and perform.?
Don King: ?These boxers are committed to what they have to do. They have to work at it, stick to it and make it happen. That means you have to be focused and disciplined? the struggle goes on. Both of these guys, with Tito coming out of retirement and the only one he was looking for is Roy Jones. This other fighter, Floyd Mayweather, was only looking at the dollar signs. Then his [Trinidad?s] father told him about Roy Jones. Roy heard about it and put himself to work. Right now, it is incredulous. No one can believe it is Roy Jones. You are talking to Roy Jones Jr., the man who has committed himself to excellence.
Hopkins-Calzaghe? If Calzaghe wins?
RJJ: ?If Joe Calzaghe wins, yes.?
If Hopkins wins?
RJJ: ?He doesn?t want me. I?m not going to waste my time if he doesn?t want me.?
Who will you want to fight?
RJJ: ?I don?t know yet. I would fight Glen Johnson, Antonio Tarver, Chad Dawson?I don?t care. Let me tell you one more time, my time, my probation period is over. I don?t care who he is. Line them up and I?ll go to them. I don?t care where he?s at. If we have to go to London to fight Joe, if we have to go to Tampa to fight Tarver, or if we have to go to Miami to fight Glen. I don?t care. My name is Roy Jones Jr. I am Superman and I don?t care about anybody else.?
Why did Tito pick you?
RJJ: ?He wanted to fight somebody with a bigger name. If he fights a person like me, I am explosive with both hands, so he knows he has to come in on top of his game, so he knows he has to get himself ready. He fought somebody like a Bernard Hopkins or a Winky Wright, he wouldn?t have to get himself that ready because they are not power punchers. He knows he is a power puncher and to get to another power puncher, you have to be a power puncher. If you put a power puncher in with a boxer, the power puncher is usually going to get beat because those guys will just stay away and outbox them. So he knows Roy is going to be right there in front of him. So he figures, ?This is the best chance I can take.? He asked for me. I didn?t ask for him.?
Don King: ?He wanted the best. I can tell you that right now. I sat with Tito and his father in Puerto Rico. We would make money from beating Floyd Mayweather but we wouldn?t get any prestige from beating Floyd Mayweather. Roy Jones is the giant on the scene. He is the biggest name and he has history attached to it. Going beyond the payday and adding to his legacy at the same time. This is what counts.?
RJJ: ?Personally, if I have the chance to beat Trinidad, I took the gamble. He took the guarantee. Just like I took the guarantee against Ruiz and he took the gamble. I was the bigger fighter, so I took the guarantee. And I will get it back like Ruiz did.
?I can get a title shot any time I want to. They know I can beat 110% of the champions out there right now. I just have to be motivated. Most of them are going to be trying to not give me a shot.
?The knockouts did not change me as a fighter. I was more of a boxer as a heavyweight. The problem was when I came back to light heavyweight, I lost all of the muscle and I lost all of the energy. I was going for the knockout because I didn?t want to go the whole 12 rounds because my body was tired. I couldn?t understand why my body was tired and it didn?t dawn on me until now.
?The reason why everyone should tune into this fight is because anyone who has ever seen Roy Jones Jr. knows that Roy Jones Jr. puts on a show every time he gets in the ring. I am going to give you a show regardless of who or what is on the other side. Now, with Tito Trinidad on the other side, he comes to fight all day long. He?s bringing his left hook to the game and he thinks he is going to knock me out if he can land it. So if you want to see a wonderful fight?two guys who are going to go at it for real?and I?ll give you my word right now that he?s not going 12 rounds with me. You want to see a wonderful fight and you want to see a good fight with him getting knocked out, then you want to put your money down and check it out on January 19.?
Don King: ?The irresistible force against an immovable object. That is what is going to make this fight.?
Have you done anything different to get down to this weight?
RJJ: ?What I did do is have a much longer camp to let my body do it the right way. It has probably been about a three-month camp. Right now I feel like my old self. I love it. I am a true professional and I will be right where I need to be come fight time.?
I noticed you kept your hands up a little higher in the Hanshaw fight?
RJJ: ?I used a different style against Hanshaw because he was so quick, but I think I will keep that style. Especially if the guy is not that big of a puncher it is a good style to use. I am not sure I will use that in the Trinidad fight yet.?
?Right now I feel like I have my body back. I can make those three-punch combinations. The 11th round, that is kind of late to knock somebody down. But it didn?t surprise me at all. I could have taken Hanshaw out, but I needed the rounds.?
Would you go to London to fight Calzaghe?
RJJ: ?If they sign to fight on January 20th, after I get out of the ring against Trinidad, I will go straight to the UK for sure. I love Calzaghe, don?t get me wrong. I think he is one of the best super middleweights to come along. The way I look at things, I try to be as fair as I possibly can. I look at the way the world goes and I want to be fair. Now Hatton came over here to fight Floyd Mayweather, now maybe it is our turn to go over there. So if I need to go, I?ll go.?
There is a report that Tyson wants to fight Holyfield a third time. Could you see yourself fighting the winner?
RJJ: ?I could see myself fighting the winner of anything.?
RJJ: ?After losing to Tarver and Johnson, I needed to get myself back physically?not only physically but mentally also. You don?t want to go out like that. I had to go back and do something different. I had to go back and redefine myself. You need to go back and re-motivate yourself. I needed to go back and find myself and see what is going on.?
How big of a factor will the Puerto Rican contingent be at the Garden?
RJJ: ?I will just have to tune that out.?
Would you fight Calzaghe at super middleweight, since you haven?t fought there since 1996?
RJJ: ?I am fighting Trinidad at 170, so what?s two more pounds??
Im with you on this one, I caught over 10.5 at +127 when it opened.
I opted against 11.5, if there is a knockdown or someone gets hurt, neither guy will be willing for to KO and risk gassing out unless its late 11 or 12.
10.5 seems safe though. Both guys have too many stamina issues to go all-out for a KO before then.
Thanks for posting the updates.
I opted against 11.5, if there is a knockdown or someone gets hurt, neither guy will be willing for to KO and risk gassing out unless its late 11 or 12.
10.5 seems safe though. Both guys have too many stamina issues to go all-out for a KO before then.
Thanks for posting the updates.
no way I trust Jones to win this fight.
The only thing you can take out of Don Kings hands is the fight going the distance. Its very
hard to get someone to just lay down in a fight like this. Of course I wouldnt put it past them, but I like my chances here.
The only thing you can take out of Don Kings hands is the fight going the distance. Its very
hard to get someone to just lay down in a fight like this. Of course I wouldnt put it past them, but I like my chances here.
Felix Trinidad - Chronology
1973 Born January 10 in Cupey Alto, Puerto Rico
1985 Begins boxing
1990 Turns professional
1993 Wins IBF welterweight title with 2nd-round knockout of Maurice Blocker
1994 Unanimous decision over Hector "Macho" Camacho
1999 Defeats Pernell "Sweat Pea" Whitaker
1999 Decision over Oscar De La Hoya captures WBA welterweight title
2000 Defeats David Reid to capture WBA super welterweight title
2000 TKO of Fernando Vargas, wins IBF super welterweight title
2001 Knocks out WBA middleweight champion William Joppy
2001 Loses to Bernard Hopkins by a TKO in fight to determine undisputed middleweight champion
2002 Wins by TKO over Hasine Cherifi in 4th round
2002 Announces his retirement in July
.................................................. ........
Lets do the math here. Felix has been retired from boxing now for over five years. And he has only had 4 fights in the four years previous. Not exactly a busy fighter if you catch my drift.
Geez Louise.
Kinda lose your focus and stamina for the KO dont you think there Tito .
When this fight is over I will meet you on
444 Glory Rd , it runs off from
777 Victory Lane and that is where
I lives.
__________________
1973 Born January 10 in Cupey Alto, Puerto Rico
1985 Begins boxing
1990 Turns professional
1993 Wins IBF welterweight title with 2nd-round knockout of Maurice Blocker
1994 Unanimous decision over Hector "Macho" Camacho
1999 Defeats Pernell "Sweat Pea" Whitaker
1999 Decision over Oscar De La Hoya captures WBA welterweight title
2000 Defeats David Reid to capture WBA super welterweight title
2000 TKO of Fernando Vargas, wins IBF super welterweight title
2001 Knocks out WBA middleweight champion William Joppy
2001 Loses to Bernard Hopkins by a TKO in fight to determine undisputed middleweight champion
2002 Wins by TKO over Hasine Cherifi in 4th round
2002 Announces his retirement in July
.................................................. ........
Lets do the math here. Felix has been retired from boxing now for over five years. And he has only had 4 fights in the four years previous. Not exactly a busy fighter if you catch my drift.
Geez Louise.
Kinda lose your focus and stamina for the KO dont you think there Tito .
When this fight is over I will meet you on
444 Glory Rd , it runs off from
777 Victory Lane and that is where
I lives.
__________________
Jones defeated Ruiz by a unanimous decision, 116-112, 118-110 and 117-111 to claim the heavyweight world title. Along the way Jones became a four division world champion and the first middleweight claim the heavyweight title in over 100 years.
After reaching the boxing pinnacle, and cementing a place in history, Jones made the somewhat unusual decision to drain himself back down to light heavyweight to fight Antonio Tarver. Jones would defeat Tarver by a majority decision, and given that it was the closest that anyone had come to Jones: the result was publicly disputed.
In the late stages of his career Jones took a return match with Tarver. Whether by aging abilities, effected by weight loss or Tarvers right hard; Jones suffered the first real loss of his professional career via a second round knock out. Jones went on to suffer two more losses, a stoppage against Glengoffe Johnson and by decision in a third fight with Tarver.
Recently Jones started a comeback- still believing he had something to offer- with an impressive victory against Prince Badi Ajamu.
...........................................................
It says alot to me that Jones was able to go the distance in the fight with Tarver.
He was unable to KO Tarver though.
After reaching the boxing pinnacle, and cementing a place in history, Jones made the somewhat unusual decision to drain himself back down to light heavyweight to fight Antonio Tarver. Jones would defeat Tarver by a majority decision, and given that it was the closest that anyone had come to Jones: the result was publicly disputed.
In the late stages of his career Jones took a return match with Tarver. Whether by aging abilities, effected by weight loss or Tarvers right hard; Jones suffered the first real loss of his professional career via a second round knock out. Jones went on to suffer two more losses, a stoppage against Glengoffe Johnson and by decision in a third fight with Tarver.
Recently Jones started a comeback- still believing he had something to offer- with an impressive victory against Prince Badi Ajamu.
...........................................................
It says alot to me that Jones was able to go the distance in the fight with Tarver.
He was unable to KO Tarver though.
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The Golata heavyweight fight may be a fun fight to watch on this card.
I am checking on a disqualifiction prop now as Golata is a mental case.
I am checking on a disqualifiction prop now as Golata is a mental case.
Each man is promising an early knockout. What happens if neither boxer's prediction comes to fruition? Trinidad has been out of the ring more than two years and is fighting at a weight 10 pounds greater than he has ever done, and 16 to 23 pounds above his peak.
According to his father, however, even to reach that weight he had to drop 30 pounds. Will he have the necessary stamina if the fight gets into the later rounds? Conversely, Jones is fighting at his lowest weight in 11 years. Will the effort to make that weight prove draining? Will he be able to fight at the same pace for 12 rounds if necessary?
.........................................................
Right after the weigh in we all know the fighters go back to a normal diet etc. Cramming in the steak and carbs. That makes their weight go up by about 10 lbs.
Fat and sassy is how we want them. Slow with no power is the best way for them to be.
Dance long into the night.
According to his father, however, even to reach that weight he had to drop 30 pounds. Will he have the necessary stamina if the fight gets into the later rounds? Conversely, Jones is fighting at his lowest weight in 11 years. Will the effort to make that weight prove draining? Will he be able to fight at the same pace for 12 rounds if necessary?
.........................................................
Right after the weigh in we all know the fighters go back to a normal diet etc. Cramming in the steak and carbs. That makes their weight go up by about 10 lbs.
Fat and sassy is how we want them. Slow with no power is the best way for them to be.
Dance long into the night.
