I first saw Roy Jones Jr. as an amateur boxer as a teenager. In his teens, the Pensacola, Florida native was a celebrated boxer who won national championships at the Youth Olympic Games (under 16), the Golden Gloves, and also represented the USA at the Olympic Games in Seoul 1988.
Jones dominated every boxer, in every round of competition he faced at the Olympics and … he should have received the gold medal in his final fight against Korean Park Si-Hun, if the judges hadn’t stolen it. Jones beat Hun from pillar to post, bell to bell, throughout the match, but the judges literally stole the fight from the American and awarded it to the Korean.
Jones became one of the all-time greats in professional boxing after winning world championships in four different weight divisions, including a portion of the heavyweight championship. Jones is the only boxer in history to start his career at 154 pounds and win a heavyweight title.
His speed and talent were so extraordinary that they called him Superman in his prime.
Now 43, he is an old man in a sport dominated by men under 30. There was a time when no boxer could touch him. But that moment came and went. His speed is diminished, his skills are eroded, he is a worn out fighter who has been knocked out four times and is turning into a punching bag against boxers who weren’t good enough to carry his bag, in the past.
I have witnessed many warriors staying too long. Muhammad Ali, was one of the best athletes I have ever seen and today he suffers from Parkinson’s disease and drunken dementia. The roar of the crowd, the adulation of the fans, the fame and fortune – all of this turned into the crack habit that kept him coming back until he became a broken shell of himself. Mike and Jerry Quarry were boxing contenders in the 1960s and ’70s. Both brothers died relatively young, in the early 1950s because they like Ali and Jones would not stray from the spotlight.
When I was young I worked with a boxer who stayed too long in the sport. He had been ranked number two in the world. Unfortunately, I was in his corner the night he had none of the skill he once possessed, in a fight where he was brutally beaten by an ordinary fighter. As I tended to him in his corner, I heard someone in the audience say, “All he has left is courage.” Heartbroken for my fighter friend, I realized for the first time what the term “shot fighter” meant. So I decided that I never wanted to be a part of it again. When it’s over, it’s over. The great matchmaker Teddy Brenner once told me, “I never use a fighter who has nothing left.”
Jones was a great champion and a wonderful human being who has helped others throughout his career. I have even benefited from your generosity. In 1997, while preparing Keith McKnight for a televised boxing match, Roy Jones and his trainer Alton Merkelson allowed our team to set up camp and stay at their Pensacola training center for free. And we have never forgotten your kindness towards our team.
It is always heartbreaking to see the star of the show leave the stage. But it’s even more heartbreaking to see these great warriors end up with brain damage, slurred speech, and perpetual health problems from the damage they suffered in the ring.
Jones is scheduled to box in Poland this Saturday. He has very little left of the greatness he once possessed. Hopefully it’s his last appearance as a fighter in the ring. Get away Roy, enjoy life, while still maintaining your health.