This, however, can not be said about Roy Jones Jr., the current WBC-WBA lightheavyweight title holder, even though this is what he pretends. Jones, who has won titles in three different weight classes and who is ranked as one of the best fighters pound for pound, is known for having mostly avoided the best opponents in all divisions that he was hurrying through.

At 168 pounds it were Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, the two most successful super middleweights of all time, who Jones didn't fight. Now, at 175 pounds, Jones is avoiding Dariusz Michalczewski, who is currently by far the most accomplished lightheavyweight champion.

German Dariusz Michalczewski is WBO champion since September of 1994. In his 14 consecutive title defenses he scored 14 wins - more than any other 175 pounds champion in history. In contrast to that the ownership of the other three main titles has changed a total of 11 times during Michalczewski's four and a half year constant reign.

Meanwhile also knowledgable American boxing insiders started to lose respect for their countryman. "When you talk with Jones and you lead over the topic to Michalczewski, Jones refuses to reply, turns away and starts to talk about something completely different", Ken Kolasinski, responsible editor of the International Boxing Digest criticizes.

"This is a clear sign that Roy Jones is ducking me", Dariusz Michalczewski comments, who in 1994 also shortly held the WBO cruiserweight title. "The fight between Jones and me is what all boxing fans are waiting for. After Holyfield-Lewis this would be the most significant fight in boxing today."

It seems this is not what all American decision-makers think. "Reggie Johnson [the IBF titlist] is a big fight for Jones. It would unify the division", Lou diBella, vice president of HBO, recently said.

Mr. diBella seems to overlook that Johnson merely picked up a belt that "The Tiger" in 1997 had unified along with the WBA and WBO titles by inflicting reigning champion Virgil Hill his only second but by far toughest loss.

"Roy Jones has never been in a fight as tough as he would be against me", Michalczewski states confidently. "I would put him under pressure from the beginning and would eventually knock him out in the later rounds."

Before getting the chance to prove his strong prediction Michalczewski, 39-0 (32 KO´s), will make his 15th title defense on April 3rd against Russian Muslim Biarslanov in the Stadthalle Bremen.