April 24, 2000

The Rise and Fall Of Junior Jones
(Jones To Meet Ingle Underneath Lewis-Grant Show)

Just one week following IBF junior middleweight champ, Fernando Vargas' entertaining slugfest with former undefeated WBA welterweight champ, Ike Quartey in Las Vegas, Junior Jones (47-4, 27KOs), a former World Boxing Association bantamweight title-holder years ago, faces IBF 126-pound king, Paul Ingle (22-1, 15K0s). Jones-Ingle would be just one of many bouts placed underneath Lennox Lewis' defense of the Undisputed World Heavyweight Titles against top-10 contender, Mike Grant on Saturday, April 29, here in New York City.

Lewis-Grant, promptly entitled "Two Big: 13 Feet, 500 Pounds," will be televised exclusively on HBO/TVKO Pay-Per-View at a suggested retail price of $49.99. In addition the undercard will feature several of boxing's powerful men.

Brooklyn's own, Junior Jones, the former WBA 118-pound champ, shall earn another attempt to capture a world title when he meets IBF 126-pound titlist, Paul Ingle of England.

At age 29, time is running out for Jones, who in 51 professional contests have gone through more wars than any lesser fighter's bodily functions would allow.

As a former Golden Gloves champion, Jones turned professional in June 1989. In his 31st contest, Jones ceased the WBA bantamweight championship from a tough and dangerous Jorge Eliecer Julio (W 12) On Oct. 23, 1993. However, in his second defense on April 24, 1994, Jones was knocked out miserably by John Johnson (L 12).

To make things worse, Jones was again tattooed by Darryl Pinkney (TKO by 3) in a horrible upset.

The loss to Pinkney hurt Jones to a point where it took him over five years of his fight career to return to the big scene.

On November 26, 1996, with his career on the line, Jones pulled off the most impressive performance of his career, as he "iced" undefeated Marco Antonio Barerra (W DQ 5) for the unrecognized WBO junior featherweight crown. Jones who drilled Barerra with solid right hands the entire fight was en route to knocking Barerra out in the fifth until Barerra's cornermen entered the ring.

Therefore, in a rematch ordered by fans that watched on HBO several months later, Jones out-pointed Barerra, who was 43-0 prior to meeting Jones.

Again, Jones was back in the spotlight, but not for long. On the evening of December 19, 1997 at Madison Square Garden, Jones in front of his hometown fans, friends, and family ran out of gas and was knocked out in the fourth round against Kennedy McKinney (TKO by 4).

The loss to McKinney was such a travesty; Jones kept out of the ring for over nine months. When Jones returned in September 1998, his bout with WBC super bantamweight king, Erik Morales (KO by 4).

Having defeated former world champions Tracy Patterson (W 10) and Tom Johnson (W 12) in 1999, Jones was supposed to have fought WBO featherweight champ, "Prince Naseem Hamed in March. However, "NAZ" felt that Jones was too dangerous of an opponent.

On the Lewis-Grant undercard, Jones will fight a 28-year-old guy in Ingle, who on April 10, 1999, fought Hamed and almost defeated him last year. Similar to Jones, Ingle was caught by a lucky straight-right hand shot that ended his chance of defeating Hamed for his crown in the eleventh round (TKO 11).

Since Ingle shocked the boxing community with his performance against Hamed, Ingle received a second world title opportunity on November 13, 1999 against IBF featherweight champ, Manuel Medina. Ingle took full advantage of Medina's mistakes and walked away with Medina's IBF belt, via 12-round decision.

Jones-Ingle could be the most exciting bout on the entire card. Nonetheless, it could be lights out for Jones should he loses to Ingle.