JONES ONE PUNCHES HILL

by Pedro Fernandez

Since 1988, we have all been waiting for Roy Jones Jr. to transcend the sport of boxing. Yes, Jones was the Messiah, the next Sugar Ray Robinson is what they were saying. Fast forward 10 years and people are no longer giving the resident of Pensacola, FL those "all time great' accolades.

Instead it's what he might of been. That's right. Without having reached his 30th birthday, Roy Jones is on the slide. Some of you are saying how dare I say such about the self anointed greatest fighter of all time, especially in light of his one punch knockout of Virgil Hill Saturday night

But this is not all of Roy Jones. He could be so much more. Instead Roy has made just about every wrong decision you can make as a professional fighter. First of all, he never had a promoter until he hooked up with Murad Muhammad, a Jersey based narcoleptic who is asleep when he's awake. While the notion of getting a promoter was correct, his choice was not as Murad is a moron.

Before that, he had jumped promoters like Elizabeth Taylor did husbands. And this was a critical mistake "if" Roy truly wanted to attain greatness. Nobody ever took the time needed to make him anything more than an HBO star.

Why do I say if? It's because Roy has enough money to buy half of Pensacola. After a fighter reaches that economic level, the only driving force left is his own desire.

If the boxer doesn't have that, he will forsake any real attempt at greatness. And he ends up feasting on 34 year old pugs with only one arm.

Jones may say he has no challengers, but that statement is as hollow as his claims of being the best ever! Dariusz Michalzewski is available and willing. As is Reggie Johnson, Bernard Hopkins, and even Joe Calzaghe from Wales.

When Ali couldn't fight at home for a number of reasons, he took his act to London, Rome, Germany, and the like. Roy feels he's too good to travel to the land of the BMW and face Michalzewski in front of 40,000 fans.

This is just another illustration of "Reluctant Roy's" penchant to destroy his reputation with the pugilistic historians who will measure him as a fighter. Too bad, Roy might of been all he says he is.

Pedro Fernandez

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