Roy Jones, simply put, is the most dominant fighter in the game today. There may be other fighters who administer more savage beatings, box prettier, or even generate more exciting fights...but no one dominates an opponent like Roy Jones. Faced with the well muscled, but limited, David Telesco, Jones wasted no time in rendering Telesco passive. Whatever illusions Telesco held about exerting some will of his own evaporated shortly after Jones landed his first punch, a sizzling right hand lead that Telesco didn't even see coming. Gone were the promises to fight back, to press the action and to test Jones. Like so many before him, once faced with Jones' unique combination of speed and power, Telesco could do little more than sit back and watch.

Telesco certainly didn't look ill-prepared for the task. Entering the first boxing ring ever erected on the stage at Radio City Music Hall, Telesco appeared fit and focused. Despite being forced to sit through Jones' lengthy entrance, as well as Whitney Houston's lullaby performance of "America the Beautiful", Telesco was bouncing and eager as the opening bell approached. Maybe, just maybe, he would live up to his promise to attack Jones from the beginning.

Or, maybe not.

After a few range finding attempts, Jones' right hand sailed over Telesco's guard and popped him hard in the forehead. Pushing out a slow jab, Telesco again felt Jones' fist on his face. In blurry flashes of pure speed, Jones again and again stung Telesco with lead right hands. Just to keep him honest, Jones occasionally mixed his assaults with lead rights to the body. Both punches landed clean, often, and without any warning. Telesco, unable to react, was virtually defenseless.

In the second round, Telesco overcame his own amazement long enough to paw with a telegraphed jab towards Jones' chest. These half hearted attempts at offense only opened him up more, and Jones continued firing lead right hand after lead right hand into the exact same spot above Telesco's left eye. It was an amazing display of precision.

To change things up in the third round, Jones switched to a southpaw stance, and again Telesco could do little more than watch. Sneaking a stinging right hook over Telesco's glove, Jones continued to tattoo his opponent's head. Although Telesco was not being wobbled by these punches, they could be heard throughout the large indoor arena. More importantly, Jones' offense was so accurate and speedy that Telesco was unable to counter, and so he soon stopped trying.

By the fourth round, Telesco was reduced to attempting to frustrate Jones out of his rhythm. Verbally taunting Jones with expletive laced boasts, and wrestling with Jones when he got close amounted to the sum of Telesco's competitive offering. When Roy talked back, in between in blinding pot shots, referee Arthur Mercante Sr. threatened to take points away if the chatter didn't cease.

Having been muzzled by Mercante, Telesco converted his taunting in the fifth round to sign language, gesturing at Jones to keep throwing after each clean blow. Not content to be outdone in any category, even braggadocio, Jones humiliated Telesco at his own game. Having briefly trapped Jones in a corner, but unable to land, Telesco backed off towards center ring. At first Jones followed, but then he dropped his hands and retreated to the corner, inviting Telesco to not give up his advantage. Telesco came in, Jones fired a combination off his head, and again Telesco stepped back towards center ring. But Jones stayed in the corner, yelling at Telesco to come back and show him what he had. Three times Telesco took the challenge, and three times he was backed off. The crowd was on it's feet.

Having exerted his dominance, Jones settled into coasting mode. Telesco was now bewildered and frustrated, and so he stood still. Perhaps he was waiting for an opening that would never come, perhaps he was content to get hit less by being inactive, or perhaps he was hoping that Jones would tire. Whatever the reason, Telesco became exactly the type of walking heavybag that he had promised he would not become. With no opposition in front of him, Jones began to entertain the crowd. In the later rounds, he would turn to the crowd, dance for a minute, and then hit a mummified Telesco clean in the face. He tried body shots, a few left hooks, and a steady stream of lead right hands. Jones rarely threw combinations, but he didn't need to. His opponent had already been subdued.

Firmly in neutral for the second half of the fight, Jones took several rests in the corner. During these brief respites, Telesco would wing his sculpted arms upstairs and down. One or two punches actually caught Jones, but most were slipped or caught on the arms. In these moments, as he had versus Montell Griffin, Jones' one weakness surfaced: his willingness to give his opponent opportunities in the corner during brief episodes of boredom. Regardless of Jones taking chances, Telesco simply could not capitalize.

And so round after round was completed. As the twelfth round approached, Telesco's face grew distorted with swelling and contusions. Telesco returned to verbal taunts in the final two rounds, capping off the eleventh with the empty boast of "You can't knock me down Roy". Paraphrasing Jake LaMotta at least kept Jones active, as he spent the twelfth round swiveling Telesco's head one way and then the next.

The scorecards were read as a formality, with Jones a shutout winner 120-108 (twice) and 120-106. Afterwards, Jones was presented with a birthday cake (his 31st) and a myriad of championship belts, including the WBA, WBC and IBF belts that he earned as well as the NBA and IBO belts he was given at press conferences. Pocketing another $4 million purse, and claiming that he had fractured his left wrist in a motorcycle accident 3 weeks before the fight, Jones (41-1/33) was elated to have demonstrated, once again, his rightful place atop the pound for pound rankings.

Jones' victory came after a spectacular and surprising undercard feature. Rising heavyweight Derrick Jefferson faced journeyman David Izon in a bout that startled the capacity crowd.

Fresh off his victory over Maurice Harris late last year, Jefferson began this fight where the last left off. Opening up from the get-go, Jefferson attacked Izon with a powerful double jab, crunching right hands, and some of the most dedicated bodywork seen in the heavyweight division in some time. Throwing over 70 punches in the opening round, the story of the fight to come could be seen in the corners between rounds. After three minutes of punishment, Izon sat emotionless on his stool. Across the ring, Jefferson gasped for air, heavily winded by the pace he had set for himself.

Despite previous stamina problems, Jefferson resumed his busy style in the second round, as he again hit Izon with everything but the kitchen sink. A late comer to boxing, Jefferson's assortment of punches was most impressive. His double jab set up very straight right hands, and when his left hand wasn't hooking, it was landing some vicious uppercuts. As Jefferson pounded Izon's ribcage, the fight looked like it would not last long. Credit Izon with holding up.

In the third, Jefferson's pacing began to betray him. He was breathing heavily and began to miss wildly with gigantic home run swings. Still, he managed to keep throwing, and landing, making many wonder how much Izon could take. This trend continued through the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds, as Jefferson's breathing became more exaggerated while he continued to beat down his opponent.

In the seventh round, Izon was finally beginning to wear out himself. Not from exhaustion, but from punishment. As an endless series of Jefferson bombs found their target, Izon wearily stumbled across the ring and began leaning on the ropes. As Jefferson pounded him, he occasionally looked to referee Arthur Mercante, Jr. to stop the fight. Each time Mercante might have stepped in, and there were plenty of chances, Izon managed to swing an obligatory punch back, keeping the referee from ending the bout. Jefferson battered the Nigerian until the bell to end the round sounded. Tallying a 10-8 round without a knockdown, on top of a shutout of 10-9 rounds, Jefferson needed only to stay on his feet to win an easy 10 round decision. Easier said than done.

Jefferson began the eighth round swinging again, trying to determine if Izon had regained his senses. Then midway through the frame, Izon landed a crisp right hand counter, and Jefferson was wobbling on his feet. As Izon followed up with another right that missed, Jefferson suddenly lost his footing and sprawled across the ring onto his stomach. He was completely exhausted. Despite not being sent down on a punch, Mercante began a count, which Jefferson barely beat. The tables were turned, and now Izon attacked, trying desperately to capitalize on Jefferson's inability to defend himself. Hanging on for dear life, Jefferson somehow made it out of the round. The crowd was on it's feet.

Between rounds, Jefferson seemed unable to sit up straight on his stool, let alone catch his breath, and before he knew it the ninth had begun. He stumbled out to meet Izon, who punched him back to the ropes. Draping one arm over the top rope, Jefferson was barely able to stand on his own. Izon came in and landed only one semi-clean punch before Mercante pulled him off and waved the fight over. Given the chances Izon was granted in the seventh, it seemed like an insanely premature decision. Nevertheless, there appeared to be absolutely no chance that Jefferson would again be able to survive the round. The big man had completely punched himself out, and unable to even lift his arms, he would have only survived another couple of seconds on the ropes.

David Izon (25-3/20) was ecstatic. Having suffered losses to David Tua and Michael Grant, he was on the verge of becoming an "also ran" in the division. Now, with a dramatic victory over the exciting Jefferson, he has once again put himself into the mix as a viable contender. For his part, Jefferson accepted his first defeat with grace. Making no excuses, Jefferson (22-1-1/18) promised only to go back to the gym and work harder, promising to return again. With his exciting style and willingness to mix it up, no doubt he will.

.....Chris Bushnell