Roy Jones Jr. Interview Part One: Roy talks Sheika, his homecoming and “March Badness”

Roy Jones Jr. Interview Part One: Roy talks Sheika, his homecoming and “March Badness”

By Benny Henderson Jr., Doghouse Boxing (Mar 3, 2009)

It has been over ten years since Roy Jones Jr. 52-5 (38) has fought in his hometown of Pensacola, FL, but that will all change come March 21st when the hometown hero returns to his old stomping grounds as he takes on all round tough guy Omar Sheika 27-8 (18) at the Pensacola Civic Center in a scheduled ten round light heavyweight match-up.

Jones, an eight time world champion in four separate weight classes, is coming off a unanimous decision loss from the hands of Joe Calzaghe, but the forty year old looks to get back in the mix of things in the hope of gaining another world title in the near future.

In part one of this two part exclusive interview conducted by Doghouse Boxing, Jones Jr. talks about Sheika, his homecoming, and the card labeled as, “March Badness”, enjoy.

Benny Henderson Jr.: It has been about ten years since you have fought in your hometown of Pensacola, FL, your thoughts on returning to your backyard?

Roy Jones Jr.: Yes it has, it has been ten years. It is a tough situation and a tough place to return to but the people want it, the fans want it, you cannot be afraid. That is what they love me, they love me for my bravery. A lot of people may not believe in you and don’t think you can still do it, me, I live for this, this is what I like.

BH: You’ll be facing all round tough guy Omar Sheika, why did you choose Sheika as your opponent?

RJJ: I want somebody who is tough, I want somebody who is going to make a good fight for me, I do not want anybody easy. I want somebody who is going to make me work, if it is easy I don’t have to work. I know Omar is going to make me work, Omar can punch, he is strong and he is going to be in it.

BH: It will make it an entertaining fight as well.

RJJ: Yes, very entertaining.

BH: You have pretty much done it all, you have beaten a list of whose who in boxing, earned eight world titles in four different weight classes, an absolute hall of famer, the burning question for me is, what else is there to prove Roy?

RJJ: Nothing, get my old self back, I am retuning my skills, and to be honest with you at forty years old to rise back at the top will almost be like a George Foreman story to me. People will be like wow, forty years old is not old, George has already shown that, but for a heavyweight that might be acceptable, but as a light heavyweight people are going to say no, not a light heavyweight. Well maybe somebody like Bernard who has not really went anywhere, he came at a right time and fought a lot of right guys and fought smarter. Me, I banged my way through the whole time and still bang my way through it now. So people will be like wow, to come in at forty and still keep it the way he used to, people won’t believe this, they are saying that Roy is through, well I am not.

BH: It sounds like a terrific card, boxing as well as MMA, the list of names, Jones Jr., Ken Shamrock, Seth Petruzelli, BJ Flores. What else can make the night much sweeter for the fans?

RJJ: Yes what a fight, nothing can make it any sweeter, you have me and Omar Sheika, Shamrock and many more, what more can you ask for, I think we are giving it to them to cheap. That is a hell of a fight card, you cannot ask for more than that.

For ticket info check out ticketmaster.com or you can purchase them at the Pensacola Civic Center Box Office.

Continue to part two as RJJ speaks out on who he wants after his bout against Sheika.

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