Roy Jones Jr Interview Part One: “Bernard Hopkins is not going to fight me!”
 INTERVIEW By Benny Henderson Jr (Sept 10, 2007) Doghouse Boxing
Eighteen years as a professional pugilist, fifty-five bouts, over three hundred rounds of boxing, titles in four separate weight divisions, numerous awards, a hit list of whose who in boxing, and no doubt a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. Former pound for pound king Roy Jones Jr. 51-4 (38) has a lot to look back on and be proud of, and although the thirty-eight year old veteran looks back with a wide grin of accomplishment, he looks to gain more accolades in the time he has left in the ‘sweet science’.
Ending a stellar amateur career with silver medal in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, Floridian Roy Jones Jr. embarked on a career in 1989 that has awed worldwide fans since his jump into the professionals. His savvy unorthodox style that includes slick speed and precise punching has earned Jones Jr. wins over some of the most notable names in boxing, a hit list that includes victories over Bernard Hopkins (UD 12), James Toney (UD 12), Vinny Pazienza (TKO 6), Virgil Hill (KO 4) and Antonio Tarver (MD 12). Roy has held world titles in four separate weight classes that include the IBF middleweight, IBF super middleweight, WBA, WBC and IBF light heavyweight, and the WBA heavyweight titles.
Although Jones Jr. was accustomed to success, he had a run in with a stroke of bad luck that had him down and out in two of his three consecutive losses from May of 2004 to October 2005 from the hands of Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson. Now with back to back wins under his belt Roy Jones gets set to face Felix Trinidad the first month of 2008. Before we tap into his thoughts on his upcoming fight, Jones Jr. sits down with Doghouse Boxing and gives his thoughts and opinions on the events that got him here today, enjoy.
BH: Let’s look back on your career, I know that you have accomplished a lot and have won some big fights. I know you could probably care less about my thoughts but I remember back in the day I was kicking back in
Odessa, TX with my buddy Jason watching your fight against Virgil Hill. When you landed that body shot we both just went ballistic. I remember a lot about your career, but that one fight, that one memory sticks out more than others. What about you, what is that one fight that sticks out in your mind than any other?
RJJ: Beating James Toney, because everybody thought James Toney was going to beat me. I knew he could not beat me so that is the one that sticks out most.
BH: For many years you have had success, you had thirty-four consecutive wins before the whole Montell Griffin debacle. Then after that was cleaned up you had fifteen more consecutive wins and then the three fight downward slide. For a man that was so used to being successful in the ring, dropping three straight had to be shock, what was going through your mind at that time of the slope in your career?
RJJ: Just knowing that God was putting me through changes to prepare me for bigger and better things, everyday can’t be good days or you would not be alive, you would almost be perfect and you cannot be perfect, only God is perfect. It was tough but you have to know that God is overseeing things, He did not bring me this far to leave me, just stay strong and focused and He will bring you where you want to be at when He wants you to be there. Keep your mind straight and try to be strong, make it through these hard times and you will get where He wants you to go.
BH: After the three losses you have had back to back wins over credible opposition, does it feel gratifying to get back on the winning track?
RJJ: Yes it feels wonderful.
BH: I know that you are focusing on Tito, but besides the Trinidad fight, what other fights out there do you feel would be good for yourself as well as the fans?
RJJ: Whatever the fans want is good for me, I don’t care what that might be, whatever they want that is what they get. They ask for it they get it, the only one they ask for and not get is the Bernard Hopkins fight, not because of me, because he is not going to fight me, so I am not going to waste my time.
BH: I remember when we sat down together at of all places the muffler shop in Tyler, TX back in January of 2006, we spoke on the whole Bernard Hopkins fight and the fight was being proposed then. What is the deal with that fight, why cannot that fight be pulled off?
RJJ: Every time he says he is going to fight me he is going to make another big fight. He says he is going to fight me then turns around and fights Antonio Tarver, he says he is going to fight me again and they give him way less to fight Winky Wright and he fights Wright. So he always says my name to get the public hyped up about it, then he goes and fights somebody else. So I am not going for that, that has been two times on me so the next two times will be on him. I am not going to fall for that anymore, they ask me, no I do not want to talk about it. Obviously he is not going to do it so why are we going to talk about it for. (Laughs)
BH: Is there anything you would like to add to or say in closing of this interview?
RJJ: I love boxing, I love my fans and I love all the people in the world. I want people to realize still that even when they started abusing me, comparing me to other people and saying bad things about me, they tried to say that I compared Mike Vick to Jesus, none of that was true. The only thing that I said was that we are all supposed to be children of God and brothers through Christ so how can we feel so hard about one another over a dog. Not saying there is nothing to a dog, but a dog is what you make of them, you can raise a dog to be a family pet and he can be a family member, then he is almost like a family member. A dog is not like a human, a dog does not decide what they want to be, he will be whatever you want him to be. Greyhounds are made for racing, labs are made for hunting, bloodhounds are made for sniffing out blood on clothes and finding people. So I think we should love one another more, and put these things in perspective of what life is all about. Life is about loving one another being brothers and sisters through Christ, and not about killing one another. I am not saying that I condone dog fighting but I am saying that it is not something we should crucify one another for.
I would like to thank Bob Carroll, Charlie Bernard as well as Team Jones for their help on setting up this interview. A thanks goes out to Roy Jones Jr. for his time and thoughts. Be sure to come back to check out the second installment of this interview to read on Roy’s thoughts on his upcoming bout against Felix Trinidad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
© Copyright / All Rights reserved: Doghouse Boxing 1998-2007
|
|
|
