Roy Jones Jr. contemplating retirement from boxing
December 8th, 2009
By Eric Thomas: After suffering an embarrassing 1st round knockout loss to Danny Green on the 2nd of December, Roy Jones Jr. (54-6, 40 KO’s) is considering retiring from boxing. Jones, 40, has fought professionally for 20 years and won titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions over the years.
However, Jones has been on the slide since suffering back to back knockout losses in 2004 at the hands of Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson. Jones has continued to fight and win for the most part since then, but he’s fought lesser fighters to get those victories instead of taking on the champions like he had in the past.
Green was too big and too powerful for Jones and jumped all over the 40-year-old Jones in the opening round of their fight on December 2nd. Jones, looking smaller and weaker than Green, was backed into a corner and dropped by a looping right hand that landed to the side of Jones’ head. Jones staggered to his feet and bravely attempted to fight on.
Green opened up with a huge salvo of uninterrupted to punches with many of them missing, but enough landing to have Jones looking ready to go. The referee decided he had seen enough and stopped the fight with one minute to go in the round. Some of Jones’ fans were angry and upset about the loss, claiming that the right hand that knocked Jones down was a rabbit punch and also saying that the referee had stopped the bout too soon.
But it’s hard to argue against the stoppage because Jones looked like he wasn’t going to be able to make it out of the round. Green was unloading punch after punch to the head of Jones at the time that the referee stopped the fight and it would have taken a near miracle for Jones to start fighting back and get through the remaining minute of action without going down again. Jones said later that he had recovered from the knockdown by the time that the referee stopped the fight, but Jones still wasn’t throwing anything back. He was just taking shots and it didn’t look good either way you want to look at it.
If Jones does decide to fight on and continue his boxing career, it’s hard to imagine for what purpose. If he’s doing it for the love of the sport and to make money, then I would say go ahead and continue. But if Jones is thinking about taking on top light heavyweights like Chad Dawson or Bernard Hopkins, I would prefer that Jones retire rather than risk getting knocked out again. I don’t see Jones being competitive with a top light heavyweight right now, and I think he’d have problems against most of the fighters in the top 15.
Tags: 32 Responses to “Roy Jones Jr. contemplating retirement from boxing”
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That has to be it,no more good can come from carring on.Roy is pure class,but to see him fight again should be in a re-run of his glory day’s on a dvd.The footage of him leaving the venue showed a broken man who seemed to have limited use of the left side of his body.If he tries to fight on god protect him,if he retires god bless him.
Roy at his peak would have beaten all he lost too later on in his career,it will be along time before his boot’s filled.
I don’t think he should fight any fights over 165 lbs. I think he would beat all of the Middleweights Champions. I agree Dawson would be to much for him. Hopkins is a better fighter than him at 44. But I think Roy would beat Hopkins. His style of fighting would give Hopkins alot of problems. Hopkins would have to KO Roy to win. Because if it goes the distance Roy would win it.
IT IS ALL ABOUT FAME AND MONEY
THIS FOSIL SHOULD HAVE RETIRED A LONG TIME AGO, I KNEW SOON OR LATER SOME BUM FIGHTER WOULD PUT AB END TO HIM. I JUST WATCH THE GREEN-MUNDINE FIGHT,MUNDINE,WHO IS A NON-PUNCHER,BATTERED HIM FROM PILLOW TO POST, AND JONES GOT KNOCKED OUT IN 1 ROUND BY THIS BUM. GREEN WOULD NEVER FIGHT NONE OF THE RATED CRUISERWEIGHTS,I CAN´T SEE GREEN GOING PAST 5 ROUNDS WITH A FIGHTER LIKE ROSS FROM CANADA. SO HE IS CALLING OUT ANOTHER FOSIL HOPKINS, IT IS ALL ABOUT FAME AND MONEY.
alot of people think it was rigged
i mean look at danny green full puppet
he would never be able to beat jones
jones through the fight and bet against himself
danny green is a muppet he could never beat jones in a million years
green is a muppet mundine smashed him
It’s time to move on, Roy. The changing of the guards has come. Welcome the new guys, give them a snappy salute and walk on into history. That will be the noblest thing to do now. Nobody wants to see a battered hero.
Was anyone else the least bit touched by that video. Almost sad to see Roy Jones leaving the arena. He seemed to know it as well. I know he is successful and all that, but still sad to see a legend retire. I guess we can’t stay young forever.
I wouldn’t mind seeing him fight one more person, what Jones needs is a whole new camp that will bring that once great fighter out again. Lately Roy looks how Rocky looked in part 3, he lost the fire, and needs to find the eye of the tiger again!
I mentioned this on Hbo boxing website, but think what a treat it would be if they threw Hopkins vs Jones on the Mayweather/Paquiao undercard!? Though it is completely far fetched, I don’t see either washed up fighter headlining a PPV event ever again, why not join the mega event of 2010…
roy jones is a brave S.O.B. to go over seas to fight strong champion danny green! Impress me for him just to take the fight. And roy’s way past his prime we all no that. He’s GREAT!!!
Should have retired after the ruiz fight as one of the greatest fighters who ever lived. Prime jones was simply unbeatable and maybe the best iv ever seen. I hate how he has tarnished his own legacy by carrying on far too long. Your still a legend roy but please enough is enough
If Roy still has the burning desire to box then please make sure you remember your a huge legend but your best days are behind you, dont bite off more than you can chew.
But if your desires are to prove your still an elite boxer, retire. We know who you are your Roy Jones Jr. Boxing legend and all time great. You dont need to do anytihng anymore.
some one who cares, you obviousley don’t care about boxing if you propose maximum of 9 rounds for a championship fight you clown
Better to go out now then in disgrace Roy!
a rematch loss against green couldnt tarnish anything but a win could repair something..
Jones Jnr was one of the most special talents ever to grace the ring in his prime …. but here is the current problem – his prime is way behind him !
Roy knows that it has long past time for him to call it a day, and I think you will finally see him be brave enough to make that final decision soon. Hopkins need to get over his ego and accept that when he fought Jnr back in the day, he lost to a better fighter on the night. What would beating up a very faded Jones Jnr prove today … nothing apart from the fact that Hopkins is a spiteful fool !
Well, done Roy for being the great boxing entertaining you were … the memories of those performances will endure ! Go and enjoy your family and other pursuits now … you have more than enough ‘Benjamins’ to do all you want.
Roy please retire from this boxing madness. It is not worth all the suffering the family go through! All the fighter should get together to support some important changes in this sport. Changes like no more than 7 rounds per fight and no more than 9 rounds for chapionship fights. Also this sport needs to give more respect to the fighter no matter who they are.
You gave em hell as long as you could. We love you for it! PENSACOLA IN THE HOUSE!
rjj is a legend !! he was the best fighter of the 90s and early 00s bar none…however i.m.o. he shouldnt have spent so much time fighting tomato cans while in his prime..wouldve been a better legacy even if it meant a loss or two back then !! roy please retire with your health and millions intact. step aside cause its mayweather time !!! fight on
Roy Jones is one of the greats but his own arrogance tarnished his legacy, when he made the move to heavyweight to take title of Ruiz hes big mistake was coming back down to face tarver which I feel drained his body in a way that it never recovered again, and thats where his career declined and then followed a number of knockouts he suffered cos of that weight loss. Roy thought he was SUPERMAN but soon found out he was just human like the rest of us.
Time to call it a day i think, RJJ has had a great career but beating a past-it Felix Trinidad and a worn Jeff Lacy has gave him that confidence that he’s not past it himself. I’d rather see him retire healthy than be punch drunk like Evander Holyfield but you know, fighters are the first to know they are gone but the last to admit it.
Best report I have heard on the fight and Roy.
Guys, I was at the fight. I was so shocked to see what went down that night. It dont matttttter to me, Roy will always be my boxing hero. I was so proud to have seen Roy fight live in such an electric atmosphere. I had photos with Roy when he was in Sydney. An absolute gentleman and consimate professional. What ever you do Roy, I will support your decsion. God bless to you and your family. Take care Roy. Best fighter in my life time.
no one can deny roy’s legacy they may even start to realise that he is probably the best of all time for what he has achieved
He could never go out like a chump. Not with the legacy he created.
Don’t you dare go out like a chump Roy. You still got it that fight was bs, get up fight green and knock him out or fight b hop and knock him out then retire. dont go out like this, just not like this………….
Roy is the man. He had a great carrer, a legend.
Roy has nothing to prove, he did it all, over more than a decade.
Roy is Anderson’s Silver’s favourite boxer..The best in UFC recognize him as one of the best..His haters can go to hell for denying him a place with the greats..
maybe he should stop show-boating? he not sweet pea that for sure .think its disrespectful. sweet could make it funny and playful,with roy its more arrogant s
A lot of people reckon he knackered his body going up to heavyweight. He should have stayed at super middle.
What a boxer though…..
Roy had a great run, but it is time to hang up the gloves.
RJJ will always be my hero… Retire as one of the greats Roy, you will always be awesome.
Call it a day Jones
Your still my Favourite Boxer of all time
a Legend!