Calling It A Day
May 26th, 2011
By Jay Ross: I got home from work on Thursday evening to an e-mail off my mate saying ‘Watch the Roy Jones Vs Dennis Lebedev fight from Saturday night’. So I logged onto Youtube and typed both fighters names in, as soon as I clicked it I saw ‘Jones Brutally knocked out’ and ‘Knock out of the year’. Before even watching the video I was a bit saddened, after watching the video I felt a number of unhappy emotions.
What motivates a boxer to keep fighting? The obvious answer is the money.
Looking beyond the financial aspect of things there are a long list of boxers that carried on for far longer than they should have done. Ali, Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson being the first three that spring to my mind. All you have to do is look at Tyson. The once ‘Baddest Man on the planet’ carried on for far too long, he was a shot fighter when he got destroyed in front of millions in front of Lennox Lewis, but he didn’t stop there. He went onto suffer two humiliating loses two journey in Danny Williams and Kevin Mcbride. Surely Iron Mikes career shouldn’t have ended like that?! I do fully understand that these guys are wrongly advised and get themselves into really bad financial situations, but outside the boxing ring there is still a lot of money to be made. Maybe not the millions they make for one fight, but for a lot of these guys now do dinner speeches costing up to £20,000 per time to book.
Then I look at Evander Holyfield. Still fighting at 48 years old and claiming he can be a world champion again. Someone seriously needs to grab hold of Mr Holyfield and say ‘Give it a break!’. Can you honestly see Holyfield getting in the ring with Vitali Klitschko? I could be wrong, but that would be very sad to watch. Yet again, Holyfield has massive financial difficulties. The last time i read he was behind on payments on his mansion and was having to fight to pay the bills. This too me is just so sad.
These guys are legends of the boxing ring, who gave us some of the most memorable nights in boxing history. They had guaranteed legacies.
But I will openly hold my hand up and say I wanted Lennox Lewis and Joe Calzaghe to have one more fight, but both these guys went out on top. Calzaghe went out after a points win at Madison Square Garden keeping his unbeaten record, where as Lewis chose to call it a day after his stoppage (on a cut) against Vitali Klitschko. I honestly do not fault them, there legacies are left intact and also there health is not at risk.
But as I continue writing this I wonder….do the likes of Jones & Holyfield actually want to quit?
I follow English light-middleweight champion Brian ‘The Lion’ Rose on twitter and was intrigued by one of his tweets. Rose, fought and defeated undefeated Welsh Fighter John Welsh 2 weeks ago, but his tweets were indicating he was bored not training and was desperate to get back into the ring again. This is two weeks after months of dedicted training and regiment. This again raised another question in my head about boxers whether it is the money or if it is in fact that the training and fighting that is drilled into them almost because likes an addiction.
I don’t really think there is an answer to my questions as to why some boxers don’t call it a day to keep there legacy, I suppose some are financial reasons where as others its just they have spent there whole life fighting and its what there used to. But will someone please tell Holyfield & Roy Jones Jr to call it a day, because seeing Roy Jones Jr face down after being knocked out by an average Russian Cruiserweight is not what any boxing lover wants to see!
Im sure some of you will have your own opinions on my article, so as always positive (and negative) feedback is appreciated! Cheers for taking the time to reed
Tags: 22 Responses to “Calling It A Day”
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hopkins hit his prime at age 36 !
These Guys should all retire right NOW!!
Roy Jones
Holyfield
Cotto
Direll
AA
jermine Taylor
There are many more…….
@Anonymous: I saw every fight of Roy and till the day of TarverII he got down only once. These comments are just b…sh..t. Roy was the greatest talent ever, at his time he was unbeatable and should have retired after the Ruiz-Fight.
The ref did a poor job of stepping in when he was hunched over and the Lebedev landed that last shot that officially put Roy on the canvas. Roy was out on his feet long before that punch came.
Jones is done and have been done for a number of years. Why does he still fight? I don’t know. He will get killed in the ring if he continues..
What commission will clear Jones to fight going forward?
Roy has zilch for durability!
This can be just as bad as having an iron chin with no skills!
Roy was overrated in his prime!
Great athlete with all the skills in the world but
he always knew his chin was china,hence the nickname,”reluctant Roy!”
Man people foreget!
Calzaghe was shyt and Lewis was scared to get back in the ring with Klit. Jones was a beast in his prime, reason Joe stayed at home for 10 plus years. he didnt want the then P4P #1/fighter of the decade (90′s). Roy Jones was Joe Calzaghe’s hero. They waited until he was shot to move in on a last and finale pay day in America.
No matter how bad Jones looks, he ruled boxing in his prime. Remember, “Ya’ll think I fight nobody, I just make them look like nobody”.
Calzaghe wanted to be a nobody in America until Roy got old.
@dj campbell, jones in his prime beat hopkins in his prime, trust me matey jones was way better in his prime he just hasnt aged as well!
I remember when Oscar De la Hoya retired he said something that I always remembered. He said that in his head and in his heart he still believes that he can continue fighting, but if your body cannot keep up anymore, or be able to take the punishment, then you should really re-think your options.
It just shows you how strong willed these guys are to be able to force their bodies through that training and punishment and still wanting to go on at their age.
As much as I love Roy Jones and he really was unstappable for over a decade, he clearly cannot compete at this level anymore. He still tried and that should be admired but enough is enough. He can bow out with pride because no one has, and will never in this generation achieve what he has.
Guys like Calzage and Lewis and even Haye had/have the right plan to retire at the top. It must be hard to do as well.
how about pac-jones? lol. pacnuts would love that.
ROY AND HOPKINS ARE TWO DIFFERENT FIGHTERS, IN THERE PRIMES ROY WAS LEAUGES ABOVE. HEART OF A LION ROY, BUT GIVE IT UP PLEASE.
please roy dont box no more, the greatest ever ROY JONES JR !!!!!!!!
I like Roy spirit but he ain’t no hopkins this really shows that hopkins is and was a more better boxer than Roy. Just Roy was more entertaining and charismatic in his prime. But reall he should call it a day.
first your legs give up, then you lose your reflexes then your friends. Sad story, yet some dude never learned.
At the end of the day, plenty of ordinary people are damaging themselves to death through bad habits, in an effort to blot out a boring and un meaningful existence. That is their choice. Just the same as it is a fighters choice to press on when we can all see something has slipt away with the sands of time.
The likes of Roy have climbed the highest heights and for financial reasons are forced to press on. It would be nice if he were in a position to retire and bask in the comfort and glory af an amazing career. Unfortunately that is not the case. I cant see him as a gardener or painter and decorator. So I say, tighten the rules, organise a pension scheme for fighters or respect and individuals freedom to choose.
Come On Roy. Keep fighting. Love to watch your ego and body badly bruised.
It’s a pity that a person such as Roy would have to keep fighting. Maybe a governing body should have at least some authority to offer council to aged boxers and possibly suggest the revocation of their licences in certain situations.
Lebedev, Danny Green etc; just wanted ‘Jones’ on their respective resume but at what cost?
is it any wonder fighters turn to alcohol and drugs? they train for their entire lives and after? it must be a boring life when the thing you love doing is taken away by old father time.
Yes it is sad to see Jones who relied so much on reflexed skills,like the skills Muhamad Ali had were similar,at one time dynamic and very hard to beat because of the hand and eye and footwork.,but even with good training erodes with time.hopkins a whole different story.,Just clever and not fleet of foot or hand ,just great timeing and good leverage punching ,with great ring savy.Hollyfield,just needs money I guess?He is not the same real deal,as he obsorbed way too many shots and poor money management obviously.It is indeed sad.
If Pacquiao fight beyond 35, it will baffle me
And Holyfield is fighting for money. He has like 5 ex wives and like 20 illegitimate kids, entirely different situation