By Jim Dower: Boxing great Roy Jones Jr. (54-6, 40 KO’s) had some amusing comments to make about light heavyweight Bernard Hopkins. In an interview with Boxing Fanhouse, the 41-year-old Jones has this to say about Hopkins: “17 years is a long time to be scared. You [Hopkins] think I’m done, but you’re wrong. The only reason he’s fighting me now is because he thinks I’m finished. He’s been scared of me like a rat with a cat. He didn’t want to step into the ring with me until was almost finished. Now he [Hopkins] has no other place to go cause they talk to him to fight Chad Dawson. He [Hopkins] don’t want to fight those young dudes, cause he knows he can’t beat them. Now he figures he’ll get his last hurrah. Let me play the lotto. Let me see if I can get lucky against Roy Jones Jr. No he can’t. He’s got a huge head. Like a block. Like a potato.”

Jones defeated Hopkins by a 12 round decision 17 years ago in 1993. For whatever reason, the two fighters were unable to put together a rematch until now. In his prime, Jones was a dominating force, who had no one to really compete against at his level. Hopkins gave Jones a good fight, but still came up short due to Jones’ amazing hands speed. The two fighters talked about a rematch after the fight, but nothing could be worked out.

The fight isn’t as appealing at this time for boxing fans because both fighters are over 40-years-old and no longer hold major titles. Hopkins hasn’t been very active in the ring as of late, fighting only once in 2009, beating middleweight contender Enrique Ornelas by a 12 round decision in December. Jones has stayed busy since 2008, beating Felix Trinidad, Omar Sheika and Jeff Lacy. However, Jones has lost two out of his last four bouts, suffering defeats at the hands of Joe Calzaghe and Danny Green.

In December, Jones as stopped in the 1st round by International Boxing Organization cruiserweight champion Green in Australia. Jones never really got a chance to get warmed up before getting dropped early in the 1st with a looping right hand that connected towards the side of his head. Green then pummeled Jones with punches after he got up until the referee stopped the bout.