Roy Jones Set For Cruiser Title Fight, 12/12 In Moscow
By Jake Donovan
Roy Jones Jr. will serve as the guest of honor in more ways than one at an upcoming press conference in Moscow.
A media session is scheduled for October 28 to officially recognize the former four-division champ as a Russian citizenship. The event will also reveal details in attempting to crown him as a future five division champ.
The opponent will also be announced on that day, as Jones (62-8, 45KOs) will contend for a vacant cruiserweight title December 12 at VTB Ice Palace, a 14,000-seat venue in Moscow.
News of the event was announced through promoter Vlad Hryunov's press office, confirming a breaking story from BoxingScene.com earlier this month. The card will also include a middleweight title fight between recently crowned interim titlist Alfonso Blanco and Dmitry Chudinov, as well as heavyweight Alexander Ustinov.
Once upon a time - and for nearly a decade - the fighing pride of Pensacola, Florida was recognized as the best active fighter in the world, pound-for-pound. From 1988 through 2003, his lone two losses as amateur pro came in the form of a blatant robbery in the 1988 Seoul Olympics finals and via 9th round disqualification to Montell Griffin in March '97, the first of their two fights on the year.
Jones was forced to settle for Olympic Silver, despite also having been awarded the Val Barker Trophy recognzing the best boxer during Olympic competition. His loss to Griffin was emphatically avenged via 1st round knockout just five months later.
The rest of his time was spent dominating the sport, collecting titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and cruiserweight. His lengthy stay atop the boxing mountain came to a crashing halt thanks to back-to-back knockout losses in 2004. Antonio Tarver overcame a disputed majority decision loss in Nov. '03 to score a score a stunning one-punch 2nd round knockout the following May. An ill-advised quick ring return less than five months later resulted in a 9th round drilling at the hands of Glen Johnson.
Many considered his career to be over, though Jones - now 46 - has continued to linger around for the past 11 years. Only one other title shot has come of the stretch, suffering a one-sided Nov. '08 decision loss in what would serve as the final fight of Joe Calzaghe's career.
Calzaghe has since gone on to gain enshrinement in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Jones's plaqe will one day wind up in the bungalow-sized museum, but for now seeks to make boxing history.
The belt that will be at stake in December will likely be a secondary version of the WBA title. Still, a win would make Jones the only fighter in boxing history to win titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. Others have claimed honors in some combination of the divisions; no boxer in history have won titles in all five.
Assuming the date holds up, Jones will fight for the fourth time in 2015, a rate of activity he hasn't enjoyed since 1996, when he was transitioning from super middleweight king to light heavyweight titlist.
With a win, he will get to enjoy a status he hasn't enjoyed in more than a decade, making a little bit of history in the process.
http://www.boxingscene.com/roy-jones-set-cruiser-title-fight-12-12-moscow--97244
@Achille :flabbyandblessed:
By Jake Donovan
Roy Jones Jr. will serve as the guest of honor in more ways than one at an upcoming press conference in Moscow.
A media session is scheduled for October 28 to officially recognize the former four-division champ as a Russian citizenship. The event will also reveal details in attempting to crown him as a future five division champ.
The opponent will also be announced on that day, as Jones (62-8, 45KOs) will contend for a vacant cruiserweight title December 12 at VTB Ice Palace, a 14,000-seat venue in Moscow.
News of the event was announced through promoter Vlad Hryunov's press office, confirming a breaking story from BoxingScene.com earlier this month. The card will also include a middleweight title fight between recently crowned interim titlist Alfonso Blanco and Dmitry Chudinov, as well as heavyweight Alexander Ustinov.
Once upon a time - and for nearly a decade - the fighing pride of Pensacola, Florida was recognized as the best active fighter in the world, pound-for-pound. From 1988 through 2003, his lone two losses as amateur pro came in the form of a blatant robbery in the 1988 Seoul Olympics finals and via 9th round disqualification to Montell Griffin in March '97, the first of their two fights on the year.
Jones was forced to settle for Olympic Silver, despite also having been awarded the Val Barker Trophy recognzing the best boxer during Olympic competition. His loss to Griffin was emphatically avenged via 1st round knockout just five months later.
The rest of his time was spent dominating the sport, collecting titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and cruiserweight. His lengthy stay atop the boxing mountain came to a crashing halt thanks to back-to-back knockout losses in 2004. Antonio Tarver overcame a disputed majority decision loss in Nov. '03 to score a score a stunning one-punch 2nd round knockout the following May. An ill-advised quick ring return less than five months later resulted in a 9th round drilling at the hands of Glen Johnson.
Many considered his career to be over, though Jones - now 46 - has continued to linger around for the past 11 years. Only one other title shot has come of the stretch, suffering a one-sided Nov. '08 decision loss in what would serve as the final fight of Joe Calzaghe's career.
Calzaghe has since gone on to gain enshrinement in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Jones's plaqe will one day wind up in the bungalow-sized museum, but for now seeks to make boxing history.
The belt that will be at stake in December will likely be a secondary version of the WBA title. Still, a win would make Jones the only fighter in boxing history to win titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. Others have claimed honors in some combination of the divisions; no boxer in history have won titles in all five.
Assuming the date holds up, Jones will fight for the fourth time in 2015, a rate of activity he hasn't enjoyed since 1996, when he was transitioning from super middleweight king to light heavyweight titlist.
With a win, he will get to enjoy a status he hasn't enjoyed in more than a decade, making a little bit of history in the process.
http://www.boxingscene.com/roy-jones-set-cruiser-title-fight-12-12-moscow--97244
@Achille :flabbyandblessed:
