Roy Jones Jr. back in ring Saturday
Updated: March 25, 2015, 2:18 AM ET
By Dan Rafael | ESPN.com
Longtime former pound-for-pound king and four-division titleholder Roy Jones Jr., who fought just three weeks ago, will fight again on Saturday night in a hastily arranged bout.
Jones, who knocked out club fighter Willie Williams in the second round on March 6 in Concord, North Carolina, will face another club fighter in Paul Vasquez (10-6-1, 3 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round cruiserweight bout at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida, Jones' hometown, in a fight announced on Tuesday night.
The fight will be Jones' first in his hometown since he stopped Omar Sheika in the fifth round at the Pensacola Civic Center in March 2009. Jones-Vasquez is a late addition to a card that was already set and includes boxing and mixed martial arts bouts.
"Roy just fought three weeks ago in North Carolina, and we were already planning one of our Island Fights mixed cards for (Saturday)," said John Wirt, CEO of Jones' Square Ring Promotions.
"Roy said he wanted to fight on it too, since it was already a mixed boxing and MMA show, and so we made it happen. We have a huge card of local boxers and MMA fighters and with Roy topping the bill, Pensacola is going have a chance to see not only a great evening of fights, but also their hometown legend."
Although the 46-year-old Jones (60-8, 43 KOs), boxing's No. 1 fighter for nearly a decade -- from about 1994 to 2004 -- is years past his best days and has had many calling for his retirement, he still is aiming for a world title in a fifth weight class. He has won world titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight and is aiming to win a cruiserweight world title.
He has been talking personally with longtime cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck of Germany about a fight in the fall.
With that fight possible, Jones said he wants to stay active to be as sharp as he can be for the proposed bout.
Huck (38-2-1, 26 KOs), 30, has held his title since 2009 and has made 13 defenses, tied for the most in division history.
"I want to stay active and continue on my path towards a fight with Marco Huck later this year," Jones said. "I've been working on some different things and the fights I've been doing are helping me hone these. I haven't fought here in Pensacola for six years and I really am looking forward to seeing all my fans Saturday night. Pensacola in the house!"
Between 2009 and 2011, Jones lost three fights in a row -- to Danny Green by first-round knockout, Bernard Hopkins by lopsided decision and Denis Lebedev by brutal 10th-round knockout. But Jones has won six fights in a row since, all against low-level opponents, with four of the bouts taking place in Eastern Europe or Russia.
"I encouraged Roy to take this fight," said McGee Wright, Jones' manager. "Roy has won his last six fights in a row and his last three by stoppage. The stuff he has been working on is really starting to pay off and this is a process that we are going through on purpose to get him ready both physically and mentally for the Huck fight."
Vasquez, 36, of Martinez, California, has lost two fights in a row by first-round knockout to undefeated prospects Marcus Browne and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy. Vazquez has lost four of his last five bouts.
"I jumped at the chance to fight Roy Jones. It's truly an honor for me. But make no mistake, I'm coming to win," said Vasquez, adding that he plans to donate his purse to a children's hospital.
http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/12554772/roy-jones-jr-fight-twice-span-1-month
@Achille your boy is back again
Updated: March 25, 2015, 2:18 AM ET
By Dan Rafael | ESPN.com
Longtime former pound-for-pound king and four-division titleholder Roy Jones Jr., who fought just three weeks ago, will fight again on Saturday night in a hastily arranged bout.
Jones, who knocked out club fighter Willie Williams in the second round on March 6 in Concord, North Carolina, will face another club fighter in Paul Vasquez (10-6-1, 3 KOs) in a scheduled 10-round cruiserweight bout at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida, Jones' hometown, in a fight announced on Tuesday night.
The fight will be Jones' first in his hometown since he stopped Omar Sheika in the fifth round at the Pensacola Civic Center in March 2009. Jones-Vasquez is a late addition to a card that was already set and includes boxing and mixed martial arts bouts.
"Roy just fought three weeks ago in North Carolina, and we were already planning one of our Island Fights mixed cards for (Saturday)," said John Wirt, CEO of Jones' Square Ring Promotions.
"Roy said he wanted to fight on it too, since it was already a mixed boxing and MMA show, and so we made it happen. We have a huge card of local boxers and MMA fighters and with Roy topping the bill, Pensacola is going have a chance to see not only a great evening of fights, but also their hometown legend."
Although the 46-year-old Jones (60-8, 43 KOs), boxing's No. 1 fighter for nearly a decade -- from about 1994 to 2004 -- is years past his best days and has had many calling for his retirement, he still is aiming for a world title in a fifth weight class. He has won world titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight and is aiming to win a cruiserweight world title.
He has been talking personally with longtime cruiserweight titleholder Marco Huck of Germany about a fight in the fall.
With that fight possible, Jones said he wants to stay active to be as sharp as he can be for the proposed bout.
Huck (38-2-1, 26 KOs), 30, has held his title since 2009 and has made 13 defenses, tied for the most in division history.
"I want to stay active and continue on my path towards a fight with Marco Huck later this year," Jones said. "I've been working on some different things and the fights I've been doing are helping me hone these. I haven't fought here in Pensacola for six years and I really am looking forward to seeing all my fans Saturday night. Pensacola in the house!"
Between 2009 and 2011, Jones lost three fights in a row -- to Danny Green by first-round knockout, Bernard Hopkins by lopsided decision and Denis Lebedev by brutal 10th-round knockout. But Jones has won six fights in a row since, all against low-level opponents, with four of the bouts taking place in Eastern Europe or Russia.
"I encouraged Roy to take this fight," said McGee Wright, Jones' manager. "Roy has won his last six fights in a row and his last three by stoppage. The stuff he has been working on is really starting to pay off and this is a process that we are going through on purpose to get him ready both physically and mentally for the Huck fight."
Vasquez, 36, of Martinez, California, has lost two fights in a row by first-round knockout to undefeated prospects Marcus Browne and Vyacheslav Shabranskyy. Vazquez has lost four of his last five bouts.
"I jumped at the chance to fight Roy Jones. It's truly an honor for me. But make no mistake, I'm coming to win," said Vasquez, adding that he plans to donate his purse to a children's hospital.
http://espn.go.com/boxing/story/_/id/12554772/roy-jones-jr-fight-twice-span-1-month
@Achille your boy is back again
if thats his plan and believe he can make it happen. ain't really shyt at cruiserweight for huck anyway.
