Biography of Roy Jones but very bright, versatile and extraordinary. Roy Jones was born on January 16, 1969, Pensacola, Florida, USA. Roy Jones's father, also a professional boxer, instilled in his son a love of boxing from childhood. Roy Jones Sr. failed to become a great ring star, so he put all his efforts into making his son one. Jones Jr. began training at the age of ten, and it immediately became clear that he was a born boxer and the boy had a great future ahead of him.
At the age of 15, Roy became the winner of the Junior Olympic Games in the USA. Wins one of the most prestigious US tournaments - the Golden Gloves at the age of 17.
By the age of 19, Roy Jones is already achieving great success in his sports career, which his peers can only dream of. At the Olympic Games in Seoul (Korea) he takes part in the junior middleweight division and defeats his opponents with unprecedented ease. No one had any doubt that the gold medal rightfully belonged to Roy, but the Korean judges condemned the boxer and gave the medal to his compatriot Park Si Hoon. The International Olympic Committee, observing such injustice, later presented Roy Jones with the prestigious Vela Balker "Best Boxer" award.
Soon Jones ends his amateur career and becomes a professional boxer. At that time, Roy Jr.’s promoter and trainer was his father. And either to protect his son, or for some other unknown reasons, Jones Sr. chooses weak opponents for Roy. Therefore, Roy Jones decides to change his manager to another, a professional, and now enters the ring with serious opponents, such as Glen Thomas - and triumphantly wins again.
On May 22, 1993, Jones fights with the strongest boxer Bernard Hopkins, who occupied the first position in the ranking at that time. Despite the fact that the fight was not easy, Bernard Hopkins had no chance of winning. Roy Jones showed a clear advantage over Hopkins and carried the fight to a unanimous decision victory with strong confidence. From this moment in Roy Jones's biography, the boxer becomes the owner of the championship title.
Further biography of Roy Jones and will be marked by such outstanding events as fights with Thomas Tate, James Tawney (after which Roy becomes the champion in the second weight category), and on November 22, 1996 - Roy Jones becomes the winner of the title in the new weight category, defeating the famous champion Mike McCallum.
As sad as it is for fans, he will soon biography the winner was stained by a defeat in a duel with Montell Griffin. Griffin forced Roy to attack, which was quite unusual for Roy, because his strong point is counterattacking. No, Roy didn't lose. In the 9th round, he simply knocked down his opponent with a powerful blow, and when he was already on his knees, he began to finish him off. Johnson was disqualified. This fight caused huge hype in the press. Jones' haters rejoiced; Montell said he was within a hair's breadth of victory (which was not true). And this was the first and only time in the biography of Roy Jones when he became furious. On August 7, 1997, Roy knocked Griffin out in the first round. And he commented on his fight like this: “You wanted it, you got it.” No one else managed to bring Roy to such a state.
Next came a pipeline of victories over the strongest Boxers in the light heavyweight category: Virgil Hill, Lou Del Valle, Otis Grant, Reggie Jones, Eric Harding, Darick Harmon, Julio Gonzalez. The words victory and the name Roy Jones became inseparable. The WBC presented Roy with an award - 1st place in the Pound for Pound ranking (the best boxer in the world, regardless of weight categories). Only now a problem arose - the lack of opponents in his weight category. It was this fact that prompted Roy to take a rather unprecedented step, moving through the category to heavyweight, which at all times was considered the “face” of boxing and the most prestigious category. Here Roy faces the champion Johnny Ruiz, the weight differences were simply colossal, but nevertheless Roy wins. Biography of Roy Jones and opens a new page - champion title in the fourth weight category, a great boxer who has no equal.
And in this place it would be good for him to end his career; at 35 years old this is no longer shameful. The victory over Ruiz was the peak of his career, and the already aged Roy, without his former passion, was destined for the road down.
Having returned to his native light heavyweight (preparing for the fight with Antonio Tarver was not easy, because in 3 months Roy had to lose 10 kg to participate in this fight), despite the fact that the fight ended in the predicted victory of Jones, it took place without the same brilliance . Roy became a prisoner of his talent - now even a victory, but not similar to the previous ones, was equated to defeat. Therefore, Jones Jr. agrees to a rematch.
There are many assumptions why Roy was knocked out already during the second round: some blame coach Tarver for this, others simply say “lucky blow”, others - that they underestimated their opponent, fourth - that Roy simply got old and lost his main qualities - speed and feeling of a rival. For the first time in his life, the legendary boxer learned what a knockout was, because... Throughout his professional career, no one has ever knocked Jones onto the floor of the ring. He had done this so many times that he was absolutely sure of his invulnerability. This defeat caused an acute psychological breakdown in the champion. After all, he was already planning to end his career as an absolute champion and was already knocked out at the end.
So Jones decides to continue. The fight against Glencoff Johnson, the IBF world champion, was supposed to dot all the i's - in this fight, the greatest Roy Jones Jr. entered the ring, stripped of all his titles.
And again, as in the fight with Tarver, the boxer lacked basic motivation. The first thing that caught your eye was Roy’s faded, devoid of their former sparkle, indifferent eyes. There was no longer any fire in them. And in the 1st minute of the ninth round, Jones misses a blow, hits his head on the ring and loses consciousness.
The reasons for the loss are quite clear, which cannot be said about the prospects of Roy Jones. Perhaps defeat will deprive him of confidence, or maybe, on the contrary, it will add motivation and anger. In any case, the name Roy Jones is already inscribed in golden letters in the world history of boxing.
Biography of Roy Jones is not limited to just victories and knockouts in boxing, it also includes a number of other talents. Roy Jones is a professional basketball player, music producer, rap artist, actor, and sports commentator.
Entertainment, Inc. was among the elite independent record labels." Roy, who is already on the popular charts, does not hide his ambitious plans for its promotion.
Living in his hometown of Pensacola, Roy is no stranger to the simple things of life on his farm: raising pit bulls, horses, and even breeding fighting roosters. Being a wonderful father, Roy organizes a children's golf tournament every year. He also makes it a point to communicate with the youth of his native United States as often as his schedule allows. In his meetings, he emphasizes the importance of education and a healthy lifestyle without drugs.
Those close to him describe Jones as “ten thousand times more of a man than a boxer,” and that says a lot.
We also suggest watching the film Roy Jones biography.
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Roy Jones-senior, father and coach of a former world champion Roy Jones Jr., who returned to the camp of his son’s team, commented in an interview with Fightnews.com on the upcoming fight against Omar Sheik, which will take place on March 21 in Pensacola (Florida). Jones Sr. has not been a part of Junior's (his son's nickname) coaching staff for the past four years. The true reason for their conflict is still not clear. However, this is not so important now - father and son are again preparing for Saturday's fight together.
Roy asked me to come and help prepare for the fight against Sheik.
- How did it happen that you re-entered Junior’s coaching staff?
Roy asked me to come and help prepare for the fight against Sheik. And now I’ve been here for six weeks now.
- What can you say about Omar Sheik?
Omar is a fairly strong boxer. He is cunning, experienced, and has also fought many fights at a high level. In a word, this is a worthy opponent who should not be underestimated.
- What shape is Roy in now? Compare his current form with his past fights.
I think Roy is quite well prepared. I haven't had the opportunity to see how his training has progressed in recent years, but I can tell you that Roy is now training seriously and hard.
The last time you were present for your son's training was when he was preparing for a fight against Tarver in 2005. Can you compare that training with the current one?
At that time we did not spend enough time on physical training. This time we focus on physics. He hasn't lost his skills. His technique remained with him. Now Roy understands that you need to prepare thoroughly for fights, which is probably why he invited me to his camp. I don’t know how he prepared for, say, the fight with Calzaghe. But it was obvious that he was not as motivated as he could be.
-Who is Jones' current head coach?
Elton Merkerson works with him, but I'm always there. I tell him what he will ask me. I do not interfere with his basic training, but act as a so-called consultant - if my help is needed, I get involved in the work. On top of that, Roy and I work out individually in the afternoons at my gym. In a word, I am always nearby.
Now Roy understands that you need to prepare thoroughly for fights, which is probably why he invited me to his camp.
Now I am absolutely confident that Roy has finally understood what boxing means in his life. In a short period of time, he went astray from the right path, at one time plunging headlong into the world of show business. Over time, he realized that people knew him as an outstanding boxer, and not a rapper, but it was too late. Personally, I never interfered in his life. If he wanted me to be there, then I was there, if not, I wasn’t. I love him, he is my son, so I will come to his aid at his first request.
- What do you think about the fight with Calzaghe, what was not enough for Roy to succeed?
To be honest, I did not see any serious tactical mistakes in my son’s actions. But he was not mentally prepared for this fight, and this did not allow him to win. As I already said, the main reason for his unpreparedness was the lifestyle he had been leading lately.
- Has the conflict between you been resolved now?
I will say this, we had the only conflict with our son that received publicity in the media. But we didn’t have any personal hostility over the years. I raised this guy, watched him grow from a teenager to a man. I was always proud of him and wished him success.
After the third fight with Tarver, Roy said that he never wanted to see you on his team again. He literally blamed you for the defeat...
No matter what Roy says, he will remain my son. These were emotions and nothing more. I never went against my son’s plans, I only tried to give him hints. If he still wants to blame me for that defeat, let him do it, I'm ready to take the blame.
- Do you think Junior will continue his boxing career after meeting Sheik?
The choice will be his. If he wants
No matter what Roy says, he will remain my son. We have no personal enmity.
continue, we will work and conquer new heights. If he wants to retire, I will in no way prevent him. He achieved great heights. At one time, many boxers looked up to him, he was the king of pound 4 pound. Now he is at a slightly different stage of his career. He is no longer young, so I will support him, no matter what choice he makes.
- If it happens that Roy loses the upcoming fight, what will you tell him?
This option is also possible. Everything will depend on why he loses. If he makes a mistake, I will be the first to point it out to him.
In the history of boxing there are many outstanding fighters who have reached great heights. But, perhaps, it is difficult to find a boxer who, in the manner of fighting, in the speed of the blow, in the unpredictability, would be at least somewhat similar to Roy Jones Jr.
From this article you will learn the main milestones in the biography of Roy Jones, each of which is accompanied by a video of the fights of this great athlete.
Childhood
Roy Levesta Jones Jr. was born on January 16, 1969 in Pensacola, Florida, USA. Roy Jones Sr., his father, was also a professional boxer, but he never managed to become a champion. Therefore, he dreamed that his son would continue his path and reach heights that his father had not conquered.
When Roy put on gloves at the age of 10, it immediately became clear that he had a unique talent and a very bright future in boxing. After all, even then he began to defeat guys who were older and heavier than him.
1988 Olympics
In 1988, Roy Jones performed at the Olympic Games in the capital of South Korea, Seoul. Throughout the tournament, Roy easily defeated his opponents and reached the finals, where he faced the Korean Park Si Hoon. Almost no one doubted that Roy Jones would win and receive the gold medal. However, it all ended unexpectedly and scandalously.
Throughout the fight, Roy Jones had a significant advantage over his opponent, but according to the judges' decision, the victory was given to the Korean athlete. As a result of the scandal of the judges who gave the victory to the Korean,
was removed from judging, and Roy Jones decided not to compete outside the United States again, so as not to fall for the bias of the judging again.
The Olympic Games marked the final stage of Roy Jones Jr.'s amateur career. The Roy era began in professional boxing.
Beginning of a professional career
Roy's first coach was his father. Worried about his son, he selected opponents for him very carefully, not very famous, and not very skilled. As a result, fatherly love played a cruel joke. Jones Jr. did not like to easily defeat weak opponents, which is why there was a quarrel with his father, and Roy found himself a new coach. It was Elton Merkenson.
Under the leadership of a new coach, by 1992, Roy Jones had won 20 victories, 19 by knockout, without suffering a single defeat. Roy danced in the ring, moved as he wanted, hit from any positions, from any distances, from any angles, in a word, he did everything in the ring that his heart desired.
As a result, in 1993, having defeated Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins on points, Roy Jones won his first title. He became the IBF world middleweight champion.
Roy's next step was the transition to second middleweight in 1994. In his first fight, which became a fight for the IBF super middleweight world champion title, he faced the then undefeated James “Lights Out” Toney. The fight lasted until the final bell, and the victory was awarded to Roy Jones on points. Thanks also to this fight, in 1994 Roy received the title “Fighter of the Year”.
Roy Jones Jr. is a very versatile person. One of his hobbies is basketball. In June 1996, on the afternoon before defending his title, Jones played basketball for a professional team, and in the evening he defended the title in brilliant style, defeating Eric Lucas.
The second middleweight was conquered and Jones moved to the light heavyweight camp. Sweeping away everyone in his path, he almost immediately became a champion in this weight. Thanks to this, Roy was at the top of the ranking of the best boxers in the world, regardless of weight category. By this time, Jones Jr.'s record included 34 victories and not a single defeat.
1997 was the year of the first defeat. In a fight against Montell Griffin, the WBC light heavyweight champion, Montell took a knee in the ninth round after a left hook to the jaw. Jones, in an attacking rush, did not notice this and delivered a couple more to the head, from which Griffin fell to the canvas. Such finishing was the reason for disqualification. Thus, Roy Jones suffered the first defeat in his professional career.
However, in the same 1997, revenge took place. In the first round, Roy Jones knocked Griffin out with a blow to the jaw. Here's how it went:
This is how Roy Jones’s career progressed until 2003. He mocked his opponents in every way due to his too great superiority over them. They simply had no chance of winning.
Career peak
This prompted Roy to move to heavyweight. It was a shock for the whole world. They tried to dissuade him, citing health risks. They thought that Roy was already going too far and this could end badly.
But Jones Jr. did not heed the persuasion and chose WBA world champion John Ruiz, who defeated Hollyfield himself, as his opponent. This fight was expected as some kind of extraordinary event. Whatever the outcome, there was a sensation: either Jones’s first defeat, or the victory of a middleweight boxer over a heavyweight. Roy Jones fought the fight very confidently and smartly, tactically completely outplaying Ruiz. Ruiz was never able to oppose Jones, and he, having created a sensation, became the world heavyweight champion.
Perhaps this was the peak of Roy Jones' career, after which he began to decline. After all, no one is a robot, and even the greatest people are inexorably influenced by time.
Roy Jones has returned to light heavyweight. Antonio Tarver settled there during his absence. Jones won the first half of the fight, but then suddenly went into defense. And Tarver successfully began to punch through it. The fight was even and Roy did not have his former superiority. Some of the rounds in the second half of the fight remained with Tarver. However, Roy won on points, and Antonio Tarver did not agree with the results of the judging and demanded revenge.
First defeat by knockout
The rematch took place on May 15, 2004 in Las Vegas. On this day, something happened that all Roy’s fans feared and that his opponents desired. From that day on, Roy Jones ceased to be the best boxer in the world. In the second round of the rematch, Antonio Tarver hit Roy in the jaw with a left hook, causing him to collapse. Jones stood up, but there was emptiness in his eyes and the referee stopped the fight. This was Roy Jones Jr.'s first knockout. The first and most offensive.
In the next fight with Glen Johnson, Roy was knocked out again after receiving a right hook. It seemed as if Roy had begged for this blow. Next was the third fight against Tarver, which Tarver won on points.
The end of the Roy Jones era
After such shocks, Roy seemed to be afraid of missing a blow, going into defense. But this is not his strong point and not his style. Roy Jones became a boxer with whom many could now compete. And he had to really survive. There was no longer that courage. There were brilliant victories over Jeff Tracy and Felix Trinidad, and bitter defeats, such as from Danny Green and Joe Calzaghe. The only thing that remained clear was that the era of Roy Jones had come to an end.
The only fight in which Roy resembled his prime in style and speed was against Bernard Hopkins in 2010. However, Hopkins won that fight on points. Watch the last round of this fight:
In May 2011, Roy Jones traveled to Russia to fight rising star Denis Lebedev. Here, many boxing fans could not decide who to root for: a legend, perhaps the best boxer in history, or a native Russian boy. Moreover, Denis was considered the favorite. The fight took place with Denis having a confident advantage and ended badly for Roy Jones: ten seconds before the end of the last round he was knocked out.
According to Roy’s promise, if he defeats Glazewski, his next opponent will be Wlodarczyk, the WBC cruiserweight world champion.
This is the professional path of Roy Jones Jr. This is real life, in which there was a phenomenal rise, a peak, a turning point, a decline and a constant irreconcilable struggle with oneself. Despite everything, Roy continues to enter the ring and prove, first of all, to himself that he has not given up, that he can still fight for the highest places. Isn't this a real role model for any man?
Let's take another look at the best moments in the career of this outstanding athlete:
Nickname: Junior Captain Hook
Citizenship: USA
Place of Birth: Pensacola, Florida, USA
Accommodation: Pensacola, Florida, USA
Rack: Right-handed
Height:180 cm
Professional career: 57 victories ( 40 knockouts) + 8 lesions ( 4 knockout) + 0 draws = 65
Amateur career: 121 victory ( 13 knockouts) + 4 lesions ( 0 knockouts) + 0 draws = 134
Achievements: Silver medalist at the 1988 Olympic Games. World champion in middleweight (IBF version, 1993-1994), second middleweight (IBF version, 1994-1996), light heavyweight (WBC version, 1997, 1997-2002 and 2003-2004; WBA version, 1998-2002; IBF version, 1999 -2002) and super heavyweight (WBA version, 2003) weight categories. The Boxing Writers Association of America named Jones its "Boxer of the Decade" in the 1990s. Repeatedly recognized as the best boxer in the world, regardless of weight category.
American boxer Roy Jones Jr. forever inscribed his name in boxing history. Jones, having won on points in a 12-round fight against heavyweight John Ruiz, who outweighed him by 15 kilograms, won the WBA world title in the heavyweight category and became the only boxer in the world who managed to win the average belt (72.6 kg). ), super middleweight (76.2 kg), heavyweight (79.4 kg) and super heavyweight.
Roy Jones was born and lived in Pensacola, Florida. There he began boxing at the age of 10. From childhood, his father, Roy Jones Sr., a former professional boxer, instilled in his son a love of boxing. He wanted to raise a champion, which he himself could not become. Already at the very beginning, Roy weighed 31 kg. easily defeated 14 year old boxers weighing 38 kg. After Jones won the 1984 U.S. Junior Olympics, the 1986 National Golden Gloves at 62.5 kg, and the 1987 National Golden Gloves again at 70.2 kg, he was predicted to have a great amateur career.
But his dream of a Gold Medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics was not destined to come true. In a judges' decision that was later recognized as one of the most controversial and dishonest in the history of the Olympics, Jones's South Korean opponent received the gold medal, and Jones the silver, losing 3-2. To correct this judicial misunderstanding, Jones was still awarded the Val Barker Trophy as the "Outstanding Boxer" of the 1988 Olympic Games.
In 1992, Jones knocked out former world champion George Wack and former WBA champion Art Servano in the 1st round. In the same year, Roy won on points against George Castro and defeated Glen Thomas, who was previously considered invincible, by technical knockout in the 8th round. Jones won his first championship title in 1993. On May 22, he defeated Bernard Hopkins by unanimous decision to become the IBF world middleweight champion. After winning by knockout in a fight with mandatory challenger Thomas Tate, in 1994 Jones received the opportunity to meet IBF world super middleweight champion James “Lights Out” Toney. Undefeated in 46 fights, Tony was recognized as the best fighter in the world. And for the first time in Jones' career, his opponent was perceived as the favorite. However, Jones won by unanimous decision and became the IBF champion in the second weight class at super middleweight.
In 1995, Jones scored three victories, all by knockout before the 7th round. In 1996, three more boxers faced Jones and he again defended his championship title. In January, Jones won by technical knockout in the 2nd round in a fight with Mercui Sosa. And half a year later he took the champion title in his third weight category, first heavyweight, from famous boxer Mike McCallum, defeating him in a tough 12-round fight.
On March 21 in Atlantic City, Jones suffered the first “defeat” of his professional career, which he would later call “the biggest disappointment” since the Olympic Games. In this fight, Jones intended to defeat the strong and powerful contender Montell Griffin. As a result of Jones' powerful and fast combinations, Griffin gradually got tired and eventually dropped to his knee, but Roy, in excitement, struck the fallen Griffin with another blow. The referee stopped the fight, disqualifying Jones for an illegal strike. The victory was awarded to Griffin. After the fight, Roy stated that he had not lost to Griffin and promised to regain the WBC title in a rematch. “Captain Hook” did not waste time fulfilling his promise and in August 1997 regained the WBC championship belt in a re-fight at 29 seconds of the first round, brutally knocking out Griffin.
1998 was no less successful for Jones. First, in the city of Biloxi, he knocked out former WBA world champion Virgil Hill in the 4th round. Then in New York, he defended his WBC title and won the WBA belt on points in a 12-round fight against defending champion Lou Del Valle. In his next fight in Connecticut, Roy defeated former WBO middleweight champion Otis Grant by technical knockout. After his unconditional victory over world heavyweight champion Johnny Ruiz on March 1, 2003, Roy never received offers from other fighters in the elite weight category and decided to return to his “native” weight, where the “talkative” Antonio Tarver was already waiting for him.
Although Jones beat Tarver on points in the first fight, many after this fight disputed the judges' decision and stated that Jones still lost this fight. To be objective, Roy still won fairly. However, it was not the same confident and crushing victory as over all his previous opponents. A rematch was planned, in which Roy had to prove that his unconvincing performance in the first fight was due only to rapid weight loss. But the result of the re-match came as a shock to the entire boxing world. In the 2nd round, Jones misses a powerful hook and is knocked out for the first time in his career. As a result of this defeat, Jones lost the WBC light heavyweight title to Antonio Tarver. After the fight, Roy announced that he intended to retire, but when the emotions subsided, he decided not to rush into leaving.
In September 2004, Roy Jones met with Glen Johnson. In the 9th round, Johnson sent the ex-champion to a heavy knockout with an accurate blow from his right hand. In October 2005, Roy Jones and Antonio Tarver met for the 3rd time. Tarver had a slight advantage during the fight and won by unanimous decision. In January 2008, a duel took place between Roy Jones and Felix Trinidad. In the first three rounds, Felix had an advantage, but then Jones seized the initiative and in the 7th round delivered a powerful right hook to the head, which knocked the Puerto Rican down. At the end of the 10th round, Jones again forced his opponent to the floor with a counter jab right on the jaw. Trinidad stood up immediately. At the end of the fight, the judges unanimously awarded Jones a victory on points.
In November 2008, a long-awaited fight took place between Roy Jones and the undefeated Englishman Joe Calzaghe. In the 1st round, Jones caught his opponent with a counter left hook. Calzaghe was slightly knocked down and was able to rise to a count of 5. The Welshman did not look shaken and went forward throughout the fight, throwing a large number of punches and surpassing his opponent in speed. Roy was unable to resist this pressure. By the end of the fight, Jones had a cut above his left eye. As a result, all the judges unanimously awarded the victory to Joe Calzaghe.
The fight against Omar Shakey in March 2009 took place in Jones' native Pensacola. Roy, as usual, mocked his opponent. The neck looked more like a pear. In the 5th round, after another series of blows that hit the target, the referee stopped the fight. Omar Sheika was clearly not happy with the judge's decision. It’s interesting that Shakey was prepared for this fight by the legendary Kevin Rooney, who once trained “Iron” Mike Tyson.
On August 15 of that year, Jones met with Jeff Lacy. His opponent started the fight actively, pinching and putting pressure on Roy at the ring ropes, but Jones skillfully blocked and avoided the blows. After the 4th round, Jeff began to gradually get tired, and Jones began to box in his favorite manner: with lowered, relaxed hands and various feints, showing a complete advantage over Lacey in speed, and at the same time, being at the ropes, he did not forget to communicate with the audience. After the 7th round, Lacey's left eye swollen, and in the 9th and 10th rounds Jones openly mocked his opponent, demonstrating complete superiority. After the 10th round, Lacey's seconds threw out the white towel and the referee stopped the beating, recording Jones' victory by technical knockout.
The fight against Danny Green was another disappointment for Jones and his fans. Green started the fight actively and knocked Jones down in the 1st round, but he was able to continue the fight, although he almost did not respond to Green’s blows. A minute before the end of the round, the Referee stopped the fight, awarding Green a victory by technical knockout. After the fight, Jones accused Green of using prohibited materials when wrapping his hands. Jones' victory in this fight was a prerequisite for the fight with Bernard Hopkins. Despite Jones' defeat, Hopkins expressed a desire to meet with his longtime adversary. Thus, their revenge took place 17 years later. Then, in 1993, Roy Jones won. This time Hopkins imposed sticky and dirty boxing and turned out to be stronger, winning on points.
Other occupations of Roy Jones Jr.: owner of his own boxing promotion company Square Ring Promotions, music producer and record label owner, rap artist, actor, professional basketball player, television commentator for HBO.