Jones Jr. on Floyd: Roy’s Short Memory
This isn’t exactly breaking news but it’s worth a look if you haven’t seen it. Here’s former 4-division world champion and HBO commentator Roy Jones Jr. being interviewed by Australian boxing writer Paul Upham. Roy proceeds to criticize Floyd Mayweather for avoiding Manny Pacquiao and for being one of the most boring boxers on the planet.
Let’s just pause for a moment and allow that to sink in.
As you like to say, Roy, “Y’all Must’ve Forgot.”
Take a look at the video:
Yeah, I also enjoyed Roy’s impression of Floyd squealing like a terrified rodent after Maidana supposedly bit him with his mouthpiece in their rematch. But what’s also funny is I have no recollection of anyone back in the day referring to Roy Jones Jr. as “Mr. Excitement.” Few were in danger of getting Roy mixed up with the second coming of Matthew Saad Muhammad when he was doing more juking and jiving than James Brown in the ring.
But Jones’ comments on Floyd’s avoidance of Manny Pacquiao are equally hypocritical.
To the applause of the audience, Jones states: “In my time, do not tell me there was a guy close to my weight division that you thought could beat me. Because if you told me that, you just wrote him a scripted nightmare, because it’s a must that I find out. That’s what real boxing was about when I came along.”
Really, Roy?
In fact, there were more than a few people back around 1998 who wondered out loud if fellow light-heavyweight titlist Dariusz Michalczewski might give you a run for your money, but you never made an earnest effort to get that fight, despite the fact Michalczewski was the lineal belt-holder. Instead of unifying the title, you avoided the Polish “Tiger” who enjoyed a long run at the top of the division, not losing until 2003. He was the obvious opponent for you to take on during your time at 175 lb., but you refused to face him.
Similarly, middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins, who had dropped a decision to you back in 1993, was calling for a return bout during that same period, but such a match did not interest you in the least, despite its obvious intrigue, or the fact Hopkins had clearly earned it. Instead you waited until you were 41-years-old, had five losses on your record, and the match was officially irrelevant before you got in the ring again with “The Executioner.”
Please, Roy, don’t portray yourself as a champion who fought ’em all and was a great competitor because it just isn’t so. In fact, it could be argued you helped set the stage for the sorry state of things now, with so many champions carefully picking and choosing their opponents and avoiding the toughest challenges.
— Robert Portis
