Roy Jones Jr speaks on fans’ doubt
As his September 12 exhibition date continues to barrel forward, former four-time world champion Roy Jones Jr (66-9, 47 KO’s) is well aware that there are a great deal of people doubting him. When compared to his opponent “Iron” Mike Tyson (50-6, 44 KO’s), the brutal knockouts that the Brooklyn native provided are still too vivid for most to forget.
This combined with Tyson’s looking reborn in his recent workout footage has a large segment of fans legitimately worried for Jones. There is validity for such concerns after all. After suffering his first knockout loss to Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver (31-6-1, 22 KO’s) well back on May 15, 2004, Jones Jr would go on to be knocked out another four times. To make matters worse, the bludgeoning’s appeared to be getting worse with each instance.
GOT TO HIT TO HURT
Even though his apparent susceptibility to being concussed is a real concern, Jones Jr. does not come off as overly worried as he explained his position to Fight Hype.
“Because they see Mike Tyson beating the hand mitts, beating the bag, they see the power and explosiveness and they feel like, ‘wow! That’s Mike of 1989, he’s still got it!’ Of course he still got it, but he still got to put that on me! He got to be able to hit me for that to do any good.”
“And they feel like my legs is gone, they think my legs is gone and they think, ‘well, he should be able to land now. He should be able to catch Roy now because Roy is older, Roy don’t move as much’. So that’s why they think that.”
BRING IT ON!
Another element fueling concerns is the fact despite advertising labeling this contest as an ‘exhibition’, both boxers have expressed they will treat it like a fight. If that is the case, the likelihood that one of the two men, both in their 50’s, will sustain real injuries and/or get honestly knocked out will greatly increase.
In the end though, Jones Jr is comfortable with approaching the event like a fight and accepts that inherent danger that comes with that.
“The longer the fight goes the better the fight is for me.”
“We both going to switch into fight mode when that bell ring.”
“He already said it. Now you know that is Mike Tyson, he don’t lie and he don’t got but one way to do things. That’s ‘kill’, that’s all he knows, so why would he change?”
By: Bakari Simpson
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