The greatness of Roy Jones Jr.’s boxing legacy and career

By Jeremy Herriges | Feb 7, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MAY 13: Roy Jones Jr. of the US celebrates after beating compatriot Richard Hall 13 May, 2000 during their Light Heavyweigh title fight at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN. Jones won the fight by TKO in the eleventh round. (Photo credit should read JOHN RUTHROFF/AFP/Getty Images) /

Roy Jones Jr. is set to retire after his fight against Scott Sigmon on Thursday, Feb. 8. We take a look back at his former glory and past accomplishments in boxing.

If you were a boxing fan in the ’90s, you know that Roy Jones Jr. was a supreme being who dominated boxing in that era. He conquered the middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions in that decade. His reputation has lost its luster during the last 14 years, but he should be remembered as one of the best boxers of all time.

Jones was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida, which is not known for producing boxers. He was taught how to box under the brutal tutelage of his father, Roy Sr., who was a former Marine drill instructor.

Roy Sr. molded Jones into a brilliant boxer using physical and emotional abuse. In 1995, Jones discussed the trauma he suffered at the hands of his father with Sports Illustrated’s, Gary Smith:

"“I was in pain all day, every day, I was so scared of my father. He’d pull up in his truck and start lookin’ for something I’d done wrong. There was no escape, no excuse, no way out of nothin’. Every day it was the same: school, homework, farmwork, trainin’. Gettin’ hurt or dyin’ might’ve been better than the life I was livin’.”"

Roy Sr. developed Jones into a champion, but at the expense of his son’s emotional and physical well-being. He forever damaged his relationship with his son.

Jones would go on to win the silver medal at the 1988 Olympics as a light middleweight in controversial fashion. He should have won the gold, but the judges awarded the bout to his opponent under highly suspicious circumstances.

During his professional career in the ’90s, Jones was as talented and dynamic in the ring as any boxer in the history of the sport. He had the footwork and mobility of Ali, the hand speed of Leonard and the showstopping knockouts of Tyson. Jones was the perfect boxer during this era.

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He did it all while using an unorthodox style. Jones carried his hands low trying to bait his adversaries to take their shot. When they would bite, Jones would parry and counter-attack like Neo from The Matrix. Jones could do things that no other boxer could.

Jones’ conquests during the ’90s and early 2000s were unparalleled. He decisively outboxed future hall-of-famers Bernard Hopkins and James Toney to win their IBF middleweight and super middleweight titles, respectively.

He crushed former titlist Vinny Pazienza, bloodying him up and knocking him down three times in the sixth before the referee mercilessly stopped the bout. In 1997, Jones embarrassed light heavyweight champion Montell Griffin, knocking him out in Round 1. In 1998, he took out Virgil Hill in four. He was an unstoppable force and the face of boxing.

His crowning achievement came in 2003, when he jumped up to heavyweight and defeated John Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight title. Jones won titles in four different weight divisions throughout his career. Had Jones retired in 2003 after the Ruiz bout, he would probably be considered the best boxer of all time. Unfortunately, his love for the sport proved to be too strong and he couldn’t walk away.

After Ruiz, Jones won a majority decision over Antonio Tarver, winning the WBA, WBC and IBO light heavyweight titles. Even though Jones was the victor, his skills appeared faded. He struggled with Tarver and was far from dominant.

Jones fought Tarver in a rematch in 2004. Tarver shocked the boxing community by stopping Jones with a TKO in Round 2, assassinating Jones’ mythical aura in the process. It was apparent to boxing fans and pundits that time had finally caught up with the 35-year-old Jones. His reflexes and speed that made him such a force during the ’90s were gone forever. The only person that didn’t believe or accept that was Jones himself.

He followed up his Tarver loss with two more defeats against Glen Johnson and Tarver once again. Jones has had numerous ups and downs over the last 14 years. He defeated Felix Trinidad in 2008 but followed that victory with a unanimous decision loss against Joe Calzaghe. This pattern of winning one fight to lose the next sums up the later portion of Jones’ career.

Jones is 49 years old and is finally ready to hang up the gloves. He fights Scott Sigmon on Thursday, Feb. 8. He might win, or he might lose. At this point, it doesn’t really matter. Jones has been criticized by numerous boxing writers, including myself, for continuing his career with his peak so far behind him.

Regardless of other’s opinions, Jones has earned the right to go out the way he sees fit. People might think that his decisions over the last 14 years have been misguided, but his former greatness speaks for itself and gives him the license to do as he pleases.

People should look at Jones’ career with an asterisk attached to his record from 2004 to his final fight against Sigmon. The asterisk represents that one of the best boxers of the last two centuries continued on even when his colossal talents escaped him.

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People remember Muhammad Ali as the boxer who defeated George Foreman against all odds and for the heroics of his epic trilogy with Joe Frazier. People should remember Jones in the same light — as the man who schooled the likes of Pazienza, Hopkins, and Toney while putting on a show and making it look easy.

His record is flawed, and he’s fallen victim to numerous defeats, but for a large moment in time, Roy Jones Jr. was the best boxer who ever lived. Let’s measure him by his accomplishments, not his failures. The boxing world owes him that much.