After his loss to Joe Calzaghe in November of 2008, I thought for sure that Roy Jones would retire. Nothing could be further from the truth. Despite turning 40 in January of 2009, Jones returned to the ring on March 21 in his hometown of Pensacola to take on Omar Sheika. Sheika had been a regular on the USA network, but was way past his prime, and was stopped in the fifth. I guess Roy was trying to restore his confidence or something, but I saw no point in it.
Now calling himself ‘Captain Hook’, Jones traveled to Biloxi, Mississippi on August 15 to fight another shot fighter in Jeff Lacy. This crap was actually on pay-per-view, which made me laugh even more. After ten rounds, Lacy was finished, and Jones had his second consecutive ‘comeback’ win.
The streak ended when Roy traveled to Sydney, Australia on December 2, 2009 to fight an unknown named Danny Green. The supposed set-up bout for a spring rematch with Bernard Hopkins ended in disaster. Roy was knocked out at 2:02 in the opening round, on a fight I saw on the now defunct Versus network. I looked on as this pitiful example of a fighter staying too long with disgust. Hopefully he would pack it in after this embarrassing display.
Incredibly, promoters patched the rematch with Hopkins back together, and the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas hosted it on April 3, 2010. Out of curiosity as much as anything, I went over my sister’s house to watch it on pay-per-view. In retrospect, I wish I would have saved my money.
Roy’s performance was in one word, cowardly. He never took a chance to win, instead resorted to hitting Hopkins repeatedly on the back of his head, known as rabbit punches. He did it so often, he actually put Hopkins on his knees in pain. After 12 rounds of fouls and point deductions from Jones, Hopkins won a unanimous decision. I went home that night sure that Roy was done. Unbelievably, nothing could be further from the truth.
FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
LISTEN TO MY PODCAST ON SPOTIFY AT kensoldtimeboxingchat
