After his one-sided win over Bernard Hopkins in May of 1993, Roy had a few easy title defenses, which is the norm. He had two easy wins over Thulani Malinga and Fermin Chirino, before taking on Thomas Tate in Las Vegas on May 27, 1994. Roy got rid of him in two short rounds, setting up a fight with 168 lb. champ James Toney in November.
I was in Vegas a few weeks before the November 18 bout with Toney, and noticed that the odds favored Toney in the Sportsbooks. I wish I would have laid a few bucks on Roy, because I knew he was a special boxer, with greatness written all over him.
The fight itself was a piece of cake for Roy. He won most every round, outboxed and outpunched Toney at will, and dropped him with a left hook in the third round. The 160 lb. middleweight limit was too tough for Jones to make, since he walked around at 180 lbs. 168 gave him some leeway, and after this brilliant performance, I saw no one that could challenge him. The win was so easy, Roy got up the next day and ran 3 miles, in a classic display of bravado.
The new champ returned home to make his first super-middleweight title defense, against Antoine Byrd in Pensacola on March 18. The HBO bout showcased how spectacular Roy could be, and he annihilated Byrd in one round. Gil Clancy, filling in for George Foreman as boxing commentator, ranted how great Roy looked, and what a bright future he had ahead of him.
There were talks of a fight with Vinny Pazienza next for Roy. I knew if that happened, only one thing could stop Roy from destroying Vinny that night. A machine gun.
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