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Pride and determination. Those very characteristics that made him great, are the same things that are going to get him seriously injured, or maybe even killed.
Jones, 46, was pulverized by Enzo Marcellina in the fourth-round of their fight Saturday night in Russia, of all places. The very fact a boxer with the history of the accomplishments of Jones had to go to Russia in order to find a fight should say something in itself. By the way, Russian president Vladimir Putin made Jones a Russian citizen in order to fight there.
I am sure there are some people who will say that Jones is a grown ass man, and can do whatever he wants. True. However, if you saw someone you loved and cared about trying to cross a busy intersection during rush hour wearing a blindfold, I would hope that you would try to stop that person.
In essence, Jones is wearing a blindfold in the ring. He doesn’t see punches anymore. There is no doubt in my mind that he knows what to do in the ring, but at 46, the body simply doesn’t perform as it does at 26, especially in the sport of boxing.
This happens in boxing more than any other sport, because a boxer is his own independent contractor. You can’t get cut from a team like you would in the NFL or NBA. And, because there are so many people out there who are willing to make a buck off your name and frankly, there are times when boxers need the bucks… they fight on. I would also imagine that in addition to the money, the allure is too great for some to stay away. The media attention, the cheering fans, and hyped introductions, and the competition itself, is all too much to turn away from for some.
That is why I am so interested in seeing what happens with the recently retired Floyd Mayweather in a year or two. As much money as Floyd has, there is nothing that is going to replace the adrenaline of getting into the ring. I hope he is smart enough to not fall for it. For all everyone says about Floyd, he has demonstrated that he knows the business of boxing better than anyone.
He will know there is a time stamp on greatness, and it comes due for everybody. In the meantime, I hope Roy will just go home. Jones (62-9) is tarnishing his legacy, but more importantly, he is seriously risking his health.
Posted is video of the Jones-Maccarinelli fight.
