There was a time when Roy Jones Jr. was considered the best "pound-for-pound" boxer in the world. He was the draw for a sport that struggled to find legitimate heavyweight money-makers after Mike Tyson left a void that was clearly never filled.
And even though Floyd Mayweather has seized the "pound-for-pound" title from him recently (Jones acknowledged this in our interview), he is not ready to drift off into the sunset just yet. When he squares off with Felix "Tito" Trinidad on January 19th, fans are hoping to see old Roy Jones, flashy and dominant. We spoke with Jones recently, and it turns out he's expecting the same thing.
MF: The De La Hoya/Mayweather fight was a landmark event for boxing. What does your fight with Felix Trinidad mean to you, and what do you think it means for the sport today?
Jones Jr.: The loser's out of the game or down to eating peanuts, na'mean? We're both proven. We've got nothing to lose, so we can go out and fight confident until the best man wins. Did you see how safely Oscar (De La Hoya) and Floyd (Mayweather) fought? Neither guy wanted to lose. If nobody took a chance and got hurt, they can go on and do bigger and other things, you na'mean? So they fought very reluctantly, because nobody wanted to take a chance and take that gamble to give somebody that win or that loss, and give the crowd what they really want. If you take that gamble in boxing, end up on the bad end of it, you're done.
I lost one fight to Antonio Tarver, by maybe a round or two, and they say it's time for me to retire. Damn. Most of the time, I didn't even lose rounds when I fought! I lose a fight by one or two rounds, and they say I need to retire! You feel me?
MF: We feel you, Roy. Does that sentiment drive you crazy?
Jones Jr.: It don't really bother me, but I'm just showing you how it is. I got love for the Ultimate Fighters because they don't play like that, you know?
MF: Yes, and the UFC now challenges boxing for pay-per-view buys, revenue, and fans. How do you feel about the mixed martial arts movement?
Jones Jr.: I think it's wonderful. I'm a big fan. I watch a lot of it. I never really thought about getting in the cage, but I do love it. I love anybody that fights. That's just what I am. I'm a fighter and I love anybody that has the heart to go in there and face somebody one on one and fight. You got to love that, you know?
MF: Absolutely. Who's your favorite fighter right now?
Jones Jr.: Rampage is probably my favorite right now.
MF: Do you ever train with those guys?
Jones Jr.: Nah, but I like ‘em.
MF: You carried the title for a while, but who's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now?
Jones Jr.: Floyd Mayweather.
MF: No question?
Jones Jr.: Nope.
MF: Flex Trinidad hasn't exactly been a busy fighter the last few years. He's coming out of retirement for this fight. Does it offend you that he thinks he can dust himself off and beat Roy Jones?
Jones Jr.: No, it's just, I know what it is, you know?
MF: Well, what is it?
Jones Jr.: He saw me get caught with a couple punches and now he feels like, "wow, he's getting older, they're hitting him so maybe I can hit him." And he knows he wants to throw those punches out there, so he's like, "here goes my chance. I want to gamble, I'm gonna go for all the marbles. I'm gonna see, can I catch him?" You na'mean? He's gonna fight me, and he'll open up to punch, and when you open up to punch, you can also be punched. And so it's a calculated gamble that he's willing to take.
MF: Trinidad has to bulk up to fight at 170 lbs. Do you think he'll have trouble adjusting to the extra weight?
Jones Jr.: No, he's not going to have any trouble adjusting to the extra weight because he's not going to be out there long enough to worry about that. He's going down about three, four rounds.
MF: That's the prediction?
Jones Jr.: Yup. About four rounds.
MF: So it'll be an entertaining fight?
Jones Jr.: Oh, most definitely.
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