By: Sean Cross
Some argue that he was – or at least was – the greatest boxer of all time. That’s what it’s all about. Better than Sugar Ray Robinson. Better than Muhammad Ali. Better than a century worth of fighter fighting under the Marquis of Queensbury Rules. At the very least, Roy Jones cannot be dismissed as anything less than the greatest of all time. Make no mistake about it, the guy was great. Lightning fast, hard-hitting, and unconventional in style, it could be said that Jones never truly lost a battle until he unwittingly allowed himself to be defeated.
Anthony Joshua was once seen as a great prospect. Long, hard hitting and with his heart, he took opponents out as fast as they lined up. Tall, good-looking, attractive, fit, there was much to like about the great Englishman who held three of the four major title belts in the heavyweight division. When he falls, he gets back up. Even when he lost, he made sure to win the return game. Again, there were many things to admire.
And, in fact, there is still much to admire about Joshua. The problem is that after two straight and obvious losses to Oleksandr Usyk, people are thinking that the Londoner has hit the roof. Joshua doesn’t want that to happen and is said to be looking for a new trainer just like he did in his first loss to Usyk. The meeting with the well-known American trainer Robert Garcia did not end in the second battle of Usyk, and Joshua must have been looking for someone else.
And someone else might be Roy Jones.
“We talked and I have a plan for it,” Jones, now 53, said. Boxing Social (through Daily Mail). “I haven’t told him yet, but if he likes the way we interact in the gym, to me, any fighter he fights is going to be a great fight anyway. Promising words, especially if Joshua is hoping to get his hands on Jones. Still, Jones made it clear that Joshua needs some work before he can step into the ring with the best in the division.
“You have to go with guys who aren’t as good as Usyk or Tyson Fury yet,” Jones said. “We need a couple of good fights to get yourself back into action and they’re going to be good fights, they’re not going to be walking fights, they’re going to be good fights… and then we’ll go after Usyk or Wrath.” Whether or not he decides to hire Jones as his coach, the 33-year-old Joshua may want to take the Hall of Famer’s advice to heart.
