Roy Jones is coming off of two straight victories over Prince Badi Adjamu and Anthony Hanshaw, respectively, and believes he's still in the light heavyweight mix. To prove it, he and Felix Trinidad, likely first ballot Hall of Fame inductees, square off at The Garden to begin a promising 2008 for boxing fans.
The problem is that Trinidad isn't a light heavyweight; he has heavyweight drawing power and that's what Jones really needs, for now. That doesn't mean that it's an easy fight for the Pensacola, Florida resident. In truth, Jones' fight starts long before he gets in the ring with Trinidad.
Jones Struggles to Make Weight
Both fighters agreed to a catch weight of 170 lbs. Since Trinidad last fought at 160--a decision loss to Winky Wright in 2005--he gets to eat like a king in preparation for this fight. Jones, on the other hand, struggles mightily to get down to 175. At weigh-ins he appears drawn, gaunt, and 20 older than he looks between fights. One wonders how he is supposed to make 170.
When Jones took the WBA Heavyweight Championship from John Ruiz in March, 2003, he weighed 193 lbs, and if there was any fat on him it was in his wallet. For his first fight with Antonio Tarver the following November, he had to weigh in at the 175 lb light heavyweight limit. The only way to lose that kind of weight in such a short time is to allow the muscle to atrophy and to dehydrate.
Predictably, Jones struggled to a decision win and was knocked out by Tarver in a rematch in May 2004. Glen Johnson--who is hardly a one-punch knockout machine--knocked Jones out in September of the same year. Clearly Jones' body hadn't adjusted to his rapid weight loss. One doesn't go from giant killer to a "C level" fighter in seven months by simply "getting old in the ring."
This is a fight that Trinidad never would have taken when Jones was in his prime. That Jones was too fast, too mobile, and too powerful for the heavy-handed but slow-footed Puerto Rican. But Trinidad sees a monster that is wounded and drained of its blood.
Puerto Rican Fans Love Trinidad
At Madison Square Garden, Trinidad's Puerto Rican fans will cheer wildly with every punch he throws. While they love Miguel Cotto, they virtually worship Trinidad, and the way he sees it, he only needs one good punch in the space of twelve rounds to beat a Jones who had to make 170.
Jones Willing to Take the Risk
It's the kind of risk that Jones is willing to take. A sensational win over Trinidad (read knockout) will give him the negotiating leverage to fight for one of the light heavyweight belts, possibly late in 2008.
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