(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
The great Roy Jones, Jr. is coming off his best performance in seven years in stopping former super middleweight contender Omar Sheika last Saturday night in Pensacola, Fla.
Now, with that dazzling fifth round TKO in front of his cheering hometown fans over, it seems that the legendary boxer has opened up some renewed options and interests for himself. Another big win could potentially vault Jones amidst the top-10 fighters in the super middleweight picture.
Word on the street is that 40-year-old Jones (53-5, 39 KO's) may be headed for a tilt with left hand slugger and super middleweight contender Jeff Lacy (24-2, 17 KO's in June).
However, before that can happen, "Left Hook" Lacy has an April 10 matchup with Otis Griffin in Tampa, Fla.
Jones has also expressed a genuine interest in facing the winner of the Carl Froch-Jermain Taylor bout, tentatively scheduled for April 25.
Challenging the winner of that bout would appear to be a more lucrative decision for Jones because there would be a WBC super middleweight title on the line.
Lacy recently lost a lopsided 12-round unanimous decision to Jermain Taylor in a WBC Super Middleweight Title Eliminator in November 2008. And it wouldn't take a master detective to figure out that he is only a shadow of the fighter he once was.
Lacy was once known for his lethal left hook; however, after a torn rotator cuff in 2006 in a bout against Vitali Tsypko, that dangerous weapon is no longer a factor.
Lacy’s one-dimensional power since the injury has noticeably diminished, so Jones would undoubtedly be considered the favorite in the bout.
Personally that fight wouldn't interest me, but here's one that would.
It was announced today across most Web sites that the deal between Golden Boy Promotions and Bob Arums Top Rank (to match 44-year-old Bernard Hopkins with cruiser weight titlist Tomasz Adamek) has fallen through the cracks.
It seems that Golden Boy wanted the lion's share of the payday, and Adamek was only offered 500,000 for his efforts, an offer that top rank promotions answered with a resounding no.
Much like Jones, Hopkins is also looking to pad his already well-respected legacy.
Hopkins enjoyed a 10-year reign as Middleweight World Champion in which he successfully defended his title a record 20 times. However, he has recently expressed a desire to win a third divisional title.
It's mere speculation on my part, but if Hopkins really wanted to, he could move down and fulfill his insatiable desires by winning a title in the super-middleweight division.
On one hand, there is a potential to avenge his losses to Taylor, and on the other hand a super fight with Froch in England also would appear.
A fight with the winner of the Froch-Taylor fight would be extremely attractive to both Hopkins and Jones. Still, I can't help but think that Jones would desire it the most.
Should Jones be able to secure a fight with the winner of the Taylor/Froch matchup and then be successful enough to win the WBC super-middleweight title, we could potentially see a rematch that has been 16 years in the making.
Jones was given his first shot at a world title on May 22, 1993. He beat Hopkins by unanimous decision in Washington D.C. to capture the IBF's vacant middleweight title.
Jones beat Hopkins back then with his fast hands, elusiveness, and ability to throw punches from all angles. All three judges scored the fight 116-112.
On Dec. 23, 2005, it was announced that Jones would face Bernard Hopkins on March 11, 2006, in a rematch 11 years in the making. However, due to monetary issues, this fight did not take place.
- "We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves."
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