Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bobby Gunn Fight Announced: Latest Details, Reaction

Roy Jones Jr. will fight former bare-knuckle boxer Bobby Gunn on February 17, 2017, as per Dan Rafael for ESPN.com. The fight will be officially announced at a press conference on Tuesday, Dec. 6, but promoter David Feldman confirmed the 12-round contest on Thursday night. 

Boxing News 24 also reported the fight will be for the vacant WBF World Cruiserweight Championship.

Jones (64-9, 46 KOs), 47, has taken the surprise decision to fight on despite retirement looming, and he will take to the ring with a man who has not boxed since 2013. Rafael notes Gunn (21-6-1, 18 KOs) is perhaps "best known for his exploits as a bare-knuckle fighter," with the fighter claiming to be 72-0 in the field.

"I know Bobby Gunn is coming to bring it," Jones said, as per Rafael. "He's a hard-nose, tough fighter [who] comes right at you, but I'm going to show him why I'm one of the best that ever did it and he doesn't belong in the ring with me."

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Gunn is looking forward to the contest as much as his opponent. "It's an honor to share the ring with a legend like Roy Jones," he said, again per Rafael. "I've been chasing him for a few years now, and on Feb. 17, I will catch him."

The Canadian's respect for Jones was made clear recently, when he retweeted a video of his opponents' top 10 knockouts that had been posted from Jones' official Twitter account:

The fight, which Rafael reported will probably take place at the Chase Centre in Wilmington, Delaware, will occur during Jones' 28th year as a pro. He faces a tough challenge given that he has only fought twice since being knocked out by Enzo Maccarinelli in December 2015, with neither contest since presenting much of a challenge.

However, Gunn has not boxed since 2013 and has lost each of his last three fights, suggesting that Jones stands a good chance of victory.

As noted in the Boxing News 24 report, "The undercard for this championship match will feature popular Delawarean Joe Tiberi (13-2, 6KO), Canada’s Henry Stewart (1-0, 1KO), as well as more to be announced."

The fight will be televised on pay-per-view, although no further details are currently available.

More to follow.