Roy Jones Jr.: The End of the Road?

One of the most stunning sights I've seen since I started following boxing happened just over five and a half years ago. That was the night Antonio Tarver knocked Roy Jones Jr. silly with a punch in the second round of their second fight, the first time Jones had ever been knocked out, and this was his first loss of any kind since 1997.

Jones was, of course, getting older, into his mid-30s at the time. It wasn't such a shock that he lost—I thought he was fortunate to get the decision in his first battle with Tarver—but the way he lost, as if his aura of invincibility had been stripped away just like that.

His very next outing, against Glen Johnson, saw him get knocked out again. In a way, that KO was worse than the first, as Jones took a lot more punishment before the end came.

I thought perhaps Jones would call it quits at that point, but he fought on, going 5-2 over the next five years and avoiding taking too much serious damage. He even managed to put Joe Calzaghe on his back once before getting badly outboxed during the course of their bout last November.

A long overdue rematch with Bernard Hopkins, perhaps the only interesting fight ever between two boxers over 40, was a done deal for March of 2010. All Jones had to do was get past Danny Green while B-Hop took care of Enrique Ornelas.

That proved to be easier said than done. Jones didn't even make it out of the first round facing Green in his native Australia earlier today, getting dropped in the first minute and battered until the referee was forced to call a halt to the action just past the two-minute mark.

Even Green, who had boasted that he felt his power would be too much for Jones to handle, didn't seem like he could truly believe what just went down.

"I almost feel bad doing that, that almost hurt me to do that to someone whom I aspire to look up to as a professional fighter inside and outside the ring," Green said to the Associated Press. "He's a bloody legend."

Make that a bloodied legend now, as Jones shouldn't continue on after this. With the Hopkins fight gone, there's no reason for him to keep fighting.

Certainly his legacy is secure. He'll retire with world titles in four different weight classes, plus an Olympic silver medal from his amateur days. His 54 wins include 40 knockouts, many of the highlight film variety.

In his prime, Jones' athleticism and speed allowed him to do things other boxers simply couldn't. Once those physical advantages started to fade, he became mortal in a hurry, a fighter who was still dangerous but no longer someone who had opponents beaten mentally before they even stepped into the ring.

With that in mind, maybe it was inevitable that his career would end like this. that he'd need to be beaten up one more time before he realized it was over. Green may have just done Jones a favor, keeping him from a similar fate at the hands of long-time rival Hopkins.

Jones has already shown that he could have a future as a commentator, as he's filled in capably on HBO broadcasts from time to time. Whatever he decides to do, it's clear the time has come for him to take that next step.

Farewell Roy, and thanks for the memories.

Nick Tylwalk is the editor and co-founder of BoxingWatchers.com . Follow his Twitter feed @Nick_Tylwalk .