Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones Jr. is one of the greatest boxers of all time, with a professional boxing career that spanned more than 28 years. He was born on January 16, 1969, in Pensacola, Florida, and made his professional boxing debut against Ricky Randall on May 6, 1989, at the age of 20. Jones Jr. won the fight via second-round TKO, and he went on to win 33 more consecutive fights after his debut, including 28 wins via stoppage.

Jones Jr. had his first world title fight on May 22, 1993, at the age of 24, after 21 professional fights. He fought Bernard Hopkins for the middleweight IBF (vacant) title in Washington, D.C. Jones Jr. defeated Hopkins via 12 round unanimous decision to become the middleweight champion of the world.

In his professional career, Jones Jr. fought a total of 75 times, winning 66 fights and losing nine fights. He had no draws or no-contest fights in his career. Jones Jr. had 47 knockout wins throughout his career, with 14 of them being in title fights. Additionally, he won seven world titles in four weight classes and defended those titles 18 times throughout his career.

Jones Jr.'s professional boxing career highlights include winning his first world title against Bernard Hopkins on May 22, 1993, by defeating Hopkins via 12 round unanimous decision. He then won the IBF super-middleweight title from James Toney on November 18, 1994, by beating Toney via 12 round unanimous decision. Jones Jr. successfully defended the IBF super-middleweight title against Antoine Byrd on March 18, 1995, winning the fight via first-round TKO.

On August 7, 1997, Jones Jr. won the WBC light-heavyweight title by beating Montell Griffin via the first-round KO. He also beat Virgil Hill via fourth-round KO on April 25, 1998. Jones Jr. became a unified light-heavyweight world champion by beating Lou Del Valle via 12 round unanimous decision on July 18, 1998, and by defeating Reggie Johnson via 12 round unanimous decision on June 5, 1999, he became the undisputed light-heavyweight world champion. He won the light-heavyweight title from Julio César González on July 28, 2001, via 12 round unanimous decision. Jones Jr. successfully defended the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and The Ring light-heavyweight titles against Clinton Woods on September 7, 2002, winning the fight via sixth-round TKO.

Jones Jr. won the WBA heavyweight title from John Ruiz via 12 round unanimous decision on March 1, 2003. He became a unified light-heavyweight world champion again by beating Antonio Tarver on November 8, 2003, via 12 round majority decision. He then lost to Joe Calzaghe on November 8, 2008, via 12 round unanimous decision while fighting for The Ring light-heavyweight title.

Jones Jr. suffered his first loss against Montell Griffin on March 21, 1997, via ninth-round disqualification. It ended his 34-fight win streak. In total, he lost nine fights in his professional career, with five losses being in title fights, and four of them in non-title fights. He was stopped five times and lost four times via decision.

Roy Jones Jr. retired from professional boxing in February 2018. His last professional fight was a non-title bout against Scott Sigmon on February 8, 2018, which he won via 10 round unanimous decision. It has been 5 years, 1 month, and 23 days since this fight. Jones Jr. retired from professional boxing with a record of 66-9, which included 47 knockout wins, five losses via knockout, and seven title wins.

Throughout Jones Jr.'s career, he fought and won against some of the best boxers of his generation. He defeated five Hall-of-Famers, including Félix Trinidad, Virgil Hill, Mike McCallum, James Toney, and Bernard Hopkins.

Jones Jr.'s boxing style was unconventional, featuring his lightning-fast hands and feet, exceptional reflexes, and superior boxing IQ. He was a master of defense and counter-punching, and his movement in the ring was unparalleled. Jones Jr. was widely regarded as one of the most athletic boxers of all time, with incredible speed, agility, and power.

Despite his numerous achievements and accolades, Jones Jr.'s professional career was not without its controversies. Some of his critics have accused him of avoiding tough opponents and taking fights that were below his level of skill. However, these debates do not take away from the fact that Jones Jr. remains one of the greatest boxers of all time and an inspiration to aspiring boxers.

In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the sport of boxing, Roy Jones Jr. was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) in 2022. His place in boxing history is firmly cemented, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of boxers and fans alike.

Roy Jones Jr Fight Record