This week, modern era boxing greats Bernard Hopkins (49-5, with 32 KOs) and Roy Jones Jr. (54-5, with 40 KOs) will attempt to move one step closer to finally facing off with each other again in March 2010. Both have an agreement in place for a bout next year if each man win’s his interim bout this Wednesday.
As for Roy Jones Jr., he will be facing hard hitting Australian Danny Green (27-3, with 24 KOs) for his cruiserweight title in Sydney at Acer Arena. Jones will attempt to become the only man in the history of boxing to hold titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions….no small accomplishment for the forty year old boxing great. From a historical perspective, many have cited this may be the most significant boxing match to be held in Australia since Jack Johnson wrestled away the heavyweight championship from Tommy Burns back in 1908. Ticket sales for the bout have been brisk, and a huge sellout crowd is expected to be on hand.
Although Bernard Hopkins will be engaged in a less significant tune-up bout in his hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, against Enrique Ornelas (29-5-1, with 19 KOs), the stakes are high given the former middleweight and light heavyweight champion’s unfulfilled goals in the sport of boxing. Going on forty-five years of age, Hopkins is showing no sign of slowing down given his last performance against middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, a dominant twelve-round decision, and his ultimate ambition to win a heavyweight title before his retirement. In particular, he has called out newly crowned WBA titlist David Haye (22-1, with 22 KOs). Of course his aspiration to be matched with Haye will go up in smoke if he cannot take care of business against Enrique Ornelas and Roy Jones Jr. first.
Boxing, like no other sport, is the most unforgiving to aging and fading athletes, but Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. have largely been the exception to this rule.
In the case of Roy Jones Jr., fans and media have left him for dead after each of his four losses since 2004, especially given the brutal fashion by which he lost each match. But to his credit, the former pound-for-pound king has carefully managed to get himself back into the picture of relevancy. Most recently, after suffering a twelve-round beating at the hands of Joe Calzaghe, Jones has come back to dominate once good boxers Omar Sheika and Jeff Lacy.
On the other hand, the old man of boxing Bernard Hopkins, has never had to reinvent himself due to the fact he has never been beaten up. In fact, with the exception of his fight with Roy Jones Jr. back in 1993, one can argue Bernard Hopkins has never been defeated given the close nature of his other four losses.
Honestly, not knowing much about Enrique Ornelas or Danny Green, it would seem Roy Jones Jr. is taking the biggest risk this Wednesday. Jones is fighting overseas for the first time and moving up in weight to fight a much harder puncher.
Versus cable channel will be carrying both bouts. Be sure to tune in.
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