Jones-HBO Tussle Steals Show
Title bout vs. Hall becomes minor player in ring drama
By Dan Rafael, USA TODAY, pg. 15C
Roy Jones Jr. is a boxer, but he might as well be a soap opera star the way drama swirls around him these days.
Fact is, Jones' defense of the unified light heavyweight title against World Boxing Association mandatory challenger Richard Hall on Saturday (HBO, 9 p.m. ET) probably is the least compelling of all the story lines.
Since Hall is given virtually no chance of being competitive, the prefight buzz has been more about whether Jones and HBO will part ways when his cable contract expires after Saturday's fight.
Jones also is making noise about wanting to fight heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis while deflecting mounting criticism for not fighting Dariusz Michalczewski, the only fighter in the division regarded as a threat.
Fighting Hall was the topic that Jones found most annoying during an interview with USA TODAY, which ranks him No. 1 pound-for-pound.
Although Hall (24-1, 23 KOs) has an excellent record, he has not fought any real contenders to earn his WBA ranking. When he stepped up against Rocky Gannon, he was knocked out.
''If they keep forcing me into these kind of fights, I may give up the titles,'' Jones says. ''I remember when you had to prove yourself to be No. 1. Now guys show up No. 1 because of a promoter.
''I want to have one or two more defenses of the undisputed title, and then maybe I'll give them up. I've tried to live by the rules, but the organizations keep coming at you, making these title fights for no reason.''
HBO executives say they would support a decision to vacate the titles. That won't mean a thing, though, if they don't strike a new deal.
After Saturday, Jones will owe HBO only a pay-per-view fight on TVKO, and he says he will honor that deal. A potential bout is a rematch with middleweight champ Bernard Hopkins, who fights Syd Vanderpool in Saturday's co-feature at Indianapolis. Beyond that, Jones and HBO are at a stalemate.
''It all depends on what they want to do,'' says Jones, who will get nearly $4 million Saturday. ''Roy is not hard to satisfy. If they treat Roy right, there is not a better organization in the world than HBO. Why change? I would hate to, but I would if I had to.''
HBO wants to keep Jones, and there is a deal on the table, according to network vice president Kerry Davis.
''I don't want to negotiate in the papers, but I can say that the contract offer is reflective of the fact that he is the best fighter in the world,'' Davis says. ''He's one of the important stars of the network, and the offer reflects that.''
The one fighter who might provide Jones with a test is Michalczewski, the World Boxing Organization champion and onetime owner of two of Jones' belts before being stripped of them.
But don't hold your breath for that fight to happen anytime soon.
''Not for the money they are offering,'' says Jones, who doesn't deny he wants $10 million for the bout. Michalczewski promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl reportedly has offered Jones $5 million.
''I deserve to be in with better guys, but I also deserve to be paid well,'' Jones says. ''If they pay me, I'll be in there with Dariusz. I don't want to fight the Richard Halls, Antonio Tarvers or Eric Hardings. What have they done to deserve to fight Roy Jones?''
ESPN2 analyst Max Kellerman says if Jones doesn't fight Michalczewski, he is soiling his legacy.
''Roy can't be taken seriously as an all-time great light heavyweight until he fights the top challenger in the division. You have to fight the best available guy.''
Jones' response? ''Let him fight in the U.S. on TV a couple of times so people can become familiar with him. I don't even know if he's good enough to beat the American fighters at the top of the rankings. I'm in the spot he wants to be in. I'm No. 1. I'm the one in charge.
''I'm a businessman. I didn't get where I am being a damn fool. . . . It ain't hard to interest me. Pay me right, you've got a fight. Who don't know that about Roy Jones?''
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