Roy Jones Jr. - Joe Calzaghe Preview

[keithlewis]

Roy Jones Jr. - Joe Calzaghe Preview
By Joseph Bourelly

THANKS TO http://www.XLFights.com!

No longer the cocky and very brash pound-for-pound king of boxing, Roy Jones Jr. has a major opportunity to again be mentioned in that discussion when he takes on arguably today’s pound-for-pound best in Welshman Joe Calzaghe at Madison Square Garden on November 8th. His career left for dead just three years ago after suffering three consecutive losses, two of which by brutal knockout, Roy Jones Jr. has since embarked on a carefully crafted comeback and strung together three straight wins against mid-level competition.

Once considered unbeatable in the ring and even the greatest of all-time in the sport of boxing by some fans, Roy Jones Jr. may have had the biggest ego in all of sports. That’s really saying something, considering anyone could think himself bigger than even Michael Jordan, but I believe Roy Jones Jr. actually did. There was no man he didn’t think he could beat, even at heavyweight where he convincingly won a title from John Ruiz back in 2003. Little did anyone expect that his trip back down to the light heavyweight division would be met with such disastrous results.

If there was anything certain about Jones after appearing to be dead and buried in the sport, he was not going to leave the game loser. That is why he pressed on and accepted a third fight with Antonio Tarver despite suffering consecutive knockout losses in his two bouts prior. It is also the reason why he continues to fight today. Although he has won three fights in a row since beginning his comeback, Roy Jones Jr. still does not possess the scalp of an elite boxer.

Enter Joe Calzaghe. Fresh off a narrow victory over the great Bernard Hopkins to capture the Ring Magazine light heavyweight title, the undefeated boxer from Wales may be the best on the planet today in applying his craft inside the ring. With very quick hands, good foot movement and the ability to maintain a very high punch volume over the course of twelve full rounds, he will present a style in the ring that Roy Jones Jr. has never had to cope with before.

Joe Calzaghe is also a master at making adjustments during fights to outmaneuver and often overwhelm his opponents, so should Roy Jones Jr. get off to a good start, expect his good fortune to quickly fizzle after the first three rounds. Don’t get it twisted though. For someone widely considered among the best boxers on the planet, Joe Calzaghe has looked vulnerable, being dropped by Bernard Hopkins in his most recent fight and tagged and hurt by mediocre competition in the past. Calzaghe is not great at anything but very good at everything, which gives him the ability to make effective adjustments during bouts and overcome any boxing style.

Based on current stature in the sport alone, Joe Calzaghe has to be considered a solid favorite to win this fight. Yes. Roy Jones Jr. was once a great fighter, but those days are long in the past. Even completely disregarding the three consecutive losses he suffered a few years ago, take a look at his most recent three victories. He simply looked good at times against mid-tier guys. That being said, nobody can criticize the route Jones took to earn this opportunity. Considering the losses he suffered, it would have been masochistic to return against the young killers of the division. Roy Jones Jr. has a big name in this sport and he, like everybody else, knew he simply had to string some wins together, and the level of competition really didn’t matter because having a big name means big money, and big money means folks will gladly give you the benefit of the doubt and provide opportunities.

But a big name alone will not be enough to defeat Joe Calzaghe. Roy Jones Jr. will have to devise a smart strategy and execute it to perfection. Given the likelihood of Jones being able to go twelve hard rounds at thirty-nine years old is slim-to-none, expect him to lay traps in the form of crisp, hard counterpunching and attempt to use Joe Calzaghe’s aggressiveness against him. On the other hand, while Joe Calzaghe will seek to outwork his older foe, don’t expect him to take unnecessary chances that would create one of the opportunities Roy Jones Jr. is looking to exploit.

Expect to see an entertaining, relatively one-sided unanimous decision, nine rounds to three in favor of the Welshman. Roy Jones Jr. will fight in spots, and we will see glimpses of the once truly great boxer, but it won’t be enough.

http://www.XLFights.com