SPORTS FACTS AND FIGURES 20: ROY JONES JR. AT 55
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 20 Jan 2024
Roy Levesta Jones Jr. was born January 16, 1969 in Pensacola, Florida, U.S.A. He celebrated his 55th birthday last Tuesday. Jones holds dual American and Russian citizenship. As a professional boxer, he won several world championships in four weight classes at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions.
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Jones is the only boxer in history to start his professional career at light middleweight and go on to win a heavyweight title. As an amateur boxer he represented the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics, winning a light middleweight silver medal after one of the most controversial decisions in boxing history.
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Jones is considered by countless fans as one of the greatest boxers of all time, pound for pound, and became a legend in boxing history when he won the WBA world heavyweight title in 2003, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight crown in 106 years.
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In 1999 he became the undisputed light heavyweight champion, unifying the WBA, WBC, and IBF belts. Jones held the record for the most wins in unified light heavyweight title bouts in boxing history, at twelve.
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The Ring magazine recognized Jones as the Fighter of the Year in 1994, and the World Boxing Hall of Fame called him the Fighter of the Year for 2003. He is also the three-time winner of the Best Boxer ESPY Award in 1996, 2000, and 2003. The Boxing Writers Association of America awarded him as the Fighter of the Decade for the 1990s.
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Jones presently has the longest professional career for any heavyweight boxing champion, having fought for over 33 years since 1989 for a record 12,384 days. This record was held previously by Jack Johnson, who also boxed for 33 years between 1897 until 1931 for 12,231 days.
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He has a total of 76 fights, with 66 wins, 10 losses and had 47 wins by knockout.
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Jones represented the United States at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games in the 156-pound weight class, where he was the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, and won the silver medal.
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Jones did not lose a single round going to the finals. The final match was controversial when Jones lost a 2–3 decision to his South Korean foe Park Si-Hun even if he battered Park for three rounds, landing 86 punches to Park's 32.
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Allegedly, even Park apologized to Jones after the fight and the Italian referee Aldo Leoni, while raising Park's hand, told Jones that he was shocked by the judges' decision, "I can't believe they're doing this to you."
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One judge immediately admitted the decision was a mistake and all three judges voting against Jones were ultimately suspended.
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Sports History: January 20, 2001. Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Diego Corrales to defend his WBC super featherweight title at MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
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