Roy Jones Jr, one of boxing's all-time greats, says he's ready to step back into the ring for the right opponent. The former four-weight world champion, now in his mid-50s, is eyeing a high-profile exhibition match.
Jones, an Olympic silver medalist who won world titles from middleweight to heavyweight, last fought in 2020. He faced Mike Tyson in an exhibition that ended in a draw. Since then, he's kept busy as a popular pundit in the US and has even tried his hand at training, working with fighters like Chris Eubank Jr.
When asked about a potential comeback, Jones told Covers that UFC legend Anderson Silva would be his ideal opponent.
"The fight that really started this crossover boxing, even before Conor McGregor got involved in it, the first fight that was on the horizon that we said would be a big event would be Roy Jones versus Anderson Silva and I'm never going to back away from that and say that's not one of the biggest events that could happen today."
Silva, 49, has had five professional boxing matches. He beat former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr but lost to Jake Paul. Jones sees this matchup as a "much more acceptable exhibition" compared to other options.
The boxing legend is also open to facing Jake Paul or Tommy Fury. Jones and Fury's teams talked about a potential fight about a year ago, but nothing came of it. Fury is currently recovering from hand surgery and recently pulled out of a fight with Darren Till due to threats of violence.
Jones knows that stepping into the ring with younger opponents comes with risks. He explained:
"Anytime you go in there with these young guys, they're young, strong, and athletic. I don't have the legs and the defence I used to have, so you've got to be kind of smart about how you do it. These guys are looking for one shot to take you out because they know the older you get, the less you're able to take a big shot. So they're trying to get you out in one shot, and you've got to be very cognisant of that and prepared."
With a professional record of 66 wins from 76 fights, including 47 by stoppage, Jones certainly knows a thing or two about boxing. As crossover boxing events continue to grow in popularity, fans might just get to see the legend lace up his gloves one more time.
