By: Sean Crose
Some argue he was – or at least may have been – the greatest boxer ever. That’s ever. Better than Sugar Ray Robinson. Better than Mohammad Ali. Better than over a full hundred years worth of fighter’s battling under the Marquis of Queensbury Rules. At the very least, it’s impossible to dismiss Roy Jones as having been anything less than an all time great. Make no mistake about it, the guy was that good. Lightning fast, hard hitting, and unconventional in his style, it could be argued that Jones never really lost a fight until he unwittingly allowed himself to lose.
Anthony Joshua was once seen as a potential great. Tall, hard hitting and with a ton of heart, he took opponents out seemingly as fast as they could line them up. Tall, good looking, charming, the picture of fitness, there was a lot to like about the towering Englishman who went on to hold three of the four major title belts in the heavyweight division. When he got knocked down, he got back up. When he lost, he made sure he won the rematch. Again, there was a lot to be impressed with.
And, in fact there still is a lot to be impressed with about Joshua. The problem is that, after two straight and definitive losses to Oleksandr Usyk, people are wondering if the Londoner has hit his ceiling. Obviously not wanting that to happen, Joshua is reportedly once again looking for a new trainer, just as he did after the first loss to Usyk. Since his pairing with highly regarded American trainer Robert Garcia didn’t lead to a victory in the second Usyk fight, Joshua is apparently on the hunt for someone else.
And that someone else may be Roy Jones.
“We spoke and I do have a plan for him,” the now fifty-three year old Jones reportedly told Boxing Social (via the Daily Mail). “I haven’t told him yet, but if he likes the way that we get along in the gym, then for me, any fighter he fights is going to be a big fight anyway.” Promising words, especially if Joshua is hoping to have Jones in his corner. Still, Jones made it clear that Joshua needs some work before he gets back in the ring with the division’s best.
“You got to go with guys who are not quite as good as Usyk or Tyson Fury yet,” said Jones. “We need two good fights to get yourself back into motion and they’ll be good fights, they won’t be no stroll fights, they’ll be good fights…then we go after either Usyk or Fury.” Whether or not he decides to employ Jones as his trainer, the thirty-three year old Joshua might want to take the Hall of Famer’s advice to heart.
