By James Slater – Whether your opinion will be, “how the mighty have fallen,” or a more in-the-spirit of the event, “this will be a fun night,” chances are you WILL have an opinion when you read how faded legend and all-time great/future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Junior will face former street fighter/You Tube phenomenon-turned pro boxer Kevin Ferguson, AKA Kimbo Slice in December.
The bout, actually an exhibition, will go down in Montego Bay in beautiful Jamiaca in December, as confirmed by website Jamaica Observer, who reported on the bout being announced as official this past Thursday. The fight has been dubbed “The Beauty And The Beast.”
The fight may be of the exhibition variety only, but Jones Jr, speaking with the bout’s organisers on Thursday, sure came across as a fighter who is anticipating a tough encounter.
“He’s a big street fighter with a lot of power, so early in the fight he can be very dangerous…..but as the fight goes on, my mental experience should take over,” Jones Jr. said. “But for the first five rounds he will be very deadly.”
Jones Jr. Vs. Slice has been in the pipeline for some time, with both guys expressing an interest in getting it on. Now that the exhibition is official, will the bombs fly for real when the bell rings? Slice, who has been fun to watch if nothing else during his fledgling, now 5-0(4), pro boxing career (which has thus far seen brutal KO’s as well as allegations of a fixed fight) would never have had a hope of laying a glove on the prime, “Superman” version of Jones, yet today, who knows?
Jones, 56-8(40) has seen his stock drop in quite alarming fashion these past few years, and even if he will be the older man by just five years come fight night (age 43 for R.J, 38 for Slice), there is always a chance of the Pensacola legend suffering an embarrassment once the bell rings. If a real fight does break out, and if Jones’ faded reflexes are such that Slice is able to get close and land a crude but powerful bomb, anything could happen. This fact alone may convince fans to tune in or turn up in person.
Jones has travelled to a number of places to fight in recent times – Australia, Russia and Poland -and the once untouchable master has enjoyed only partial success. Certainly, after KO defeats at the hands of Danny Green and Denis Lebedev, what’s left of Jones’ career can ill afford a humbling at the hands of a boxing novice.
Boxing exhibitions between big name, once elite fighters seem to be all the rage right now, what with former heavyweight champs Evander Holyfield and Ray Mercer set to engage in a “rematch” in South Africa next year.