By James Slater: Living legend and future Hall of Famer Roy Jones Junior simply does not know how to quit, or he doesn’t want to quit or he cannot walk away for whatever reason. Now 43-year-old and having won just three of his last seven ring appearances, the one-time “Superman” will drop back down to light-heavyweight for a June 30th fight in Poland.
Jones, who won a wide decision over relative no-name Max Alexander last time out in December of 2011 (and was thrilled to bits with the almost meaningless cruiserweight victory), will face 30-year-old Polish hero Dawid Kostecki at the end of next month. The bout will be scheduled for ten-rounds.
Jones, who refused to travel for a fight when he was in his unbeatable prime, has taken his act on the road in recent years, and his success level abroad has not been great. Stopped inside a round by Danny Green in Australia in 2009, Jones was later brutally iced in the 10th and final round of his fight with Denis Lebedev in Russia. That damaging loss (damaging both to Jones’ reputation and possibly to his long-term health) looked like the end for the former multi-weight king, but no, he has already fought one time since.
What can we expect from the fight with Kostecki?
Much younger than Jones, taller and with a longer reach, the man known as “Gypsy” is a big and strong light-heavyweight. At 39-1(25), Kostecki’s record does not suggest he is a brutal KO puncher, but he hits hard enough to be able to flatten Jones. Indeed, right from the outset, this fight looks like another KO defeat in waiting for the all-time great (Too much praise for Jones? Maybe, but we must remember how very special he was in the years 1993 to 2003).
Kostecki has not lost since being stopped in the 9th-round by Frenchman Rachid Kanfouah way back in May of 2006 (around the time Jones Junior was attempting to rebuild after suffering savage KO losses to Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson). Since then, the tough Pole has won 18 in a row. Okay, Kostecki has not faced anyone of obvious note – his best wins coming over Lolenga Mock (WU10) and a faded Byron Mitchell (KO4) – but he looks to be too hungry, too strong and too young for Jones.
Kostecki has had just three fights outside of Poland, yet he now has a big name coming over to give him a hi-profile fight; a fight Kostecki could not have dreamed of getting at home a few years ago. How the one-mighty Jones has fallen. Why he goes on we can only speculate. Unless he can somehow roll back the years to pre-2008 (or maybe even further), Jones will almost certainly pick up his 9th pro defeat next month. Sadly, no-one will be surprised if Jones, 55-8(40) suffers also his 5th KO defeat.