By James Slater – “Knock Out King” Randall Bailey lived up to his nickname last night at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Boxing on the big Manny Pacquiao-Tim Bradley card, the 37-year-old grabbed the vacant IBF welterweight title with a smashing 11th-round KO of the previously unbeaten and highly-touted Mike Jones.
The ending came at the 2-mins and 52 second mark of the 11th, when Bailey put Jones down with a crushing right uppercut to the jaw. Jones was out cold. Bailey, a former WBO light-welterweight and interim WBA light-welterweight champ, is now 43-7(37). 29-year-old Jones, hailing from Philly, is now 26-1(19).
Miami’s Bailey got the job done in the end, but he sure did leave it late! Looking like a slow, even disinterested plodder in the early and middle rounds, Bailey just wasn’t letting his hands go. Jones wasn’t doing too much himself, especially for a young fighter approaching his peak, yet he was winning the rounds. In many ways, Jones let a clear points win slip through his hands. Still, it would be unfair to take the great victory away from Bailey..
Sending Jones down with a right to the head in the 10th, Bailey then closed the show in style with that sizzling uppercut in the following session. Post-fight, Max Kellerman asked Jones why he agreed to 8-ounce gloves instead of ten-ounce. It was a good question, but Jones said he agreed to the smaller gloves against a lethal puncher because he “didn’t want any excuses.”
Bailey earned himself a nice payday with the win and he was quite emotional after the win. Bailey can now look ahead to a defence against the winner of the Kell Brook-Carson Jones clash, set for July in Sheffield. Bailey, as he again showed last night, can never be written off against anyone, but he cannot afford such a slow start against either Brook or Jones; Brook especially.
I expect Brook to beat Jones, probably on points, and then, hopefully, we U.K fight fans will be able to look forward to a trip to our shores by Bailey. Last night’s KO might get a mention as far as 2012’s KO Of The Year awards go and Bailey may well score a few more KO‘s before his up and down career is finally over. Bailey can celebrate his latest big win for now though.
Can Jones come again? When he watches a tape of last night’s fight, he may well find himself kicking himself.