Roy Jones Jr.

Roy Jones Jr. was born on January 16, 1969, in Pensacola, Florida, U.S. He is an American boxer known for becoming the second light heavyweight champion to win a heavyweight title.

Roy Jones Jr. represented the United States at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games in the 156-pound weight class, where he won the silver medal after controversial decisions. He defeated opponents from Malawi, Czechoslovakia, and the Soviet Union on his way to the final.

On May 6, 1989, Roy Jones Jr. made his professional debut in the boxing world.

Roy Jones Jr. faced former World Welterweight Champion Jorge Vaca in a Pay Per View fight, knocking Vaca out in round one to achieve 16 knockout wins in a row.

Roy Jones Jr. defeated future Undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins by unanimous decision in Washington, D.C., capturing the IBF middleweight championship.

Roy Jones Jr. secured a shot at the vacant IBF Middleweight (160lb) world title and faced Bernard Hopkins. Despite entering the fight with a broken hand, Jones won a unanimous decision, 116-112 on all 3 cards, to claim his first world title.

Roy Jones Jr. faced undefeated IBF super middleweight Champion James Toney in a highly anticipated match billed as 'The Uncivil War'. Jones dominated the fight, showcasing his speed and athleticism to secure a 12-round unanimous decision victory.

On September 30, 1995, Roy Jones Jr. faced Tony Thornton in a boxing match at Civic Center in Pensacola. Jones Jr. defeated Thornton with a technical knockout in the second round.

On June 15, 1996, Roy Jones Jr. achieved a remarkable feat by playing a minor league professional basketball game and defending his boxing world title against Eric Lucas on the same day, showcasing his exceptional athleticism.

In 1997, Roy Jones Jr. suffered his first professional loss against Montell Griffin due to disqualification at the Taj Majal Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In July 1998, Roy Jones Jr. defeated the WBA light heavyweight champion, Lou Del Valle, by a decision in 12 rounds, unifying the WBC and WBA belts in the light heavyweight division.

On June 5, 1999, Roy Jones Jr. defeated the IBF's world champion, Reggie Johnson, to add the IBF belt to the WBC and WBA belts he already held in the light heavyweight division.

In 2002, Roy Jones Jr. successfully defended his title by knocking out Glen Kelly in seven rounds. Jones displayed his skill by putting both hands behind his back and landing a right hand to Kelly's head, resulting in a knockout victory.

On March 1, 2003, Roy Jones Jr. made history by defeating John Ruiz for the WBA Heavyweight title. Jones, a former middleweight title holder, became the first to win a Heavyweight title in 106 years and the first to start as a light middleweight and claim a major heavyweight championship.

On November 8, 2003, Roy Jones Jr. returned to the light heavyweight division to challenge Antonio Tarver for the WBC and IBF titles. Despite appearing weak and sluggish, Jones won the majority decision, reclaiming the WBC light heavyweight title and becoming the first reigning heavyweight champion to move down and win a light heavyweight title.

On February 20, 2004, Roy Jones Jr. officially vacated the WBA heavyweight title after rumors of potential matchups with heavyweight champions like Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, and Mike Tyson fell through. Jones decided to remain in the light heavyweight division.

In their rematch on May 15, 2004, Roy Jones Jr. suffered his second defeat as a professional boxer, facing a technical knockout in the second round against Antonio Tarver.

On September 25, 2004, Roy Jones Jr. attempted to win the IBF light heavyweight title from Glen Johnson in Memphis, Tennessee. Johnson knocked out Jones in the ninth round, with Jones lying on the canvas for three minutes. Johnson was leading on all three judges' scorecards at the time of the knockout.

On October 1, 2005, Roy Jones Jr. faced Antonio Tarver in their third fight at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. Tarver won by unanimous decision, with Jones being considered an underdog. Despite being behind in the contest, Jones showed little urgency in his performance.

On November 19, 2005, Roy Jones Jr. resumed his duties as a commentator for HBO Boxing, calling the Floyd Mayweather Jr.–Sharmba Mitchell fight. However, his return to the network was short-lived as he was let go from his ringside analyst role in January 2006.

On July 29, 2006, Roy Jones Jr. fought Prince Badi Ajamu at the Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho. Jones defeated Ajamu by a unanimous decision, winning the WBO NABO light heavyweight title.

Roy Jones Jr. faced the undefeated Anthony Hanshaw at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. Jones won the bout by unanimous decision to claim the vacant International Boxing Council light heavyweight title.

Roy Jones Jr. fought Félix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Jones won the fight by scores of 117–109 and 116–110, showcasing his size and speed advantage.

Roy Jones Jr. faced Joe Calzaghe for The Ring Light Heavyweight Championship at Madison Square Garden. Jones knocked down Calzaghe in the first round but ultimately lost by unanimous decision.

Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins had a rematch bout at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, 17 years after their first fight. Hopkins won by unanimous decision after a grueling fight.

Denis Lebedev knocked out Roy Jones Jr. in a 10-round bout in Moscow. The fight ended controversially with Lebedev landing a final punch that left Jones unconscious on the canvas.

Roy Jones Jr. won a 10-round unanimous decision against Max Alexander in Atlanta, ending a three-match losing streak and claiming the UBO Intercontinental cruiserweight championship.

Roy Jones Jr. was supposed to fight Dawid Kostecki in Poland but due to Kostecki's arrest, Paweł Głażewski stepped in as a replacement. Jones won by split decision amidst controversy.

Roy Jones Jr. defeated Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf in Moscow, Russia, for the vacant WBU cruiserweight title in a 'Winner Takes All' match.

Roy Jones Jr. defeated Courtney Fry via RTD in the 5th round at Ķīpsala International Exhibition Centre in Latvia. Jones was leading on all three judges' scorecards by the end of the fourth round.

Roy Jones Jr. defeated Hany Atiyo in the 1st round by KO at The Basket Hall in Krasnodar, Russia. This marked Jones' second consecutive stoppage victory.

It was announced that Roy Jones Jr. would fight Enzo Maccarinelli for the WBA 'super' world cruiserweight title. However, the fight was later confirmed to be a non-title cruiserweight battle on December 12, 2015.

Roy Jones Jr. achieved his 62nd professional victory and 45th knockout win by defeating Eric Watkins in the 6th round via KO.

On August 19, 2015, Roy Jones Jr. met with Vladimir Putin in Sevastopol, Crimea, to request Russian citizenship. Due to frequent business visits to Russia, Jones sought a passport for convenience. He was eventually granted Russian citizenship on September 12, leading to a ban from entering Ukraine.

Roy Jones Jr. fought Enzo Maccarinelli in a non-title cruiserweight battle at the VTB Ice Palace in Moscow. Jones suffered his 9th career defeat, with the fight being stopped in the 4th round.

Roy Jones Jr. faced MMA fighter Vyron Phillips at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. Phillips, who was selected to fight Jones through a Facebook vote, was knocked down in the second round.

Roy Jones Jr. fought undefeated bare-knuckle fighter Bobby Gunn for the vacant World Boxing Foundation Cruiserweight championship. Jones stopped Gunn in the 8th round to win the title.

Roy Jones Jr. returned to his hometown of Pensacola, Florida to face journeyman Rodney Moore in a cruiserweight bout. Jones won the fight by a one-sided 10 round unanimous decision despite tearing his right biceps in round five.

Jones hinted at retiring at the end of 2017 but later reiterated his desire to continue boxing after Miguel Cotto's farewell fight.

Jones announced his final fight at Island Fights 46, where he defeated Scott Sigmon via a one-sided 10 round unanimous decision, winning the World Boxing Union cruiserweight title.

In July 2020, it was announced that Roy Jones Jr. signed a contract to face former undisputed heavyweight champion, Mike Tyson, in an eight-round exhibition fight. The fight, sanctioned by the California State Athletic Commission, was initially scheduled for September 12 but was later postponed to November 28 to maximize revenue. The bout ended in a draw after lasting the full 8 rounds.