Next Saturday's bout between two all-time greats is building steam as a PPV of interest. While no one will deny that Roy Jones, Jr. and Felix Trinidad are no longer at the top of their games, both fighters bring enough to the fight to at least make it an interesting night for boxing.
Boxing fans know that the sport thrives on interesting nights and interesting fights. Jones-Trinidad could be both.
In a recent interview, Jones predicted he would knockout "Tito" Trinidad in round 4 of the upcoming 12 round scheduled showcase. Trinidad responded with his own prediction of a 2nd round stoppage in his favor. Most likely neither will come true, but one can hope. While most fight experts think Jones will win a boring decision, some believe that their two styles will come together to make an instant boxing classic.
Only time will tell.
If these guys fight as hard as they say they will then the fight could be spectacular, but pre-fight boasts are seldom a good predictor of what will actually occur. The only exception that I can recall is the build-up to the 1985 middlweight title fight between Marvin Hagler and Tommy Hearnes. Aptly named "The War" by fight promoters, the bout was a rip-roaring slugfest that saw each man set out to destroy his opponent.
Of course, the bigger man would ultimately win the fight. Hagler took the best of what Hearnes had to offer but wore down the naturally smaller man to win by K.O. Could this be the case for Jones-Trinidad?
Maybe.
Trinidad has always had a large fan base and for good reason. He is technically sound and has power in both hands. He made a name for his self as a welterweight champ before moving up to face Bernard Hopkins for the middleweight crown. Ultimately, Hopkins imposed his will (and weight) on the smaller Trinidad and won a dominating decision in a huge upset.
Roy Jones, Jr. ain't no middleweight.
Jones, former middleweight, light-heavyweight, and heavyweight champion of the world was once known as the best fighter in the world. Many claim he is the best fighter of his generation and some even call him the best ever.
But that was the "old" Roy Jones, and now Roy Jones is just plain old.
In his prime, Jones relied on his superior athletic ability and uncanny reflexes to bedevil his opponents. He also possessed devastating power and incredible speed that allowed him to get in and out of range without taking too many shots in return. He threw crushing combinations and could not be hit.
But now, Jones gets hit. He has lost much of his bewildering speed and has fallen to the ranks of the mortals. He has since suffered two devastating knockouts, but has made a comeback taking on relatively decent opponents in hopes of landing another big fight.
Roy Jones, Jr. versus Felix "Tito" Trinidad is a big fight.
Sure, it's not as big as it would have been a few years ago, but both fighters stand to earn a significant amount of money. It'll be fun to watch, interesting to dissect and hopefully as full of fireworks as the two fighters are predicting.
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