Roy Jones, Jr. shook off the cobwebs and returned to vintage form in his win over Felix "Tito" Trinidad last Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada.
While I'm not ready to proclaim "the return of the Royness" as ESPN.com is doing, I will say that Roy proved something very important in the win. The biggest problem Roy was facing was that after some of his natural athletic ability began to detiorate due to his age, he was left with a gameplan that simply would not work for anyone without lightening-quick reflexes and handspeed.
Now, that's changed.
Roy has evolved from a fighter that relied only on his immense physical giftedness, to a smart, steady and patient boxer-puncher looking for openings behind a quick jab. His handspeed is still far above that of most fighters and he still uses this to his advantage, but the new Roy also keeps his arms up to protect himself.
This new style is both safe and effective. Roy is able to deliver quick counters and sharp one-twos, but he also doesn't leave himself open to the danger that allowed him to be pulverized by Glen Johnson and Antonio Tarver.
Honestly, I was not sure if I'd ever see Roy Jones adapt as well as he has to his current set of boxing skills. The Roy Jones the world saw in his last fight is a far cry from the one that suffered two brutal knockouts in a row not so long ago, and a legit threat against any fighter in his weight division.
As for the fight itself, both fighters should be commended for the excellent job they did in preparation for the fight. Both R.J. and Tito had great game plans and fought the right fight. Roy varied his approach by using his foot speed and creating angles alternating it with times when he simply walked down his smaller opponent. Trinidad stalked Roy looking to test his chin and delivered sharp blows to Roy's torso whenever he could. I was particulary impressed with Trinidad's ability to fight hard for 12 rounds in a fight he was essentially out of from the 6th round on. Depsite the loss, he showed grit, heart and determination.
In the end, the boxing world is left with some great news for the future. Roy Jones looks to be a major player in upcoming fights with either light heavyweight champ/old nemesis Bernard Hopkins or undefeated super middlweight champ Joe Calzaghe. Heck, I'd even like to see him matched up against defensive jab-master Winky Wright.
As for Trinidad, he showed he still has a lot of fight left in him if he chooses to continue to get inside the ring. There are no names of future opponents for Tito at this time, but a rematch with Oscar de la Hoya would be a good place to start. Oscar plans to fight 3 times in 2008. Perhaps his final fight in December would be a good slot for another shot at Trinidad.
In any event, both fighters showed why they were such revered fighters in the past, showcased the impressive skills they still have in the now, and made boxing fans wish to see them even more in the future.
*[Oh, and if you're keeping score, I'm now officially 1-0 in fight predictions.] | 
