Fighter of Decade? Jones Should Throw in the Towel

Debate has been raging in the Boxing Writers Assn. of America about the selection of Roy Jones Jr. over Evander Holyfield as the fighter of the last decade.

What’s the argument?

Jones doesn’t qualify. To be the fighter of the decade, one must presumably have been in some major fights.

Name one quality opponent Jones has faced.

Better yet, name any opponent.

Name one memorable fight, one memorable punch he has thrown.

The only punches that come to mind are the two he threw at Montell Griffin in their 1997 fight after Griffin was down, disqualifying Jones and thus giving him his only defeat.

Jones came back to win the rematch, but beating Griffin hardly qualifies one as boxer of the decade.

While Holyfield was fighting the likes of Buster Douglas, when he could still fight; George Foreman, when he was still dangerous, and Mike Tyson, when most people thought he was still dangerous; while he he was winning the heavyweight title three times, Jones was occupying himself with the likes of Reggie Johnson, Virgil Hill and Rick Frazier.

Surely you remember Frazier, the policeman who should have been guarding the ring instead of fighting in it.

We know, we know, poor Roy is stuck in the light-heavyweight division, the 175-pounders, a little-regarded group that gets lost between the big guys and the smaller guys. The heavyweights get the most attention, followed closely by the middleweights, super-welterweights and welterweights, those between 147 and 160 pounds.

Sorry, that excuse just won’t cut it. Longtime light-heavyweight champion Archie Moore not only found worthy opponents, such as Joey Maxim, at his own weight, but then moved up to challenge heavyweight titleholder Rocky Marciano. Moore actually had Marciano down in the second round before losing. Light-heavyweight champion Billy Conn took on Joe Louis, another great heavyweight champion, and nearly beat Louis until he got overconfident and was knocked out in the 13th round.

People can talk all they want about Jones’ quickness, footwork and skill, but until he demonstrates it against the best in the business, it won’t mean a thing.

Butterbean looks good beating up the stiffs they set before him, but is anyone ready to nominate Butterbean for any bona fide boxing honor?

Jones has flirted with the idea of fighting a heavyweight.

He should.

Jones was asked by HBO officials if he was interested in fighting Holyfield.

He should.

A great fighter needs other great fighters to define his image.

So far, the only image we have of Jones is as a boxing analyst who talks a good game.

ENOUGH ALREADY

Thomas Hearns is fighting tonight.

You thought he had retired? Why would he do that?

Perhaps because he has been fighting professionally since 1977, has nothing to prove after having held eight world titles, fought in some of the most memorable battles of the 1980s--take note, Roy Jones--is 41 and has ballooned into a cruiserweight.

Perhaps because his last fight was against Jay “Swampman” Snyder, a South Carolina automotive worker.

Perhaps because Hearns is reduced to defending a title sanctioned by some organization known as the IBO.

Tonight at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Hearns will take on Uriah Grant.

And that will be it. He says.

“I’ve been around a long time,” Hearns said. “I don’t want to stay around too long.”

He already has.

In contrast, Sugar Ray Leonard, who fought two big battles with Hearns and later tried an ill-advised comeback of his own, has moved on with his life.

Leonard is on a trip through Argentina, taking a “Knock Out Drugs and Violence Tour” to the youth of that country.

And proving that there is a meaningful existence after boxing.

ANOTHER COMEBACK

Tonight, 34-year-old Jorge Paez (62-14-4, 41 knockouts), a colorful Southern California figure who was knocked out in each of his previous two fights and hasn’t been in the ring since last October, launches his comeback at the Airport Inn in Imperial, Calif.

Paez, who has been fighting professionally since 1984, will face Jose Ocampo, (15-6, 12 knockouts) in a 10-round junior-welterweight match.

EXAGGERATED DEMISE?

Who says boxing is dead in California?

Despite the loss of venues at both the Olympic Auditorium and the Great Western Forum, Dean Lohuis of the California State Athletic Commission reports that there are 23 shows tentatively scheduled in the state in May.

If that figure holds up, it will be a state record.

And, of course, that will be followed in June by the Oscar De La Hoya-Shane Mosley fight at Staples Center, the richest in California history.

QUICK JABS

Boxing returns to the Arrowhead Pond on Thursday night with junior middleweights Pat Coleman (27-5, 19 knockouts) and Pedro Ortega (28-6-1, 18 knockouts) squaring off in the 10-round main event. Also on the card will be a six-round women’s bout between Bridgett Riley (9-2, three knockouts) and Leona Brown (8-2, three knockouts). First bell is at 7:30. . . . Boxing also returns to the Hyatt Hotel in Valencia on Thursday night at 7:30.