In the video, Roy Jones Jr. looks to be out of shape. His quickness is gone. His jaw, too, isn’t what it used to be. At the end of this video, you can see Denis Lebedev land a knockout blow.

The 42-year-old Roy Jones Jr. has lost his last three fights. His last win was in August of 2009. After beginning his career by winning 49 of his first 50 fights, Roy Jones Jr. record is 54-8.

Here’s the video of Roy Jones Jr. getting knocked out by Russian Denis Lebedev:

Post from: EveryJoe

Roy Jones Jr. / Image: Zuma Press

It’s so hard to believe this rematch didn’t occur earlier. Both fighters are now in their 40s—Roy is 54-5 with 40 KOs; Bernard is 49-5-1 with 32 KOs. And if Roy beats Australian cruiserweight Danny Green on December 2, Jones vs. Hopkins on HBO PPV in the first quarter of 2010 is on. Revenue will be split 50/50 unless there’s a knockout‚ in which case the winning fighter will claim 60%.

Said Roy about the pending fight:

“I love it. I absolutely love it. Love it. That is all I can say. I’m definitely looking forward to this fight. The fans have wanted to see it for a long time. For the longest time, he wouldn’t take it. Now he’s taking it. I’m ecstatic. I can’t wait.”

Source: ESPN.com

Post from: EveryJoe

In the mail today I received an advanced copy of George Kimball’s forthcoming book Four Kings. The book profiles the four great middleweights of what the book’s subtitle refers to as “The Last Great Era of Boxing”: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, and Duran. No first names are needed.

I’m usually the first person to dismiss and be angered by baby boomer claims that athletes were different then and that their era of sports was the best. The glorious eighties. Problem is that when I am confronted with their challenge of “well then, whose a great middleweight now?” I can only stammer back with Kelly Pavlik.

I’m not saying The Ghost isn’t as talented as those luminaries but what evidence do I have? I guess Jermain Taylor but his fight two Saturday’s ago against Gary Lockett was so appalling and such a mismatch that I didn’t blog about it. It wasn’t exactly news.

Pavlik’s biggest excuse is that he’s only 26 and still has time. What’s Joe Calzaghe’s excuse? He’s spent his whole career running from the top competition, sequestering himself in the Welsh countryside. Talks continue to fester about him fighting 39-year-old Roy Jones, Jr. and skipping out on Pavlik. “It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that (Pavlik and I) will face each other, but I think Jones is the right fight for me at the moment.” Calzaghe told reporters.

What he’s telling boxing and his fans is that he doesn’t and never has cared about them or the greater context of his sport.

And that’s his priority. It’s his body that he’s putting on the line and his career he has to look after. Is that fair to us as fans? Does it really matter?

All we can hope for is that another talented set of fighters come again and choose to fight each other in their primes. Is that such a crazy concept?

Photo Source: Newscom.com

Post from: EveryJoe

Two 2004 U.S. Olympians are furthering their careers tonight in southern California. Sadly, they won’t be fighting on the same card and their matches take place at around the same time some 225 miles apart. Lightweight Vicente Escobedo headlines the Carson, Calif. Home Depot Center card while southpaw super middleweight Andre Dirrell is the draw at the Chumash Casino in Santa Ynez. You won’t be able to travel to both.

For our money we would go to Carson to see Escobedo (16-1) face wily Argentine vet Roberto David Arrieta (27-12-4). Escobedo dropped his first big match in 2006, a split decision loss to Daniel Jimenez and his confidence hasn’t been the same since. But none other than Oscar de la Hoya, his promoter, believes that he could still be the next Oscar de la Hoya.

Oscar explained in a front page Sacramento Bee story, “He’s a skinny guy, a shy guy. He has charisma. He reminds me of me when I was young.” Escobedo may have the good looks, the bilingual charm, and the headlining power but does he have the skills?

In the Bee article a “longtime boxing observer” wasn’t so sure: “He needs to show more desire, more ganas, in the ring.” We will see tonight. If you get Telefutura the fight begins at 8 p.m. EST. Doors open in Carson at 4:30 PST. So why would we travel to Carson instead of the lovelt Santa Ynez, you ask? After the fight the Norteño band Los Tucanes de Tijuana are playing and we here at www.jabandgrapple.com enjoy Norteño especially the more illicit type that Los Tucanes have been known to play.

Image details: Anthony Hanshaw v James North served by picapp.com

In the other fight Andre Dirrell, a 2004 bronze medalist, puts his undefeated 14-0 record on the line tonight against his toughest opponent thus far: Anthony “The Tyger” Hanshaw (21-1). In his last bout Hanshaw fought ably against Roy Jones, Jr. but lost. These two rust belters – Dirrell is from Flint, Mich., Hanshaw from Massillon, Ohio – are so evenly matched that the fight odds are are toss up.

Since Dirrell has yet to be fully challenged no one knows exactly which fighter will show up: the talented bronze medalist or the fighter who ran from Curtis Stevens in his last fight and faced a torrent of boos from the crowd.

SC from badlefthook.com certainly has his own opinion stating that Dirrell’s running tactics makes “Floyd (Mayweather, Jr.) look like Mickey Ward. Here’s hoping Anthony Hanshaw beats Dirrell so that we can stop having to endure Dirrell fights.” Graham Houston, the fightwriter.com, is more sympathetic stating that Dirrell “has the boxing ability and the hand speed to overcome the severe test that awaits him.” and that “how Dirrell copes will show whether or not he has what it takes to get to the top.”

Turn in tonight on Showtime at 11:00 p.m. EST to find out if Dirrell can rise to the challenge and not run. Doors open at the Santa Ynez Chumash Casino at 5:30 p.m. PST.

Escobedo Photo: Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Image details: Joe Calzaghe Media Interview served by picapp.com

If you call your opponent a “sore loser” doesn’t that necessarily indicate that you’re a sore winner? In Joe Calzaghe‘s case it just means that he’s a classless boxer who doesn’t know when to shut up or give a great fighter credit.

What this all means is that Calzaghe is at it again, talking to BBC Two in a Sunday interview, view it here, spouting off about everything, professing his love for countryman Tom Jones and Al Pacino, insulting Bernard Hopkins‘ performance and attitude, harping about the referee and American judges, and pretending that fight fans don’t remember how he’s refused to fight against the best competition for years.

Continue reading for more quotes from the interview that haven’t made the press release transcripts. Believe me, there are dozens more that boil my blood.

He begins that he was proud to “finally get my big fight in Vegas.” Finally! That’s right no American ever wanted to fight Calzaghe for his titles during his decade-long monkish sequestering in the Welsh highlands. I forgot.

Offering an excuse for his amateur boxing-esque pitter pat style Calzaghe states, “Computer stats don’t lie. At the end of the day slaps, jabs, light punches – whatever you want to call them – I still landed the most punches against Hopkins.”

Does Joe think Hopkins a great fighter? “Hopkins is a fraud as far as I’m concerned.” Then Calzaghe commits a Freudian slip, “The guy’s lost four fights, er, five now.”

To Calzaghe’s credit his “He should get over it. He should watch the tape and accept that he lost.” quote that’s made the wire rounds was taken out of context and referred NOT to last Saturday’s fight but to Hopkins’ 2005 bout(s) against Jermain Taylor.

In regards to Hopkins’ infamous I’ll-never-lose-to-a-white-boy comment Calzaghe offers “he’s got no class” then continues, “I’m proud of myself not stooping to the same level.” He then continues to denigrate Hopkins in many classless ways.

Among them was the following insult of Hopkins fortitude: “I always lay it on the line. (Hopkins) doesn’t lay it on the line. He tried to steal the fight I tried to win the fight.” The notion that Hopkins has no heart is just jaw dropping.

Calzaghe then asserts, “He’s not the best fighter I’ve ever fought.” Those would be Kessler and Lacy. We wonder, would Calzaghe even make Hopkins’ Best 5 list of boxers faced? Possibly, but the name sure to top Hopkins’ Fave 5 is an in-form lightning quick 24-year-old Roy Jones, Jr. Who does Calzaghe want next? The 39-year-old version Roy Jones, Jr.

“I’ve fought the up-and-coming young fighters,” Calzaghe reasons, “why can’t I be the young guy in a fight?” I guess he’s earned the luxury of high profile, less challenging, bigger payday bouts but fight fans everywhere would surely enjoy something different.

Again, to see the interview for yourself on the BBC site click here.

Post from: EveryJoe

Image details: Bernard Hopkins v Joe Calzaghe served by picapp.com

Joe Calzaghe is no Ricky Hatton. He doesn’t bring legions of Britons to Las Vegas, he’s not gracious to his opponent in post-match interviews, he doesn’t want to fight dangerous young fighters, but, most importantly, he’s able to find a way to win, however controversially, against his American opponent thus maintaining his undefeated record.

Calzaghe escaped the 43-year-old Bernard Hopkins’ technical, throwback counterpuncing style with a high volume of pitter-pat slaps and occasional rabbit punches scoring a close split decision victory and the linear light heavyweight title. Judges Ted Gizma (115-112) and Chuck Giampa (116-111) scored the bout for Calzaghe; Adalaide Byrd saw it 114-113 for Hopkins. I had it 114-113 for Calzaghe. The boxers’ sharply contrasting styles (high volume light aggression vs. pointed and defensive counterpunching) proved difficult to score; espn.com score it 114-113 for Hopkins while HBO’s Harold Lederman had it 116-111 for Calzaghe.

Unsurprisingly, Hopkins floored Calzaghe in the bout’s opening round with a good straight right. In the pre-match festivites Calzaghe had looked dazed and a bit starstruck – he planted a gushing hug on a increasingly unidentifiable Tom Jones – while Hopkins stalked the ring focused and ready.

As the fight went on, however, Calzaghe caught his stride maintaining a steady, if not pain-inflicting, barrage of punches during the fight’s middle-to-late rounds. After a protracted break for a grazing low blow in the 10th Hopkins seemed re-energized and ready to rally for the stretch run.

But Calzaghe didn’t back down earning a close advantage on my scorecard in the 11th and 12th. Post-fight Calzaghe was confident despite his cut nose and bruised face declaring himself a “legend killer” and stating that Hopkins’ clear first round knock down was instead a slip. The legend comment referred to Calzaghe’s priority desire to fight Roy Jones, Jr. next instead of Chad Dawson, Kelly Pavlik, Arthur Abraham, or anyone under the age of 40.

Joe Calzaghe is a terrific fighter, undoubtedly a top ten pound-for-pound, but his career-long proclivity towards avoiding top flight competition is disappointing for any fight fan and ultimately will prevent him from ranking among the all-time greats, including the vanquished Bernard Hopkins.

Post from: EveryJoe