By Cliff Rold
They are fights which not many were asking for and yet both could produce results of consequence. In one, the impact could be felt both immediately and historically. In the other, the chance for genuine excitement in its weight class might hang in the balance. Competing for attention in the U.S. with the college ba sketball “Fi nal Four” won’t aid in generating mainstream attention, but fight fans won’t be able to ignore the results.
In the former, for those willing to shell out for the pay-per-view, two guaranteed first ballot Hall of Famers lock up at Light Heavyweight. Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins both know what it’s like to sit atop the sports mythical pound for pound charts. Well into middle age, Hopkins remains not far from there while Jones descent from peak has been a subject of conversation for over five years. Can Jones turn back the clock in Las Vegas on Saturday?
Across the pond in Manchester, England, David Haye makes the first defense of a WBA share of the Heavyweight crown against a John Ruiz who has been playing spoiler for about a decade longer than anyone could have expected. Haye has things no one has brought to Heavyweight since the sustained excellence found in the height of the 1990s: speed, power, personality, professionalism in conditioning, and killer instinct.
But…
He’s still somewhat unproven above the Cruiserweight division where he won the World title and still carries question marks about his chin. There are many who find the dual-head control of the Klitschko brothers at Heavyweight dull. Haye would be a dream come true if he could provide the thriller adversary for either or both. Can Ruiz be a nightmare reality check?
Let’s go to the report cards, starting with the clash of legends.
The Ledgers
Roy Jones Jr.
Age: 41
Current Title: None
Previous Titles: IBF Middleweight (1993-94, 1 Defenses); IBF Super Middleweight (1994-96, 5 Defenses); WBC Light Heavyweight (1996-97; 1997-98, 1 Defense); WBC/WBA Light Heavyweight (1998-99, 3 Defenses); WBC/WBA/IBF Light Heavyweight (1999-2002, 5 Defenses); Ring/WBC/WBA/IBF Light Heavyweight (2002-03, 2 Defenses); WBA Heavyweight (2003); Ring Light Heavyweight (2003, 1 Defense); Ring/WBC Light Heavyweight (2003-04)
Height: 5’11
Weight: 175 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 174.15 lbs.
Hails from: Pensacola, Florida
Record: 54-6, 40 KO
Record in Major Title Fights: 23-5, 14 KO, 2 KOBY
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 19 (Jorge Vaca, Jorge Castro, Bernard Hopkins, Thulani Malinga, James Toney, Vinny Pazienza, Eric Lucas, Mike McCallum, Montell Griffin, Virgil Hill, Lou Del Valle, Otis Grant, Reggie Johnson, Julio Gonzalez, Clinton Woods, John Ruiz, Antonio Tarver, Felix Trinidad, Jeff Lacy)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 5 (Montell Griffin, Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson, Joe Calzaghe, Danny Green)
Vs.
Bernard Hopkins
Age: 45
Current Title: None
Previous Titles: Ring/Lineal World Middleweight (2001-05, 6 Defenses); IBF Middleweight (1995-2001, 13 Defenses); IBF/WBC Middleweight (2001, 1 Defense); Ring/IBF/WBC/WBA Middleweight (2001-04, 5 Defenses); Ring/IBF/WBC/WBA/WBO Middleweight (2004-05, 1 Defense); Ring Light Heavyweight (2006-08, 1 Defense)
Height: 6’1
Weight: 175 lbs.
Average Weight - Five Most Recent Fights: 172.4 lbs.
Hails from: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Record: 50-5-1, 32 KO
Record in Major Title Fights: 22-4-1, 13 KO, 1 No Contest
BoxingScene Rank: #5
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 12 (Lupe Aquino, John David Jackson, Glen Johnson, Simon Brown, Keith Holmes, Felix Trinidad, Carl Daniels, William Joppy, Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright, Kelly Pavlik)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 3 (Roy Jones, Jermain Taylor, Joe Calzaghe)
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Jones A-; Hopkins B
Pre-Fight: Power – Jones B; Hopkins B
Pre-Fight: Defense – Jones B-; Hopkins A
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Jones C+; Hopkins A
When Jones was dropped in round one and then stopped on his feet against rugged Danny Green in his last contest, the long imagined rematch between he and Hopkins seemed finally dead. It turns out it wasn’t and now one wonders what Jones has left to challenge Hopkins.
He’ll still have quick hands. Jones hand speed is as world class as it has ever been, at least in a flashing sense. How much mustard is behind those hands is debatable and the speed of foot is long gone. Jones, who always had a tendency to go to the ropes, is always in a danger he didn’t used to be there and Hopkins best work a generation ago was done on the ropes and in the corners.
Hopkins advantage’s there can’t be understated. In his last outing, Hopkins went into the trenches with the younger Enrique Ornelas and, while Ornelas was clearly a class below Hopkins, he had youth and strength and energy and Hopkins had no problems. If he can stay close to Jones, stay physical, Hopkins’s short, chopping blows will break Jones down. Neither guy has the sort of finishing touch they did when they were younger, but if a stoppage is to occur, attrition for Hopkins is the likely culprit.
Jones chin and reflexes could be defining intangibles because both have so tangibly eroded. He’s been stopped three times since 2004 and rocked by lesser foes like Badi Ajamu. Against Joe Calzaghe, Jones couldn’t react even when Calzaghe would drop both hands and mock him in 2008. It’s not enough to say his reflexes are entirely gone though. Against Jeff Lacy two fights ago, Jones was able to mimic his younger self, even if slowed down, with lead hooks and uppercuts. Jones is easier to hit than Hopkins these days, Hopkins’s more traditional and fundamental approach, but Hopkins isn’t a volume puncher and typically takes a few rounds to warm up. Jones could bag some early rounds and, with a lead to play with, could make things interesting.
Weight is suddenly an issue this weekend. It appeared for many that Jones was particularly drawn at Friday’s weigh-in and he initially missed the 175 lb. limit by about half a pound. It was quickly corrected but in a fight where he’ll need room to breathe all night to have any chance, Roy being less than 100% of what is left could be a bad sign.
How this will all come together on Saturday waits as the page turns quickly to the Heavyweights.
David Haye
Age: 29
Current Title: WBA Heavyweight (2009-Present, 1st Defense)
Previous Titles: Lineal/Ring/WBC/WBA Cruiserweight (2007-08, 1 Defense); WBO Cruiserweight (2008)
Height: 6’3
Weight: 222 lbs.
Average Weight – Last Five Fights: 209.35 lbs.
Hails from: London, England, United Kingdom
Record: 23-1, 21 KO
Record in Major Title Fights: 3-0, 2 KO
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 5 (Arthur Williams, Giacobbe Fragomeni, Jean Marc Mormeck, Enzo Maccarinelli, Nicolay Valuev)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat: 1 (Carl Thompson)
Vs.
John Ruiz
Age: 38
Current Title: None
Previous Titles: WBA Heavyweight (2001-03, 2 Defenses; 03-05, 3 Defenses)
Height: 6’2
Weight: 231 lbs.
Average Weight - Five Most Recent Fights: 235 lbs.
Hails from: Chelsea, Massachusetts
Record: 44-8-1, 30 KO, 1 No Contest
Record in Major Title Fights: 5-5-1, 1 KO, 1 No Contest
BoxingScene Rank: #5
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Defeated: 3 (Tony Tucker, Evander Holyfield, Hasim Rahman)
Current/Former World Champions/Titlists Faced in Defeat or No Contest: 5 (Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones, James Toney, Nicolay Valuev, Ruslan Chagaev)
Grades
Pre-Fight: Speed – Haye A; Ruiz B-
Pre-Fight: Power – Haye A; Ruiz B
Pre-Fight: Defense – Haye B; Ruiz B+
Pre-Fight: Intangibles – Haye B; Ruiz B+
Haye, usually exciting, took a tactical and pensive approach to awkward 7’ giant Valuev in winning the WBA belt last year. A late near knockdown sealed a decision which, based on the action in the ring, could fairly have gone either way. Will Haye return to his more aggressive posture this weekend?
It might be the best approach. Ruiz is a strong guy with a sneaky right hand who can hang around. Blitzing him, testing the older man’s legs early, could pay off and avoid a protracted battle. He’s got the power to do it and proved it (no one else has ever rocked Valuev like Haye did). Ruiz is going to struggle with his speed; everyone at Heavyweight will. The two assets combined could overwhelm Ruiz before he can get warm.
If they don’t, the “Quiet Man” has a chance. Ruiz, at his most successful, was willing to stink out the joint with clinching and mauling far more than he has in recent years. Firing more punches, and boxing more, against the likes of Valuev and Chagaev, Ruiz is also more open to be hit clean than he was then. A return to ugly tactics with a Haye who is highly athletic, but not all that technically refined, might be a good idea but would work only with lots of rounds to play with. Whether he can get away with the tactics on Haye’s home turf is a different issue.
Haye’s chin and stamina will remain questioned until he battles through a serious Heavyweight shot and withstands an extended and taxing battle. Ruiz could provide both and the former titlist must know he is likely at a point of last chance. For all the grief he’s taken, Ruiz has shown remarkable staying power and mental focus. He was embarrassed by Roy Jones in 2003 and bounced right back to mug Hasim Rahman. He was outboxed by James Toney, retained a title lost by decision only to get it back off a dirty drug test, and arguably did enough to defeat Valuev in their first of two encounters in his next fight. He’s also used to playing the underdog.
Can Haye handle being the favorite with huge potential encounters against the Klitschko looming?
The Picks
Starting with the Heavyweights, the assumption here on the last question is yes. He won’t blitz Ruiz but Haye’s speed will keep him ahead and Ruiz will be carefully officiated and frustrated. Forced to open up, Haye cracks a right hand home sometime around the fifth round to hurt Ruiz badly and a stoppage happens sometime from that round forward.
In the stateside fight, the pick goes out on a limb and favors the favorite. Jones has a chance here and an upset wouldn’t be as big of one as some think. Hopkins is fairly perceived as having more in the tank than Jones these days, but these men are both old in athletic terms and Jones is a proud fighter. Pecking away at a Hopkins who starts too slow and holding on late is possible.
However, Jones is so far removed from beating anyone who truly matters that it’s impossible to feel safe picking him. Jones had years to make this rematch and put Hopkins well behind him in the sports annals. He didn’t and Saturday he’ll have to accept the loss on his record he wouldn’t risk when he had a much better chance to avoid it.
Hopkins by decision.
Report Card Picks 2010: 8-2
Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com
