By Mark Vester
The return of Roy Jones, Jr. (50-4, 38 KOs) is close to a done deal, and it won't be on HBO. Jones is slated to return on June 9 against Tony Hanshaw (21-0-1, 14 KOs) on Showtime. Promoters Lou DiBella (Jones) and Gary Shaw (Hanshaw) have come to an agreement for the fight, and reached a deal with the Showtime network. Both sides expect the fight to go forward.
DiBella told boxing writer Dan Rafael that if Jones wins, a possible bout against middleweight champion Jermain Taylor is a possibility before the end of the year. On the other hand, if Jones loses, DiBella feels that he should retire.
"Roy has given me a verbal 'OK.' It's basically done," DiBella said. "I think if Roy can't beat Hanshaw, it's time to say goodbye. Hanshaw is a young guy who has earned his contender status, but if Roy is still an elite fighter, he beats him and moves on to a very big fight. If Roy wins, then obviously Jermain is a possibility."
The Jones-Hanshaw bout would go head-to-head with the Miguel Cotto vs. Zab Judah HBO pay-per-view.
