The Boxing Weekend: Roy Jones JR – Bernard Hopkins II Headlines
By Geno McGahee
ESPN 2’s Friday Night Fights
At one point, Delvin Rodriguez, 24-4-2, 14 KO’s, was a pretty big deal, especially in Connecticut and he was featured on ESPN2 quite often. One of his most exciting fights was a defeat to Jesse Feliciano, the only knockout loss on the record of Rodriguez. He’s only won one of his last four fights, and plans to rebound in a USBA Welterweight Title match against Michael Arnaoutis, 22-4-2, 10 KO’s.
Arnaoutis has lost two of his last three fights, including a stoppage loss to Victor Ortiz in the second round. Rodriguez hopes to impose his power on his opponent this Friday night.
SHOBOX
Also on Friday, Showtime’s popular series “SHOBOX” returns with Cuban light middleweight, Erislandy Lara, 10-0, 6 KO’s, taking on the seasoned veteran, Danny Perez, 34-6, 17 KO’s. Lara is coming off of a TKO stoppage of Grady Brewer and looks to continue his winning ways on SHOBOX Friday night. Perez is a tough customer that has been in with some big names and has never been stopped. He will test Lara.
PPV
It’s called “The Rivals” but it should be called “the Business Deal,” for this meaningless pay per view designed to screw the public. Roy Jones, JR., 54-6, 40 KO’s, will square off against a man he hasn’t been across the ring from since 1993 in Bernard Hopkins, 50-5-1, 32 KO’s, and you will have to pay for it, if you want to watch it for some reason. Jones is 5-5 in his last ten fights and was starched inside of one round by Danny Green in his last fight…a bout that the two businessmen in this “fight” want you to ignore or chalk up to loaded gloves. Nothing is going to stop this moneymaker…even if they have to bend the truth.
Hopkins has lost the ability to be in an entertaining fight. He clutches, moves, and mauls, but this fight with Jones is going to be a dance. You can’t help but to get the sense that they got together and decided to just go for the money and I hope that they are not gearing towards a third matching. This fight is a farce. Waste your money if you really want to, but need I remind you of Hopkins-Winky Wright? That’s what you’re going to see here people, except it will be in slower motion. Bad fight…maybe HBO worthy just out of curiosity, but I can’t justify paying for an event that promises to be boring and is totally meaningless.
Sergio Mora, 21-1-1, 5 KO’s, will be featured on the undercard, facing Calvin Green, 21-4-1, 13 KO’s, and also a match up with Rocky Juarez, 28-5-1, 20 KO’s, facing off against Jason Litzau, 26-2, 21 KO’s. Buy this event at your own risk.
Overseas
David “Hayemaker” Haye, 23-1, 21 KO’s, defends his WBA Heavyweight Title for the first time in the UK against former 2-Time Champ, John “QuietMan” Ruiz, 44-8-1, 30 KO’s, in what will truly be the toughest challenge in the career of the new champ. Ruiz has beaten a lot of good big men like Andrew Golota, Evander Holyfield, Tony Tucker, Hasim Rahman, Kirk Johnson, and Fres Oquendo, but has struggled against smaller men that have moved up like Roy Jones and James Toney. Haye is a cruiserweight with speed and power that has moved up and hopes to exploit the same weaknesses that Jones and Toney did before him.
Expect Ruiz to blitz early, hoping to land his sneaky right hand. He cannot remain on the outside with the jab and boxing ability of Haye. Haye will have to be very careful and mimic Roy Jones, using his jab and movement and keeping Ruiz confused. It’s a winnable fight for Ruiz, but Haye should have the edge because of his speed and the difficulty Ruiz has with guys like Haye. Should be fun though.