“Warhammer” Falls In Love With Boxing Thanks to Roy Jones, JR!

By BJ “Warhammer” Proctor

The sport of boxing is firmly attached to the very fibers of my being. Part of my soul, an integral part of my everyday life. Couldn’t imagine life without it, yet it has not always been the case. Growing up many of us have interests that come, and seem like they’ll never fade, yet they do. We don’t fully understand the word love, its true meaning, thus our changes in likes and dislikes are in constant flux. Boxing was not always so. A constant fixture throughout my childhood, but usually in the background, not normally heard nor seen.

The first taste of the sport came from word of mouth. Basketball being the center of my world for the majority of my childhood. An older cousin, a second cousin to be exact, loved the sport and would talk incessantly about it. As a young kid, I looked up to him and valued his every word. I knew the body shot was the most devastating punch. At least that’s what he would say. Every time I saw him, pointers were given for landing the perfect liver shot. I knew fighters names, yet couldn’t tell you what they looked like. Fighters records, yet I couldn’t begin to describe a single fight.

Ricky Swann, my mother’s first cousin, was and is still to this day very close to my father. Although he was much older than myself, we spent much time together. Often visiting him for fight parties, especially if Roy Jones, JR. was on the cards. Ricky is the sole reason that my fire for boxing burns so bright. His descriptions of the sport, especially of the beauty of Roy Jones, JR., always had me on the edge of my seat. I began to find myself reading books about boxing. Staying up late on Saturday night watching HBO boxing, although I usually had no clue who was on the tube.

Interest in the sport of boxing continued to steadily rise throughout my childhood. By the time I was in high school, I had begun to do research on the history of the sport. I was watching fights more frequently, and I began to take interest in many different fighters. Of course, Ricky’s influence never waned, and Roy Jones, JR. was still my favorite fighter. I had missed so many fights throughout the years, including most of Roy Jones, JR.’s career. The act of trying to catch up on what I missed, trying to find ways to watch old fights, is the catalyst for why my infatuation for boxing turned to love.

The fight that turned it all around, the fight that cemented boxing being the greatest sport there is. Roy Jones, JR.’s rematch with Montell Griffin. One of the greatest revenge fights, and my all-time favorite. To understand the importance of this fight, you have to go back to the first meeting between the two fighters.

Roy Jones,JR. Vs Montell Griffin happened on March 21st, 1997 at the Taj Mahal Hotel and Casino, in Atlantic City, NJ. The referee for the bout was Tony Perez, and he would play a vital role in this contest. The bout would be in the 175 pound division, for Jones’ newly acquired WBC title. Roy Jones, JR. had rarely even been in a competitive round let alone a competitive fight. He entered this fight as high as a 17-1 favorite, which came down to 6-1 on the night of the fight.

This bout was the toughest of Roy Jones, JR.’s career. Griffin gave him fits, pushing him to the ropes and unloading a barrage of body shots, while Jones, JR. would clam up in a high defensive guard. It took a while, but Jones, JR. finally began to assert himself, and by round 7, he had got himself firmly back into the bout with a knockdown. To be honest, it was a slip, that the ref mistakenly ruled a knockdown. In round 9, Roy Jones JR. finally found the big shot he was looking for, when he landed a big right hand that had Griffin reeling. Jones, JR.

landed as many as 8 big shots as Griffin retreated. With 45 seconds left in the round, Griffin took a knee, and Jones, JR. made a huge error, landing not 1, but 2 punches to his downed opponent. Griffin slumped over and the referee made a 10 count and waved the fight off. Jones, JR. celebrated thinking he had won, but he had committed a foul and would ultimately be disqualified.

The words of Montell Griffin after the fight, and the barrage of questions and critiquing of Jones, JR. took its toll. Griffin infuriated Jones, JR. with his post-fight rhetoric. Essentially Griffin had given Jones, JR. little credit for his efforts in the ring. And when confronted with the fact that two of the three judges had Jones, JR. ahead on the scorecards, Griffin scoffed at that notion. Griffin said that he had beat Jones, JR. at every turn and even worse, claimed to have swollen his face with his constant attack.

Roy Jones, JR. would demand his team get him a rematch. Roy would go into the rematch looking to prove not only Griffin wrong, but the Ring Magazine, the pound for pound voters, and every doubter of his supremacy. Less than 5 months later, Roy Jones, JR. and Montell Griffin would have their rematch and the world would be put on notice. Don’t you ever, and I mean ever in your life, doubt the skills of Roy Jones, JR.!

August 7th, 1997, Foxwoods Resort in Connecticut, the rematch would be viewed by a sellout crowd of 4,500. The fight was billed “Unfinished Business”. Once again Roy Jones, JR. was a heavy favorite. Griffin would enter the bout a 4-1 underdog.

Every bit of the conversation about the fight went to Jones’ mindset, and how he had nothing, but revenge on his mind. As soon as the bell rung, Roy went to the center of the ring, beginning what would be a hellacious onslaught. The fight would not even last the full 3 minutes of the first round. Roy Jones, JR. threw the left hook with devastating power. He was looking to hurt Griffin with every punch, and boy was it working! The first punch landed was a left hook by Roy Jones, JR., and it rocked Griffin, making him stumble backwards. Roy stalked Griffin, like the hungry lion, knowing his prey has met his inevitable end. Roy threw a left jab, followed by a right cross, neither punch finding their mark. As Griffin tried to counter, Roy Jones, JR. landed another left hook, sending Griffin flying backwards. Griffin couldn’t have reached the ropes faster if he had turned and sprinted! The ropes are the only thing that held Griffin up, his left glove also touched the canvas, either way it was a knockdown.

Griffin rises and the fight continues, but the end is near for Griffin, and those words that so infuriated Roy Jones, JR. would come back to bite him in the ass. Roy never allowed Griffin to get further than an arm length away from him. Circling the ring, following Griffin like a wolf ready to pounce. Griffin’s body language spoke volumes. He looked terrified of Roy’s left hand and he would flinch at every feint. With 41 seconds left, Griffin would lean hard to his right, flinching from a feint right hand from Jones, JR., exposing himself for the crushing left hook/uppercut that would come next.

Griffin never saw it coming, and it obliterated his jawline. Griffin was knocked flat on his ass, and what would occur over the next 10 seconds, is one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever witnessed in a boxing ring! Griffin sitting on his ass, shook his head, and looked at the ref as if the shot had little effect. He would roll to his right and try to rise, fall on his face and try to rise again. As he got to his feet he stumbled into the ropes. At this point you can clearly hear the ref reach his 10 count. Griffin is still trying to regain his balance, and does a face plant, nose dive, flat on his stomach! Compubox punch stats had Roy Jones, JR. throwing 37 total punches, and landing 12, almost certainly all power shots. The greatest call to end a fight I had ever heard would ensue.

Jim Lampley, the voice of HBO boxing would emphatically state, “Roy Jones, JR. get his vindication via a first round knockout!” Roy Jones, JR. had erased all doubt, and the bad taste left in many observer’s mouths from the first encounter.

The post-fight interview conducted by Larry Merchant, is perhaps the greatest, but certainly one of the greatest of all time. Roy Jones, JR. was on fire, the adrenaline surely still pumping. He would emphatically state, “Roy Jones still number 1 and gone be that way bay-be.” “For all the doubters, him (pointing to Larry Merchant) and everyone else that thinks Roy Jones is a fluke, now they know! Now back to where I am, I am redeemed, I deserve to be back pound for pound number 1, cause I am!”

When asked by Merchant, if he fought with a different mindset, Roy Jones, JR. would respond, “I didn’t want to have to do this, but they made me.”

Merchant would ask Roy Jones, JR. to clarify his meaning. Roy said “I don’t like to try and hurt people, tonight I was trying to hurt that kid. If I had the chance, I would have killed that kid by mistake, and that’s not my intentions. My intentions are to come out and do good things and be done with it. That’s why I don’t like that old Roy Jones, you don’t want to pull the RJ out, I don’t want to see the RJ.”

The fight was short, but afterwards I was absolutely hooked. At that moment, I realized I was in love with this sport. It had become an obsession, and not a day went by that I wasn’t reading an article, or finding websites that I could purchase old fights and career DVD sets. I had to have HBO and Showtime in my cable package, so I could make sure I didn’t miss a single fight. Roy Jones, JR. had captured the sweetest revenge, and I found love, love for the greatest sport on earth.

[si-contact-form form=’2′]