Joe Calzaghe will defeat Jones Jr - A Legend Will Fall Tonight at MSG

Joe Calzaghe will defeat Jones Jr - A Legend Will Fall Tonight at MSG

By Christopher Roche (Nov 8, 2008) Doghouse Boxing (Photo © Will Hart / HBO)

Ever since Roy Jones, Jr. was cheated at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, he has fought with a chip on his shoulder.

Jones racked up an impressive string of victories, and his combination of speed and strength dazzled his opponents. He seemed unstoppable and was undefeated in his first 34 fights, until he suffered a blemish on a DQ, for hitting Montell Griffin while he was down. Jones quickly avenged the Griffin loss by stopping him in round one, in an immediate rematch, and he resumed his string of victories.

After a few more years of dominance, Jones grew bored of the light-heavyweight division. He moved up and captured a heavyweight belt from John Ruiz in 2003, and it seemed like there was nothing that the cocky kid from Pensacola could not accomplish in a boxing ring.

However, since that historic move up to heavyweight, Jones has not been the same. Jones is 4-3 since the Ruiz bout, and most observers feel that he is really 3-4, as the first Antonio Tarver fight was a disputed majority decision.

More troubling than the recent losses for Jones, however, is the fact that his skills have rapidly diminished. Jones was stopped in two of his last three losses, and the level of opponents that he defeated has been average, at best. Jones is simply not the same man who was unstoppable in the 1990's, and the chip on his shoulder is three times removed.

Tonight, Jones faces the man who I rank as the best pound for pound fighter in the world. Joe Calzaghe has a similar combination of skills that Jones used to possess. The depth of Calzaghe's talent was on full display in his dominating victory of Mikkel Kessler, and his recent gutty victory over Bernard Hopkins, removed all doubt about Calzaghe's heart and ring intelligence.

In the head to head match-up with Jones, Calzaghe has every discernible advantage. Most importantly, at this stage of their careers, Calzaghe is the quicker fighter. Jones will be on unfamiliar ground tonight, as he has never faced a quicker opponent. Calzaghe is also the fighter who has a chip on his shoulder. He carries the bravado of an undefeated champion, and he is out to cement his legacy and prove to the world that he is the best.

Tonight's bout will be more entertaining than many might predict, as Jones will not have the ability to keep Calzaghe away. Jones will stand and fight, and he might have some small success, but ultimately, Jones will go out on his shield. Calzaghe will have a huge win tonight, and he could very well stop Jones through an accumulation of rapid-fire combinations.

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