The Neutral Corner

Roy Jones Jr. spoke to the media this week about his Nov. 8 fight against Joe Calzaghe at Madison Square Garden. Here are some highlights from the call:

How do you feel about being the underdog in this fight?

Roy Jones Jr: I love it. That is what I like to be.

What do you think about the Hopkins-Calzaghe fight?

Roy Jones Jr: Joe took Bernard lightly. He didn’t think he was going to have trouble with Bernard. Joe Calzaghe has said he is going to have to train harder for Roy Jones Jr than he trained for Bernard. He didn’t take Bernard as seriously as he is going to take me. So he is going to go to his A-game.

What is different in training between now and 10-years ago?

Roy Jones Jr: I just try to protect my body a little more. That’s all.

Why would you not want to fight Bernard Hopkins?

Roy Jones Jr: A – because he does not want to fight me even though he keeps saying he wants to fight me and that’s not going to get it done. I don’t have time to wait for Bernard Hopkins. I already beat Bernard Hopkins so why would I want to fight him again. If he wanted to fight me, that would be one thing, but he’s been saying he’s wanted to fight me for the last five years. Nothing has been done about it but that’s not my fault. That would be like me telling you that I dream of being heavyweight champion but I never do anything about it. So I’m going to sit here and talk about something that is never going to happen. So he can talk about whoever he is going to fight next and I couldn’t care less. I do what I do. I don’t work his career. I work my own. He does what he wants to do and I do what I want to do. And I am happy doing what I want to do. Besides, he has to ask his promoter what he can do. I can do what ever I feel like doing.

What is different now than when you dropped down when you fought Johnson

Roy Jones Jr: My body is back down to my normal weight now. As opposed to when I fought Johnson when I was not at my normal weight. I was coming down from over 200 pounds. Now I am down to where I am walking around at about 185 so I am good.

How will you match the punch output of Calzaghe?

Roy Jones Jr: I feel great and I would never be able to match the punch output that Joe will throw. What you have to think about is if Joe will be able to match me. In pro boxing, you always have to worry about one big punch. Against Bernard, he threw those punches for about half a minute at a time and that is why he only won by a split decision. This is pro boxing, so I don’t have to match his output.

How long will you fight?

Roy Jones Jr: I will fight till I can’t do it anymore and I have already set aside my achievements.

How often is 24/7 around camp?

Roy Jones Jr: All day every day.

Do you have any regrets?

Roy Jones Jr: Like I have always said, it is what you do for God, not what you do for people. For me coming back down to light heavyweight to get the belt was right, because that is what Bob Fitzsimmons did.

Prediction?

Roy Jones Jr: I will win the fight. That is no question. I am not certain yet how, but I am going to win it.

Larry Merchant said that he thinks Joe Calzaghe will win the fight?

Roy Jones Jr: Are you going to talk to a sober man or a drunk man (laughing)? You can tell me what he said, but I am sober right now so I probably won’t be able to digest it. Now if I was drunk, then you could tell me and I will understand what he is saying (laughing).

Do you feel a need or motivation to one-up Hopkins?

Roy Jones Jr: Hopkins did what he did and that was his goal. My job is to come out of there with a victory. I don’t care what he did or how he does it. He did a smart thing, which was to go in the ring a get a victory before I fought Calzaghe. He can do all he wants to try and tie himself to my career but I am not tied to his career.

Who has had a greater career?

Roy Jones Jr: I had the middleweight title and the heavyweight title. I am the only man living that had the middleweight title and the heavyweight title. So you tell me who is greater. They are going to watch Jones vs. Calzaghe on PPV but they wouldn’t put Hopkins vs. Calzaghe on PPV because the people wouldn’t pay to watch that on PPV. So you tell me who is greater. You tell me who the fans think is greater.

Some people think you didn’t fight the best?

Roy Jones Jr: I don’t know where it is derived from or where they got it from. But that’s not my job either. I was more than just a fighter and that was my point to prove. I had my reasons for doing what I was doing. I made it so delightful that you didn’t need to watch me fight another name fighter – I could fight anybody. You knew when Roy Jones went in the ring he was going to do something spectacular. When Pavlik stepped in the ring with Bernard Hopkins, the people knew they were just going to see a regular old fight. No Bernard looked great and shut him out but that was just boxing. Now to go out there and entertain, who can do that? Only Roy Jones Jr. That’s what makes Roy Jones Jr so much different than any other fighters. That’s why Roy Jones Jr against Joe Calzaghe will be on PPV when Bernard Hopkins against Joe Calzaghe couldn’t. Now when Roy comes, it’s going to be a show. Not only is he good and beat the hell out of who he is fighting, but he is going to look good doing it. And it will give people something to talk about the next day. The only other person they wanted to see outside of Roy Jones Jr that was more exciting was the mighty one himself, which was Mike Tyson because Mike would bite your ear off. When it came to doing something out of the norm it was Roy Jones Jr. Was I serious or not serious, or was I taking it a little more serious than they thought I was taking it.

How could this be made now and not before?

Roy Jones Jr: Joe Calzaghe was under contract with Fran Warren right? And he is no longer under contract with Frank Warren right? When he got out of the contract, what happened? The fight was suddenly made. So what does that tell you? That is was Roy Jones’ problem? No it does not! It would have happened in the past because there would have been no contract I would have had to get out of. I was more free in the past than I was this time but without Frank Warren, the fight got made. So who do you think was the problem? Roy Jones Jr? Noooo. Was it Joe Calzaghe’s problem? No. It was only one problem…and what is the common denominator that is gone right now? Frank Warren. If you have an undefeated fighter that is making tons of money for you in your country, you are going to keep him home so you can make more money. That’s just a smart thing to do business-wise. The same thing happened to Pavlik – they fed him to Bernard Hopkins and he got whipped. He should have fought some smaller fights and made a bigger name for himself and he would have demanded a bigger purse, but you see what happened to him now. Bob Arum won’t make big money for him any more or for some time. That is what Frank didn’t want to do. That is the business of the game. I told you I was smart. I was born at night - but it wasn’t last night."

For a look at all of the Neutral Corner's coverage of the Jones-Calzaghe fight, click here.

-- CASSIDY