PENSACOLA, Florida, 22 October 2003 — Roy Jones has some unfinished business in heavyweight boxing, but it’s more about money and Mike Tyson than title belts.
The World Boxing Association heavyweight champion spoke here on Monday in his hometown about his Nov. 8 showdown against Antonio Tarver for the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation light-heavyweight crowns.
“What else do I have to do right now?” Jones said. “There’s no heavyweight for big money except Tyson. That (talk) didn’t get started until I agreed to get into this fight. So I have to do what I have to do now.”
Jones takes a 48-1 record with 38 knockouts into his fight with compatriot Tarver, 21-1 with 17 knockouts. Each man wants the other to enter the ring first, Jones saying his heavyweight crown supersedes Tarver’s two titles.
“In my book it does,” Jones said. “He wouldn’t be the champ if I didn’t leave. He didn’t take them (titles) from the champ.”
Jones, who turns 35 in January, made boxing history by beating John Ruiz in March to become the first former middleweight champion in a century to own a heavyweight crown. But because Jones is going back to light-heavyweight to face Tarver, the WBA is having Don King-backed boxers Ruiz and Hasim Rahman fight for an interim crown. The winner gets the WBA title unless Jones defends it against him.
