Things I Didn’t Realize: Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis is a real boxing match
I must have forgot. The big boxing bout between boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. vs. Anthony Pettis is an actual boxing match. That kind of blows my mind. In an era where old boxers only box exhibitions, Jones is putting his 66-9 record on the line.
Roy Jones Jr. is 54-years-old and received his boxing license by the Florida Athletic Commission.
Roy Jones Jr. Pro Again At 54?
It’s not unheard of to hear boxers fight after they’re 50 years old as a professional. In fact Bernard Hopkins famously fought until he was 52. What I am saying is that it’s incredibly uncommon. Roy Jones Jr is an icon of the sport of boxing, one of the sport’s most electrifying fighters. To see him go out at 54 and (hopefully not) get knocked out by Anthony Pettis would be a travesty.
We saw TRT Vitor Belfort knock out the ghost of Evander Holyfield inside a round. We can’t see Roy go that way.
I guess what made this so surprising to me was Jones’ boxing exhibition with Mike Tyson in 2020. I figured he would have moved on to the exhibition portion of his career, if he chose to go that route in life.
But here we are with a card headlined by Roy Jones Jr and Anthony Pettis. Jones fought at heavyweight at his highest. Pettis fought at featherweight. So I wonder if the size was part of Jones coming out of retirement.
I digress, however. The Florida Athletic Commission doesn’t have the best track record with protecting its fighters. Letting Roy Jones Jr get a professional boxing license in 2023 could be a mistake. But if anyone can turn back the clock, it’s Jones.
Either Anthony Pettis will be living the dream when he shows the world that fighting is a young man’s sport, or he will be dreaming when former heavyweight Roy Jones Jr knocks him out.
