Longtime diehard boxing fan Ursulo Poricallan of Southern Leyte, Philippines wrote, “What can you say about Roy Jones, Jr.? He’s a pity, isn’t he?”
Roy has since displayed seemingly inimitable boxing skills and made boxing look easy. In so doing, he made his many followers worldwide also that easy. He has contributed much to the sport by being in a higher class as a fighter.
Then we saw Roy struggle against Antonio Tarver in November 2003, getting knocked out by Tarver earlier this year, and then punished and rendered unconscious by Glen Johnson just days ago for an alarming number of minutes past the expected recovery time. After this knockout a fight commentator mentioned that Roy was “not the Roy Jones, Jr. of old”.
What can I say about Roy? Roy has gotten old. His mental state fits Ecclesiastes’ description of getting old as that stage in life “when you say, ‘I have no pleasure’ in them”. Roy attributes his recent loss to “lack of motivation.”
A fighter gets old when he does so physically, when a hungrier and better fighter makes him look old, and when his desire to fight wanes.
Getting old physically
Around 35 years of age is considered old for a fighter. This is the age when reflexes are slower than a few years back. With diminished alertness, mobility and sting in his punches, comebacking Muhammad Ali lost by TKO to younger Larry Holmes. Hundred fight veteran Julio Cesar Chavez got beat by a hungrier Oscar De La Hoya. Battle hardened Gabriel “Flash” Elorde got divested of his seven-year junior-lightweight title to Yoshaki Numata. Statistics compile.
At 39 Bernard Hopkins is an exception. But feeling his age catching up, Bernard is quoted as having said that he would no longer fight past 40.
If there is one opponent a fighter could never lick, it’s his age.
The hungrier, better fighter makes the other look old
When Manny Pacquiao dominated the 1st round and knocked down IBF Super-bantamweight defending champion Lhenoloholo Ledwaba in the 2nd of their title fights on June 21, 2001, a fight commentator described the unexpected spectacle as the 24-year old Pacquiao making the 29-year old and then prospective star Ledwaba “look old”.
While Hopkins is 39 and De La Hoya still in his early 30s, the former made the latter look older. Bernard made true his prefight prediction that although he was years older than Oscar, it was Oscar who was ready for retirement.
Winky Wright made Shane Mosley look old. The Shane who fought Winky was a far cry from the Shane who beat Oscar De La Hoya twice. Shane is not convinced though and might get a confirmation after Wright-Mosley II.
A fighter may not be that old, but he is when another makes him look that way.
When the desire to fight wanes
Tito Trinidad’s first loss at the hands of Bernard Hopkins made him lose his desire to fight. So he retired. Now, “Tito is back”, that is, Tito’s motivation to fight has returned. This time around it is Tito who made Ricardo Mayorga lose his desire to continue fighting. Suffering the first knockdowns of his career, Ricardo says he will hang up his gloves. He was quoted to have said that he is “simply not continuing and have no need to continue” the fight game.
“I have no pleasure in them.”
Roy is not a pity
I understand my good friend Ursulo’s expression of concern. He has been a long time Roy fan and he had wished for a Roy victory leading to a settling of the score against Tarver. Roy’s place in boxing history is made. He is financially secure and continues to be involved in boxing as a credible commentator.
Roy’s back-to-back knockout losses remind us that a fighter’s boxing excellence and dominance is only for a certain span of time. At some point in the future, be it his age, a better fighter, or loss of the desire to fight, a fighter simply gets old.
Happy is the fighter who knows when the end of his fighting years has come and acts accordingly.
