Roy Jones Jr on returning to the ring, aged 52: "I was told the other day that Joe Calzaghe is thinking about coming back and wants me to fight him. Then Tommy Hearns wants to do a five-round fight! Then Shannon Briggs"
Wednesday 5 May 2021 16:31, UK
Roy Jones Jr has been approached to face fellow legends Thomas Hearns or Joe Calzaghe in an exhibition fight.
The US boxing great, aged 52, boxed Mike Tyson, 54, to an entertaining draw last November under a limited rule-set.
Tyson was stepping back into a ring for the first time in 15 years and told TMZ last week that he would return to face his old rival Lennox Lewis, aged 55, in September after a suggested bout against Evander Holyfield fell through.
Jones Jr told Sky Sports about his own plans: "It depends. Glenn McCrory wants me to fight him.
"I was told the other day that Joe Calzaghe is thinking about coming back and wants me to fight him.
"Then Tommy Hearns wants to do a five-round fight!
"Then Shannon Briggs.
"They all want to beat up poor old Roy. Why? I don't know why. I don't have anything to prove but I still love boxing.
"The more my mind works on teaching people boxing, the more it reminds me of what I used to do.
"I'm 52 - I'm not going to be in the shape I was.
"But the mentality will be worse. I have the chance to re-read my notes, mentally. I had stopped doing that after I won the heavyweight title.
"Anybody wants some? You've all got my phone number. If you want this action, don't think you can't get this action, because you can!"
Jones Jr is now the trainer for Chris Eubank Jr, whose own legendary father facilitated the link-up last year. Eubank Jr beat Marcus Morrison at the weekend.
Jones Jr and Eubank Sr never met inside the ring during their 1990s heyday.
"We are on great terms," Jones Jr said. "This is about moving forwards in our lives and using what we know.
"I never had a problem with him even in my prime.
"He had his hands full [in the UK] and I had my hands full [in the US].
"I didn't take no disrespect from it."
Eubank Sr previously told Sky Sports: "I had brains. I never had to fight Roy because he was never No 1 contender to my WBO championship. I was not mindless enough to go looking for something that I couldn't achieve.
"I would have fought Roy if he was No 1 contender - I would have had to, because my integrity would not have allowed me to dodge him. But I was WBO champion and he was IBF. I didn't have to, I wasn't forced to.
"It was a very tall building that I chose not to climb."
