Roy Jones Jr. states his interest in fighting surprise opponent.
There are those who believe that in his prime, Roy Jones Jr. was the greatest boxer who ever lived. And while this is something that will not be true in the minds of everyone, it is undeniable that “Superman” (or “Captain Hook”, if you prefer) was one of the most naturally athletic specimens to ever lace up a pair of gloves.
His reflexes, speed, and power made him look like the result of a genetic experiment that had been let loose in the ring, and nobody stood much of a chance when he was at the peak of his abilities.
There is only one real downside to Jones’s career, and that is that he went on for far too long. Had he retired after his victory over Antonio Tarver, he’d have left the sport with a record of 49-1, having won titles from middleweight to heavyweight, and avenging the only loss of his career (a debated disqualification) by first-round knockout.
As it was, Jones continued until he was 49 years of age, racking up 8 further losses and being knocked out cold on multiple occasions.
He would even return professionally in 2023, receiving his 10th loss to former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis.
Outside of that, Jones engaged in a high-profile 2020 exhibition bout with fellow boxing legend Mike Tyson, an affair that was scored a draw.
However, Jones has now expressed an interest in staging an exhibition with a separate athlete altogether, one whose professional experience in striking things is on the football pitch.
Indeed, the 57-year-old has expressed interest in a non-professional boxing encounter with Thierry Henry, the former professional footballer from France.
This comes after the 48-year-old Henry shared pictures on social media earlier this month of his toned and muscular physique, clearly impressing the former four-division world champion.
“Would I consider an exhibition with Thierry Henry? Because of the sport I am in and because of who I am, if the money was right, why would I not?”, Jones told Grosvenor Casinos. “If somebody came with the right bag [amount of money], of course, I’d probably jump up and say, ‘That’s a reason for me to get in shape again.’
“I don’t want to get in shape, and I’m definitely not going to get in shape for nothing, because I did so many years of training. But yes [I would fight Thierry Henry], if somebody said, ‘Hey, we got X amount of dollars to come move around and do an exhibition.’
“I really don’t entertain much anymore, because most stuff is not really valid. So, I don’t pay most people much attention, but a person like him, he’s capable of paying for what he wants to do.”
During his time with Premier League club Arsenal, Henry became the team’s highest-scoring player of all time, and he is frequently cited as the greatest player in the history of the Premier League.
So, both Jones and Henry are amongst the best practitioners of their respective professions to ever live, but only one has experience as a top-level fighter.
An encounter between the two in the ring is a curious–yet very bizarre–scenario to ponder. Still, boxing has become the realm of the bizarre in recent times. And as the old saying goes, stranger things have happened.
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