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00:00:00It might be fun. All right. Still to come later on the tape replay of Julio Cesar Chavez against Oscar De La Hoya. It took place last Friday night in Las Vegas. If you've been on another planet, maybe you get a fresh chance to see it without knowing what went on. But if you're one of us and you're part of the boxing world, you know about it.
00:00:18You just might be curious to see it either for the first time or to see it again. We'll give you that chance following the upcoming live bout between Roy Jones Jr. and Eric Lucas, a title defense at 168 pounds that many regard as little more than a competitive exhibition for Roy Jones. He's listed in one boxing publication as a 100 to one favorite. Now, George, Roy Jones is telling us that he wants to play basketball because it extends him competitively and gives him some confidence.
00:00:48He also talks a lot about his fear of being permanently damaged in the ring, his fear of injury in there. What does all that tell us about him as a fighter? Well, he's trying to protect himself like most fighters. Everyone, we've seen a lot of tragedies in the last decade. Fighters being killed, knocked unconscious, into comas. So he's a little protective and that's the way he fights. He doesn't like to be hit, but he can hit hard also. So if he keeps that up and fight the right opponents, he believes he can make enough money to avoid being punished.
00:01:16Yeah, but if he continues to fight against guys like Eric Lucas and does not fight the bigger name people that at least those of us within the boxing fraternity would like to see him fight, what does he do to his chance to be seen as a great one, to make a mark on history, etc.?
00:01:29Well, you've got to be really kind of honest about it. A lot of this has to do with business. He's trying to do his own business and he's trying to negotiate on the same time.
00:01:38And we, even HBO, we stay in negotiation with him, so it's kind of unfair. He's not here to speak for himself on his behalf. He would tell you opposite. He's fighting the number one contender. He continues to fight number one contenders. What more can you ask of a guy?
00:01:51And he's still regarded by most publications as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
00:01:55So, what an effect is he giving up? Well, that remains to be seen as time goes by. Larry Merchant, what's your take on why the most gifted fighter on the planet in the eyes of many, Roy Jones, is fighting a guy so ungifted as Eric Lucas?
00:02:09Basically, because he can get away with it, Jim. And I'm not so sure anymore when he fights this class of competition that he belongs on any pound-for-pound list except maybe pound-for-pound businessman.
00:02:23The deal is this. When a fighter is a star and can get a multi-fight contract, he can take the path of least resistance, which Mike Tyson has been doing recently, or he can do what Pernell Whitaker and Oscar De La Hoya have been doing, which is to fight anyone, anywhere, anytime, and build toward the mega-buck fights that he wants down the road.
00:02:47By playing basketball, he thinks that somehow he can even out this competition tonight. But he would have to go in the ring within leg irons and handcuffs and a blindfold to do that, I'm afraid, Jim.
00:02:59It's only within the past few months, Larry, that Roy Jones has been subjected to criticism in public quarters for his choice of opponents. And he himself has begun to defend his choice of opponents. It sets up a lively debate. Here are the parameters.
00:03:17Roy Jones, the IVF super middleweight champion, is widely identified now as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
00:03:47A few Jones supporters even liken him to Muhammad Ali or Sugar Ray Robinson. And while Jones may have the skills for such comparisons, what he lacks so far are the opponents.
00:03:58The super middleweight division is a dry well without any truly credible opposition, which leaves Roy Jones bored, unchallenged, and, he says, frustrated.
00:04:09Well, I have a lucrative career in boxing, but do I have a lucrative opponent in boxing? No. You know, everybody in my weight class is basically unknown. Nigel Mann was the only other guy left. And he went and fought through Lonnie Malinga, a guy whom I knocked out in six rounds.
00:04:26The course of boxing history shows it takes more than great skills to make an immortal. It takes great opponents, those who will test and retest a fighter.
00:04:37Willie Pepp, for instance, had Sandy Sadler. Sugar Ray Leonard had Tommy Hearns and Roberto Duran.
00:04:44Muhammad Ali fought wars with Smokin' Joe Frazier. So can fighting easy fights against unknown opposition secure Roy Jones a ranking among the all-time greats?
00:04:57I think he would rather be in an area where he had some opponents like Sugar Ray Leonard and Hearns and Roberto Duran and Hagler.
00:05:08And that brings excitement. If Roy was in a situation like that, I think it would be lovely, and I think he would love that.
00:05:14But unfortunately, you can't get good out of a tournament.
00:05:16But there are those who now think Jones is a reluctant warrior, more unwilling than unchallenged, that there are, in fact, opponents more credible than Eric Lucas, who could test Roy Jones.
00:05:28I know for a fact he's bypassed fights with people like Charles Brewer and Virgil Hill, who are guys that he should beat, but he didn't want to fight them.
00:05:37I mean, in this particular case, there were a lot of better opponents than Eric Lucas that he wanted to fight, but he chose him.
00:05:44He is an insult to his sport. He's an insult to his own talent.
00:05:49I can't vote for him in good conscience over a guy like Pernell Whitaker, who will fight anyone, anywhere, anytime, at any weight.
00:05:59It doesn't do any good for him to beat an opponent like this.
00:06:03It's like the Cleveland Indians beating the local Little League team 357 to nothing.
00:06:07I mean, it accomplishes nothing.
00:06:09I'll fight anybody in my division, anybody in the division under me, anybody in the next division, anybody in two divisions ahead of me, anybody in three divisions ahead of me.
00:06:19Pay me, and I will perform, and I will go out there and perform to the best of my ability.
00:06:23Jones is being paid millions of dollars per fight, even against weak opponents.
00:06:28But his unwillingness to face tougher fighters is in some ways understandable.
00:06:32He sat ringside for Gabrielis' fight against Jimmy Garcia, after which Garcia died.
00:06:37That really ruined me, and it was like, man, I don't want to end up that way after I get out of boxing.
00:06:44And I'm not going to end up brain dead and where people have to walk me around, and then I don't even have the money to pay for it.
00:06:50So for now, Jones has turned to a safer sport, playing guard for the United States Basketball League's Jacksonville Barracudas.
00:06:58I'm going to stick with boxing probably another one and a half to two years, because that's my livelihood.
00:07:05I've got so many years tied into boxing, and at the same time, I plan to start bettering myself in basketball.
00:07:11And if I want to try to pick that up later on, then maybe I will.
00:07:15Refusing to take risks without astronomical monetary gain may make sense to Jones.
00:07:20But for boxing fans, it just doesn't seem sporting.
00:07:24Whether unchallenged or unwilling, it appears we may have to wait a while for Roy Jones to truly test himself in the ring.
00:07:34And as we bring it back live to Jacksonville, you look at the tail of the tape.
00:07:38Eric Lucas, similar in size to Roy Jones, and there the similarities end.
00:07:46Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
00:07:49The Roy Jones-Eric Lucas fight is scheduled for 12 rounds.
00:07:53There is no standing eight count.
00:07:55The three-knockdown rule is in effect.
00:07:57Only the referee can stop the fight, and you cannot be saved by the bell at any round, including the 12th and final round.
00:08:03Jim.
00:08:05And we get ready for the entrance into the ring of...
00:08:10Well, I'm not sure that I should even try for a build-up.
00:08:19The Roy Jones-Eric Lucas is a tough kid out of Montreal.
00:08:43a former amateur teammate of Arturo Gatti.
00:08:48Hockey fan, hockey player, who acknowledged to us
00:08:52that never in his life has he even attempted to play hockey
00:08:55on the same day as a workout in the boxing ring,
00:08:59much less play a game of hockey and then fight a title fight.
00:09:05What do you think, Jim, they would be saying
00:09:08if Michael Jordan elected to play a baseball game
00:09:11on the afternoon of an NBA championship game?
00:09:15And by the way, the championship game
00:09:17was against a local high school.
00:09:22Now they'd be saying some of the same stuff
00:09:24they're saying about this.
00:09:26And you saw Lucas' record 19-2-2.
00:09:28You also saw the graphic as he was walking into the ring
00:09:30that indicated in Canada he's 18-0-1.
00:09:33Outside of Canada, he's 1-2-1.
00:09:41And we go from AC-DC to an actual Roy Jones hip-hop composition.
00:09:55Among his many interests, Roy is grooming himself
00:09:59as a rap music artist and spends time
00:10:02practicing that every day also.
00:10:04Tall achieves some glory
00:10:06to the world.
00:10:12The sheer defence you know
00:10:13and theる to the Очень-Faith
00:10:15прис episode 8-0-2.
00:10:16They had the best
00:10:17of those people
00:10:18in the streets
00:10:19who are the afflictions
00:10:19who are the most
00:10:20who are the кажд Еще
00:10:21who are the most
00:10:23and who are the most
00:10:23who are the most
00:10:24this sport
00:10:25from the fight
00:10:27chúng
00:10:28are п tort
00:10:2931 wins, no losses, no draws, 27 KOs.
00:10:42By far the most impressive win is 12-round whitewash
00:10:46at James Toney, November 18, 1994 in Las Vegas.
00:10:50It was with that win that he catapulted to the top
00:10:53of many of the pound-for-pound listings
00:10:55in boxing magazines and newspaper columns and what have you.
00:10:59All right, here are our punch stats,
00:11:06and we wanted, since Roy himself has promoted this boxing basketball farce,
00:11:13we thought we would show you the punch stats for both,
00:11:16and as you can see, he is a far more effective boxer
00:11:20than he is a basketball player,
00:11:22landing high percentages of punches,
00:11:25holding his opponents to low percentages.
00:11:27Basketball, four points a game, 25% of his field goals.
00:11:31Numerous to mention, he's still a four-round fighter as a basketball player.
00:11:38Two of four from the floor today, his best shooting game yet as a Jacksonville Barracuda.
00:11:43Let's go to Michael Buffer.
00:11:44And now, ladies and gentlemen, Square Ring Incorporated,
00:11:57along with your undisputed, undefeated King of Beers,
00:12:02Budweiser, this buzz for you,
00:12:04present, for the IBF Super Middleweight Championship of the World.
00:12:15This ballot is sanctioned by the Florida State Athletic Commission
00:12:18and the International Boxing Federation.
00:12:21IBF President Robert W. Lee,
00:12:23Supervisor for the IBF Florida State Commission Chairman, Alvin Goodman.
00:12:28Officials at ringside remain the same, except for the three judges.
00:12:33Scoring the ballot on a 10-point must system for this ballot will be
00:12:37Rick Bates, Harry Davis, and Al Rothenberg.
00:12:42And when the bell rings, the man in charge of the action,
00:12:46veteran referee Brian Gary.
00:12:50And now, ladies and gentlemen,
00:12:52for the thousands in attendance here at Jacksonville
00:12:54and the millions watching around the world on television,
00:12:59this is the moment we've all been waiting for.
00:13:06Let's get ready for the Rumble!
00:13:17Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner,
00:13:21wearing black with white trim,
00:13:22he weighs 165 and three-quarter pounds
00:13:26and brings a professional record into the ring
00:13:29of 19 victories against two defeats with two draws.
00:13:34He has five knockouts to his credit.
00:13:37He comes to us from Saint-Jolies-le-Belle-Province, Canada,
00:13:41and he is ranked number 12 in the world by the IBF.
00:13:44And his opponent across the ring, fighting out of the red corner,
00:14:03wearing gold, black trim, weighing in at 166 pounds.
00:14:09A 1988 Olympic silver medalist,
00:14:13now with a perfect professional record of 31 victories without a defeat.
00:14:1927 KOs to his credit.
00:14:22And he is considered by many to be, pound for pound,
00:14:25not just the best fighter in the world,
00:14:28but one of the best athletes in the world today.
00:14:30Ladies and gentlemen, presenting the pride of Pensacola, Florida,
00:14:37the two-time world champion and reigning undefeated
00:14:44super middleweight of the world,
00:14:48the champion Roy,
00:14:52Charles Jr.
00:14:54All right, gentlemen, I'll be the man in charge of this world title,
00:15:07fight at all times.
00:15:08You score a knockdown, go to the neutral corner.
00:15:10In charge of this world title, fight at all times.
00:15:12You score a knockdown, go to the neutral corner.
00:15:14Avoid the use of your head as a weapon.
00:15:15No rabid punches or low blows.
00:15:17Protect yourself at all times.
00:15:18Shake hands.
00:15:19Come out boxing at the bell.
00:15:20Good luck.
00:15:20Jim, did Michael Buffer say, let's get ready to tumble?
00:15:31You've got to admire any man who has the courage to step into the ring,
00:15:35and you've got to admire Eric Lucas
00:15:36for taking all of the flack he has taken
00:15:39for accepting this assignment against Roy Jones.
00:15:42Well, fortunately for him, he doesn't understand English,
00:15:44and he's getting $100,000 anyway.
00:15:46Lucas has a lot of scar tissue over both eyes.
00:15:52His cut man, Bob Miller, acknowledged to us
00:15:54that it could become a factor
00:15:55if Jones connects early
00:15:57and is able to produce a cut.
00:16:00Well, Shakespeare said,
00:16:02men die from time to time.
00:16:04Worms eat them, but never for love.
00:16:07Jones should be weary of any praises from this point on.
00:16:10George, never know why they're praising him.
00:16:15Just don't build a guy up just to tie him down.
00:16:19He's a good fighter.
00:16:21Mohammed Ali went to Canada against a Canadian like this,
00:16:24thinking he'd get an easy payday
00:16:25and end up getting the worst body beating
00:16:27against George Shabello.
00:16:2915 rounds.
00:16:31Happy life.
00:16:32Beat Sonny Lister.
00:16:33Now, all of that is a brilliantly arranged way of saying
00:16:37don't disrespect anybody, right?
00:16:39Not all.
00:16:40Mike Tyson went to Japan to get an easy payday.
00:16:44No, there wasn't even an embedding in some parts of the country.
00:16:47He went away bruised, looking on the canvas for his mouthpiece.
00:16:50George Foreman went to Africa,
00:16:52looking to whip an old guy.
00:16:56George Foreman has already suggested that
00:16:58Roy Jones might have given up something in the legs tonight
00:17:01by having played those 14 minutes of basketball today.
00:17:04And Jones, relatively stationary
00:17:06as the first round gets underway.
00:17:10That's what's frightening me about playing basketball
00:17:12and one day then trying to box in the same.
00:17:15Feet is not moving up and down like he normally did.
00:17:18Not the kind of conventional fighter
00:17:20who normally works everything off the jab,
00:17:23but he started out with the jab
00:17:25and the conventional stance
00:17:27and none of his usual athletic artistry
00:17:30here in the first round.
00:17:34You've got a tendency to try to be a little conservative
00:17:36because you've wasted energy.
00:17:38If you give this guy, Lucas, any kind of encouragement,
00:17:41you're going to have a fight on your hands.
00:17:44Wouldn't that be interesting?
00:17:46All Lucas has to do
00:17:48is to avoid any punishment,
00:17:50keep this fight going into the 6th and 7th round,
00:17:52and then open up with whatever he can do.
00:18:01Relatively cautious first round for both fighters.
00:18:07And a lot of hotel lobby rags
00:18:09who were predicting a first round knockout this afternoon
00:18:13are mildly embarrassed at the moment.
00:18:15Well, if I'm in Lucas' corner,
00:18:19I will tell him,
00:18:20don't try anything until the 4th and 5th round.
00:18:23Extend this fight as long as you can.
00:18:34When we go to Eric Lucas' corner between rounds,
00:18:40well, the first time ever here,
00:18:42a French interpreter.
00:18:44His name is Jean Brassard.
00:18:56Yeah, he's encouraged by Yvon Michel,
00:18:59his trainer here,
00:19:00to take his time and wait and take his time.
00:19:04And then let him go.
00:19:07Don't stay on his right.
00:19:09Stay low, stay on your right.
00:19:17Don't tilt your head forward.
00:19:23Just when you feel his jab,
00:19:24just lower your head a little bit.
00:19:28Going well.
00:19:28Stay on your side.
00:19:31You're ready.
00:19:34All that adds up to play defense.
00:19:36Jones threw 38 jabs in the first round against Eric Lucas.
00:19:43I'd be interested to know how many jabs Jones threw
00:19:45in 12 rounds against James Stoney.
00:19:47It might not have been as many
00:19:49as the 38 he just threw in the first round here.
00:19:53And he starts out pumping the jab again in round two.
00:19:57One thing good about Roy Jones,
00:20:02he doesn't even look for an opening
00:20:03before he throws his straight right half hand.
00:20:05If you even have your hands up,
00:20:06he'll just push that punch right through it.
00:20:09And he lands the left hook.
00:20:12And Roy Jones is starting to open up
00:20:14and show Eric Lucas a little bit of what he's got.
00:20:16Eric Lucas should be cautious.
00:20:21Jab to the stomach and move back.
00:20:23Keep jabbing, moving back.
00:20:25Do not get confident just with your hands being up.
00:20:29Lucas going to Jones' body,
00:20:32hoping to take out whatever's left
00:20:34after the afternoon of basketball.
00:20:40Jones hasn't thrown a lot of punches,
00:20:42but he is real,
00:20:43he's sweating a lot in the face.
00:20:50Throwing punches of many more varieties
00:20:52here in round two
00:20:53than was the case in round one.
00:20:57Good right hand by Roy Jones.
00:20:59Right hand lead over the top.
00:21:04Sometimes with Jones,
00:21:05the more unconventional he gets,
00:21:07the better he is.
00:21:08Every time you hit Lucas,
00:21:12he seems to stop doing anything.
00:21:16And that's the time to get Jones
00:21:17before he can get back set.
00:21:34Right hand
00:21:35glanced across the right side
00:21:38of Lucas' face
00:21:39as it had landed flush.
00:21:40It was going to do some damage.
00:21:42Lucas bravely coming back
00:21:44and landing a combination of his own.
00:21:46That's wise,
00:21:47because he gets in two good shots,
00:21:49Lucas,
00:21:50and then he backs away.
00:21:51Great.
00:21:53Roy Jones can really get you
00:21:54standing in there
00:21:55trying to go toe-to-toe with him.
00:21:57Jones just a little bit short
00:21:58with his punches right now.
00:22:01You expect that within the next couple of rounds,
00:22:03he'll try to step in another few inches.
00:22:05He's not Superman.
00:22:06He's heard all that
00:22:07criticism.
00:22:08He's not fighting anyone.
00:22:09He's going to do well here tonight.
00:22:13Anything less than a knockout,
00:22:14he feels
00:22:15they're going to talk about me bad now.
00:22:21Quick leaping left hook
00:22:22as he
00:22:23switched positions on Lucas.
00:22:25And there's the first hard right hand
00:22:27and it momentarily sunned Lucas,
00:22:29but he's got a pretty good chin.
00:22:31Roy Jones is doing all of this
00:22:32with his hands,
00:22:33his feet unmoving that much.
00:22:36Just as you predicted
00:22:37would be the case,
00:22:38Big George.
00:22:39Doing a lot with his hand,
00:22:40but his feet aren't there
00:22:41like normal.
00:22:41I got you.
00:22:42I got you.
00:22:42I got you.
00:22:42All right, baby,
00:22:50he's still laying out there.
00:22:51You're touching him
00:22:51a little bit more there.
00:22:52That's good.
00:22:53All right, baby,
00:22:54he's still laying out there.
00:22:55You're touching him
00:22:56a little bit more there.
00:22:57That's good.
00:22:57Give me some water.
00:22:59Give me the water.
00:23:00Let my face.
00:23:01All right.
00:23:01Wipe his face off.
00:23:04There you go.
00:23:04That double jab working for you.
00:23:06You start landing that second jab.
00:23:08Start landing that second jab.
00:23:11Right hand that started landing.
00:23:12It was falling short.
00:23:13Now you're getting on target with it.
00:23:15Start hitting it with that right hand,
00:23:16start pulling the hook behind.
00:23:17Get a little Vaseline on his face, bro.
00:23:19Give me something.
00:23:20Yeah, he got it.
00:23:21Okay.
00:23:22Okay.
00:23:23Doing good.
00:23:23Let's keep him.
00:23:24He's still a little tentative
00:23:25about coming in.
00:23:25If he's feeling behind,
00:23:26you'll be able to get
00:23:27some good trap shots in.
00:23:28He's laying out there right now.
00:23:30All right.
00:23:31Okay.
00:23:31Let it work.
00:23:33Let it work.
00:23:34Just take your time.
00:23:34It'll come.
00:23:36You'll make a mistake.
00:23:38All right.
00:23:39You saw those punch stat numbers.
00:23:42Lucas has landed
00:23:43six punches in two rounds.
00:23:45And Jones landing 23% of his dabs
00:23:59in the first two rounds.
00:24:00That's just slightly below
00:24:02his season field goal percentage.
00:24:05$1,000 on the line.
00:24:23He's got a right.
00:24:23Now,
00:24:24that's what's happening.
00:24:24He's got a good point.
00:24:27You're not good.
00:24:29He's got a good point.
00:24:31You're not good.
00:24:31You're not good.
00:24:32You're not good.
00:24:33He's got a good point.
00:24:33right hand landed and Lucas felt his foot slipped on a slick spot here in the ring
00:24:44he also felt the power of Roy Jones
00:24:46he recovered quick Lucas did but that was a good right hand
00:25:03Jones hasn't landed a power left hook yet of the kind that starts Murky Sosa in Madison Square Garden
00:25:12Roy stepping in maybe an inch or two and getting closer
00:25:27but finding the range with those right crosses over the top
00:25:31about that time Roy Jones is starting to wonder about those new paper clippers that said hey this
00:25:36guy is nothing he's wondering when he's gonna flop well he's a solid conservative fighters landed
00:25:46only six punches as you saw in the first couple rounds he landed two or three right there and now
00:25:51it's a right hand from Jones and Jones goes to work with a multi-punch combination of just as you said
00:25:58George when Jones starts throwing with that piston like hand speed Lucas stops and waits you know it's
00:26:05so hard to get in a good sweat like Roy Jones had earlier today and then come out here and get warm
00:26:10quickly you give it all once you loosen up and it's hard to do it twice in one day especially when you're
00:26:18trying to win in both ends left hand to the body by Jones just below Eric Lucas's right elbow that one
00:26:30was blocked on the arm but it's still hurt Roy Jones is landing the power but he's not as accurate as he
00:26:36normally was has been generally those shots hit you on the tip of the ear or somewhere around the chin
00:26:41holding the left hand out straight and fainting with the right as the round three came to a close
00:26:56and still become if you tuned in late don't you worry about a thing you have not missed our videotape
00:27:02replay of last Friday night's confrontation between Julio Cesar Chavez fighting in what he himself
00:27:09computed to be his 100th fight his career some official record-keeping sources still say it was the 99th but
00:27:16either way it was against the rising star of 140 pound division Oscar de la Hoya and we'll show it to
00:27:22you right after this so basically Lucas is being encouraged again to stay low and to wait his time
00:27:30and to stay on his way Jones gonna keep coming to him and stay on your right that's the advice for now
00:27:40this is the trainer who said that Jones would have to have his worst night and look at his best night
00:27:48for there to be any kind of any result other than the one we expect he's just trying to get rounds out
00:27:58of Lucas he's a fairly clever defensive fighter much that numbers indicate that the first three rounds were
00:28:05for a festival of missed jams Jones missing 100 out of 112 Lucas missing 37 out of 40 Harold Lutterman
00:28:14I see you have it 30 to 27 so far Jim is there any other way you can have it I mean yeah up to this
00:28:23point really it's all Roy Jones with that jab an occasional left hook and a good straight right hand
00:28:27he's doing a damage Eric Lucas fight the defensive fight not punching much and it's the only way you can have
00:28:32it he's starting to throw that lead right hand more and more and now it's starting to land flush George
00:28:40well Lucas corner told him to stay low now he's up a little straighter than they had wanted him to be
00:28:45what if you're not doing anything stay low even though he has a better reach still has to stay low
00:28:52because Jones got that right hand and you saw Jones whip in the one left hook to the jaw and now as Lucas
00:29:01lunges in and takes a chance on throwing a punch Jones comes up and under with the right
00:29:06more focus defensive battle and the occasional boob coming from the upper reaches of Jacksonville
00:29:28Cautious defensive battle and the occasional boo coming from the upper reaches of Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum.
00:29:38So Jones goes to work to give the crowd a little bit of its money's worth.
00:29:46Well the time to throw punches is when Jones throws shots throw back.
00:29:52Lucas stop throwing anything.
00:29:59I think the biggest mistake Roy Jones has made is to listen to all of this talk about him not fighting anyone.
00:30:28Big mistake he tried to argue it.
00:30:30He should have had his mind set as much as his body set on fighting a quality opponent tonight.
00:30:35And that's what he's doing.
00:30:37You said to him yesterday in the fighter meetings that he was making a mistake allowing himself to be distracted by all this.
00:30:45Too much distraction because you use up energy arguing with people that managers should be arguing with.
00:30:51George he's the one who handpicked this opponent because he didn't think he was much of an opponent.
00:31:01So no matter what anybody else says he has already made that decision.
00:31:07A lot of us are flying off to London next week.
00:31:10Here's why.
00:31:12This year at Wimbledon there will be only one royal family.
00:31:16At least one that gets along and knows the score.
00:31:19And only HBO's got one.
00:31:21Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Mary Carrillo.
00:31:25Wimbledon 96 on HBO.
00:31:28Court is in session.
00:31:31Begins Monday, June 24 on HBO.
00:31:37All right.
00:31:38Hey, come on.
00:31:40All right, baby.
00:31:41We're going in a five.
00:31:42In a five.
00:31:43In a five.
00:31:45Round four.
00:31:46Roy Jones' most aggressive offensive display so far.
00:31:54You look at the sweat dropping off of Roy Jones and then look at the sweat dropping off of Lucas.
00:31:58Totally different guys tonight.
00:32:01What do you mean by that, George?
00:32:06What do you mean by that, George?
00:32:08Sometimes sweat falls pitifully.
00:32:11Sometimes it just falls.
00:32:13That's not a good sweat for Jones.
00:32:15He's going to really have to get out there and do something and do it quick.
00:32:18Well, you have to assume that Jones was so conscious of rehydrating today that if anything, he's grown too much water.
00:32:25I mean, he's bound to have been drinking water all afternoon in the wake of the basketball game.
00:32:30That's true.
00:32:31Now, he didn't have any legs because of that basketball game earlier.
00:32:34Now, he allowed himself to get hit in the body.
00:32:36That's going to make it worse.
00:32:38But he just busted Lucas with a hard left hook.
00:32:41Which is one of his hardest connects of the fight so far.
00:32:45I think Lucas should have gotten a little lower earlier.
00:32:49And stayed lower.
00:32:50It's hard to stay down there though.
00:32:56Great right hand.
00:32:59First time Roy Jones starting to use his feet a little bit.
00:33:02Yep.
00:33:05Second wins.
00:33:07Nope.
00:33:08I think it's the bluff.
00:33:14You mean you don't think he really has the energy to back this up?
00:33:17Not at all.
00:33:18It's a bluff.
00:33:19Lucas stayed the course.
00:33:21Got a little lower.
00:33:22And if he goes to the chest and to the body now, he'll do good.
00:33:26Jones landed an uppercut.
00:33:28Lucas feeling the will to get aggressive again.
00:33:31Got to respect Eric Lucas for what he's done in there so far.
00:33:42He was not expected by many to last into the fifth round.
00:33:45And he's a better expert at what he does and what other people said that he couldn't do.
00:33:53Than the other people.
00:33:54Jones with another virtuoso display of skill and unusual punching angles.
00:34:02Here in round five.
00:34:03Eric Lucas is following good directions from his corner.
00:34:04They told him, buy it your time, stay low.
00:34:05Well you've said all along that beyond six rounds it would get a little iffy for Jones.
00:34:20And we are in the fifth.
00:34:23Lucas has been able to land good left hook to the side of the chin of Roy Jones' chin.
00:34:29And he's landed a little bit to the body too.
00:34:31Which may over the long haul be the more significant thing.
00:34:34And you put a guy like Roy Jones in front of his hometown crowd like this,
00:34:38to make him do something desperate, he may get knocked down himself.
00:34:42Home state.
00:34:43Some of them probably came from Pensacola, but it's a northern Florida crowd.
00:34:49Pensacola, you know that's like a six hour drive away.
00:34:52It's not close by, yeah.
00:34:54Almost a homeboy.
00:34:55Yeah.
00:35:01Lucas is fighting rounds, but this is not a competitive fight, guys.
00:35:10Harold Letterman, how do you have it so far?
00:35:12Well Jim, not a terribly hard fight to score.
00:35:15Five rounds to nothing, 50 to 45, Roy Jones Jr.
00:35:18He's doing all the punching.
00:35:19He's landing the good solid effective shots.
00:35:21He's backing the guy up.
00:35:22Eric Lucas certainly can't get around for taking shots on his jaw.
00:35:25Eric Lucas certainly isn't doing enough to win a round.
00:35:28But on the other hand, I don't think Roy Jones has done enough to win a round 10 to 8.
00:35:32So it's easy.
00:35:33Five to nothing, 50 to 45, Roy Jones Jr.
00:35:36He's very confident on his performance, and now we're super correct when he's running on his jaw.
00:35:41And we're at.
00:35:43This is my piece.
00:35:44Yeah, I'll be some.
00:35:45All right, let's work him.
00:35:46Let's work him some now, let's work him some.
00:35:47Okay, Bobby, give it to him.
00:35:49We have six.
00:35:50Lucas is landing around six punches around
00:35:56I think this fight is a lot more competitive because
00:36:03Roy Jones did not expect to be hit so much
00:36:06George, he's getting hit six punches around
00:36:10now Roy Jones starting to move his feet a little bit more
00:36:20it's like he's been saving them
00:36:21to me this looks like a race between a Porsche and a pickup truck
00:36:40and it is but a pickup truck has a bigger gas tank than a Porsche
00:36:47that may be what Lucas is banking on
00:36:51Larry Roy Jones did not intend to be hit like this
00:36:58say what you want this is a competitive fight
00:37:01we've staked our position
00:37:07our right hand by Lucas his best punch of the fight so far
00:37:15Jones retaliated with a left up and under and Lucas nearly doubled over
00:37:21Jones did something smarty with a left hook to the body
00:37:24that's going to be a salvation tonight
00:37:27he'll land some body punches to make sure this fight goes your way
00:37:30another right to the body by Roy Jones
00:37:33wasn't throwing him any body punches early on but he's gone to that strategy within the last round
00:37:41first time Lucas backed up a little bit
00:37:49left hook by Lucas
00:37:54another left hook up top this one misses for Eric Lucas
00:38:01Jones as cautious as you might expect for a man who's played 14 minutes
00:38:09of minor league professional basketball
00:38:11today with players who are a little bit better than he is although he says his
00:38:15defense is improving all the time Lucas pirouetting away from a Jones footwork move
00:38:20that's what I like to see when Roy Jones decide to use hand and feet there's no one that can compete with him at this time but when he's just using his quick hand
00:38:28and his feet in one place nothing can happen
00:38:36when you flurry you got to get out of there also
00:38:46good right hand by Lucas but a left hand by Jones and Lucas spitting a little blood
00:38:53out of his mouth as this round comes to a close
00:39:06he's going to try to get you out of this round
00:39:08just hold on
00:39:10okay
00:39:12he's going to try to get you out of this round
00:39:14just hold on
00:39:16he's going to be right all the time he's telling you on the show
00:39:18he's going to stay on your right
00:39:20that's all there is to it
00:39:22and now take a breath
00:39:24okay
00:39:26you can do it
00:39:28he's going to try to get you out of this round
00:39:32just hold on
00:39:34just hold on
00:39:36okay
00:39:38I know about him
00:39:40on three years
00:39:44I wonder how he wanted to show
00:39:51Lucas's trainer and manager knows that Jones is going to try to take him out in this round
00:39:58actually he told some of our camera people in the dressing room earlier
00:40:02that he would try to get him in the sixth or seventh round
00:40:06you mean if I'm Michelle said that
00:40:08he said in this no in the corner he said he's going to try to take you out in this round
00:40:12yeah but when you're saying that somebody told our camera people earlier in the dressing room
00:40:17is that no no that was Jones who said that
00:40:19so he said he tried to take him out in the sixth or seventh huh
00:40:22yes
00:40:23well maybe about Michelle just has real good intelligence
00:40:26now Lucas if he's going to win this fight
00:40:29this these other rounds coming up that he's supposed to pull ahead
00:40:32he's supposed to pull ahead
00:40:34he doesn't pull ahead now
00:40:35chances are going to be slim
00:40:37but he's losing every round
00:40:38I mean it's going to be hard for him to win a decision in some
00:40:40yeah
00:40:41but I would have thought that he was holding back
00:40:43but now he can no longer hold back
00:40:44he's got to go for growth
00:40:45I see
00:40:46you want to extend the fighter who played basketball in the same day
00:40:51well he's accomplished that
00:40:53but then you got to jump on him in the seventh round
00:40:55you don't want to give him any encouragement
00:40:57and that's what he's getting with his left jab now
00:41:00only encouraged
00:41:01well you get the feeling that if Lucas opened up and threw a lot more punches
00:41:04he would only create more opportunities for Jones to hit him
00:41:08I don't think so
00:41:10Jones is playing the
00:41:12yo quick punch
00:41:14I'll hit you if you hit me
00:41:15if you don't hit me I'm not going to do anything too
00:41:17he's being conservative also
00:41:19this is what Lucas has to do and he has to do a lot of it right now
00:41:35take a breather and then take him back to the corner and do it again
00:41:38Jones continually backing up into his own corner and trying to lure Lucas in there with him
00:41:44and when Lucas goes in he's been thrown to the body
00:41:47which is probably the smartest thing he can do
00:41:58Lucas will throw six punches while he's on the rope
00:42:01take a step back, take a deep breath
00:42:04take him back to the rope and do it again
00:42:10he's getting his chances there and going to the body
00:42:13Roy Jones tapping and pecking with that awesome
00:42:16hand speed
00:42:18they trade with each other
00:42:20as they pop back out of the board
00:42:22we see all the hand speed in the world
00:42:24but not much feet speed
00:42:26no foot speed at all
00:42:27the feet are stable
00:42:29and maybe not quite as much punching power
00:42:31as has been the case in the past few fights for Jones
00:42:34because you need your legs to land those good shots
00:42:37I just think that Lucas has a real good beard
00:42:42to go
00:42:44pst
00:42:49семь rounds down
00:42:52five more scheduled in the battle between Roy Jones and Erick Lukeups
00:42:55Seven rounds down, five more scheduled in the battle between Roy Jones and Eric Lucas.
00:43:07Proud, not certain how to react.
00:43:09They had expected a possible early knockout still to come.
00:43:12Our videotape coverage of last Friday night's battle between Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya.
00:43:18How good is De La Hoya?
00:43:19See for yourself when you stick around with us after Roy Jones Jr. tries to finish up this performance against Eric Lucas.
00:43:29Nice.
00:43:30Try to work that jab up and down, see if he'll change up in.
00:43:34See if he can get him to reach him down so he can get your hook in.
00:43:36He's catching.
00:43:37Got that hand up high.
00:43:39Fight down, come up top, then try to throw your hook in your right hand.
00:43:42Yeah.
00:43:44He got them damn hands glued to his head.
00:43:46Give me some grease on the right side, left side.
00:43:49Merkerson a little bit disappointed it seems as he says he's got those damn hands glued to his head.
00:44:05Well, what does he expect?
00:44:07That's what you're supposed to do to defend yourself.
00:44:09Yeah, but what he's saying is he's not winging enough punches, so he's just fighting a defensive fight.
00:44:16Roy Jones switching to a southpaw stance.
00:44:19And loading up, left-hand leads, and he lands a couple of them against Eric Lucas' chest.
00:44:35Lucas slowing down for a moment to pause and get a look at Jones and the southpaw stance.
00:44:40Generally speaking, when they're in the middle of the ring like this, Eric Lucas doesn't throw many punches.
00:44:55What will the southpaw stance do for Jones here, George?
00:44:57Well, for Lucas, it's important that he continues to continue to do what he has been doing all the time.
00:45:04Let the other guy change up, but you stick.
00:45:06He's changing because you've done something to him that he doesn't like.
00:45:10So you stick to what you're doing, don't change.
00:45:12But because he doesn't have a record of many knockouts, I can't see why he's waiting for one or two punches.
00:45:22Lucas.
00:45:25George, this guy's like a football team behind 35-0 at the half.
00:45:30And running the ball.
00:45:31And running the ball into the middle of the line.
00:45:38Yeah, he's not trying to win the fight, I don't think.
00:45:41He's trying to land a good shot.
00:45:44George, the man's got five knockouts in over 20 fights.
00:45:47He doesn't have any good shots.
00:45:50Sometimes you can't tell fighters if they're down there.
00:45:52There's not that.
00:46:12Jones apparently intent on fighting the whole round as a southpaw.
00:46:17But still leading mostly with the left.
00:46:19Now he considers switching back to his conventional stance and goes southpaw again.
00:46:24He did not do it quick.
00:46:26Step one foot and then the other back normally just skips it around.
00:46:38Uppercut landed inside for Roy.
00:46:44Still landing a lot of punches here as round eight continues.
00:46:47Right hand landed flush.
00:46:49He's not landing with enough power to damage Eric Lucas and get him drunk.
00:46:56He's making Lucas want to box this round.
00:46:59Maybe Lucas' idea here is to break Roy Jones' hands on his jaw.
00:47:04Give him a bit of a picture.
00:47:05Let's see.
00:47:06Okay.
00:47:08There you go.
00:47:09Give him a lot more now.
00:47:11We're in eight.
00:47:12We're going to nine now.
00:47:13Going to ninth round.
00:47:15How you feel?
00:47:15Harold Letterman threw eight rounds.
00:47:18Give us your score or do you have to give us your score?
00:47:22Larry, I guess I got it the same way as everybody else.
00:47:25Eight to nothing.
00:47:2580 to 72 Roy Jones Jr.
00:47:28Roy Jones has landed all those good shots.
00:47:29When he went southpaw certainly he drilled Eric Lucas with really good straight left hands.
00:47:33Eric Lucas just is not throwing punches and that's why he can't win a round.
00:47:37But very interesting.
00:47:38Roy Jones Jr. fades into the corners a lot.
00:47:40I think he's doing it to rest.
00:47:41I'll be honest with you.
00:47:42The basketball game may have taken something out of him because he does get a rest when
00:47:45he goes into the corners.
00:47:47That's when Lucas mounts what for him might be considered offense.
00:47:52Two eight rounds.
00:48:00Jones landing 39% of his punches.
00:48:03That's a little bit down from the kind of connect percentage he has been flashing in recent fights.
00:48:09And Lucas has gotten it up to 25%.
00:48:11He's now landed 53 punches in eight rounds.
00:48:14And that's almost seven punches a round, Larry.
00:48:18Stepping it up.
00:48:18Jones with a right hand over the top.
00:48:42Crowd getting restless.
00:48:43They had been programmed to expect a knockout.
00:48:48Lucas taking a lot of blows to the head.
00:48:58And when he lands, as he occasionally does, usually to the body.
00:49:03Well, the tide has turned.
00:49:06And it's obvious now that Roy Jones is having the time to do.
00:49:11No longer a fight that Lucas can pull out.
00:49:16So you've discovered to your satisfaction that Lucas doesn't have the offense or the punch
00:49:28to do anything with having tired Jones out.
00:49:31I would have thought after the seven rounds that he'd go out to try to get a knockout.
00:49:34But he just doesn't have the punch and the sting in his punches to deliver a quick knockout.
00:49:39So he's got to wait, let Jones recuperate whenever he wants, rest, and hit him.
00:49:45Now, should Jones satisfy himself with the easy decision here?
00:49:49Or is it an embarrassment to him if he doesn't score a KO?
00:49:51I really don't think Roy Jones can get a good, clean knockout.
00:49:55So now he's going to make himself not look so good.
00:49:58But he should just stick to his jab.
00:50:00Occasionally throw a good right hand and look for a quick knockout.
00:50:02All great fighters have been in the ring with opponents who just wouldn't go.
00:50:11Said about Muhammad Ali early on with George Shavello.
00:50:14He did everything he could.
00:50:16And Shavello was there every round.
00:50:18And Shavello was there every round.
00:50:48You know, guys, there's an out cut on the bridge of Lucas' nose.
00:50:53I think a case can be made that this is a fight that should be stopped.
00:50:57He's taking a terrible licking.
00:50:59He has no chance to win this fight that anybody could see.
00:51:09He's put up a brave front.
00:51:12He's being asked if he wants to stop.
00:51:14But he's okay.
00:51:18Take the opportunity to fight.
00:51:20Take the opportunity to fight.
00:51:24And punch any time you can.
00:51:28When he comes right next to you, just push him back.
00:51:32He's giving you the chance.
00:51:35Just push him right back.
00:51:37I think Yvonne Michel has to start thinking about how much he loves his fighter.
00:51:53How much he wants him to fight in the future.
00:51:56Just being able to say he went the distance with Roy Jones.
00:51:59I don't know if that's worth this.
00:52:02What are your thoughts on that, George?
00:52:05Well, you're a fighter.
00:52:06You're being paid.
00:52:07You didn't want to be a professional fighter.
00:52:09Take it.
00:52:10Go into basketball full-time.
00:52:12Sometimes you dance to the music, you've got to pay the pipe.
00:52:18And now there is blood flowing from both nostrils in addition to from the cut across the bridge
00:52:23of the nose.
00:52:23And Eric Lucas is distracted enough by that that he's not throwing back.
00:52:29And Jones is landing continuously.
00:52:32I think Brian Gary is starting to think that this might not be a bad stoppage.
00:52:38Got to admire Lucas' guts.
00:52:41We've seen a lot of French-Canadian fighters, tough, tough guys, when they get down to the States.
00:52:47If Lucas doesn't open it up now, it's never.
00:52:50You've got to fight Lucas, and you don't have a chance.
00:53:00Now, he's too slow, George.
00:53:02If he opens up and throws a lot of punches, he's just going to get raped.
00:53:06He's going to get ripped by Roy Jones because of the disparity in hand speed and Jones' counterpunching ability.
00:53:11He's done everything he should have done, but nature just didn't give him a punch.
00:53:15That's right.
00:53:16To make this thing switch.
00:53:20Some kind of referee has got to look at that and say, hey, I don't think this guy can pull it out.
00:53:26Well, but he could get a knockdown here.
00:53:29Boy, you wouldn't mind seeing the stoppage either.
00:53:31Not at all.
00:53:32It's going to be called a slip.
00:53:40Blood flowing freely from Lucas' nostrils.
00:53:44Still a minute 15 to go in the round.
00:53:46The four fighters who went the distance with Roy Jones were James Toney, Jorge Castro, Bernard Hopkins.
00:53:54All of them dangerous, hard-punching, good pros.
00:53:57And Fermin Torino back in 1993, earlier in Jones' career.
00:54:04I think it would be Jones better to fight more quality opponents.
00:54:09I think you've got a point, Horace.
00:54:20Lucas did a fine job as far as strategy was concerned.
00:54:24Jeff doesn't have that dynamite punch that he needs to turn the time.
00:54:28Oh, that's the best punch of the fight, that hard left hook for the lower jaw of Eric Lucas.
00:54:40And Lucas was rocked back on his heels by that one.
00:54:44I think if Roy was sitting ringside with us, he'd be saying, stop this fight.
00:54:51He sure would.
00:54:52He's a big advocate of safety stoppages.
00:55:01Well, let's see if the ring doctor goes to Lucas' corner.
00:55:04It's all right.
00:55:07It's all right.
00:55:08How do you feel?
00:55:10He doesn't want to stop.
00:55:14He just wants to go.
00:55:22Just push him back if he comes to you.
00:55:24Just push him right back.
00:55:27You sure you want to go?
00:55:34You either fight him, punch him, or hold him on.
00:55:39Don't use your head.
00:55:41Stay on your legs.
00:55:43He has the buff.
00:55:44Stay low.
00:55:47You shouldn't ask a fighter if he wants to go on.
00:55:50You tell the fighter.
00:55:54That's what made Angelo Dunn these so great.
00:55:57It has been great.
00:55:58In round 10, Roy Jones dispensed with the jab and went with all power shots.
00:56:03He threw 83 power punches.
00:56:05That's all he threw in the round.
00:56:08He landed 40 of them.
00:56:09That's too much punishment for any man to have to take.
00:56:12We've got a brave opponent and a brave referee.
00:56:33Too brave for my take.
00:56:33It's getting grim in there.
00:56:35A grim looking exhibition now.
00:56:38Well, you've got to wonder about Roy Jones.
00:56:41You've got a fellow on the edge like that he doesn't want to quit.
00:56:44He does ways of winning boxing matches without destroying him.
00:56:48Yeah, Roy doesn't enjoy this, George.
00:56:50I don't think that he likes it at all.
00:56:52I saw you waving to the ring, doctor, but you didn't get his attention, did you?
00:56:56Roy Jones, if he's in good shape, he can just finish it with a nice left jab.
00:57:03Body punches to make sure the guy doesn't hurt him.
00:57:05Roy's switching southpaw one more time.
00:57:09And just laying these punches in there, not really trying to commit to a punch right now
00:57:15because I think he's as concerned as all the rest of us are about the damage we might be doing to Lucas.
00:57:21But you've got to protect yourself because Lucas is still at this point trying to get Roy Jones.
00:57:38Left hook to the top of the head.
00:57:43Straight right hand snapping Lucas' head back.
00:57:49You just kind of wish that referee Brian Gary would take things into his own hands.
00:57:56Lucas should just fight. Fight. There it goes. There it goes. Keep fighting.
00:58:04Go into the body. If you're going to be in the ring, fight.
00:58:10Yeah, because somebody in there is likely to be fighting.
00:58:16May as well make it you.
00:58:20Round house right. Lucas takes that one just the way he's taken all the rest of them.
00:58:28Left hand snapping his head back.
00:58:31And if they came for blood, they're getting their money's worth.
00:58:40It's now bleeding from the right eye of Lucas.
00:58:44Eye, nose, mouth.
00:58:47Right on the point of the chin with that left hand.
00:58:53Now the referee didn't stop it earlier. He need not stop it now.
00:59:06Bleeding real hard.
00:59:08We've got one left.
00:59:09He's got one left.
00:59:10One round left.
00:59:11He's got one left.
00:59:12He only pulls it up there now.
00:59:13That's a big, uh...
00:59:14That's a big, uh...
00:59:15Last round here...
00:59:16Tell me...
00:59:17Ah, no more?
00:59:18No, no more.
00:59:19This is it.
00:59:20Good for the doctor.
00:59:21This is it.
00:59:22Good for the doctor.
00:59:23Good for the doctor.
00:59:25TKO for Roy Jones.
00:59:28And not a moment too soon.
00:59:31I think that was true, although he's got beaten all those rounds.
00:59:35He wanted to go to 12th round and shouldn't have been stopped
00:59:39Roy Jones is not going to get any more powerful now
00:59:44Because went home with the victory that I went 12 rounds with the great
00:59:48Are the good so your opinion changed as the 10th round came to an issue after gone 12 round don't step up and stop the fight there
00:59:56Not like Roy Jones is going to come on stronger
00:59:58I don't know George. I just don't know what point would be made by letting him fight the 12th round
01:00:05I understand what you're saying
01:00:07But we all know that Jimmy Garciano got way too much punishment against Gabriel. Yeah, you're right. You're right
01:00:14That is right. You got to consider that
01:00:17Harold had to score it
01:00:191 10 98 11 rats for nothing Roy Jones jr. He wins all the way
01:00:25I mean absolutely way ahead in this fight. I scored the 10th round 10 to 8 because he beat up Eric with the so bad in a 10th round
01:00:32I mean it was certainly a 10 8 round without a knockdown
01:00:34And I want to tell you Jim. I agree with you with Brian Gary a hundred percent
01:00:38I would have stopped the fight this kid took a terrible beating Roy Jones jr
01:00:41Still a magnificent one still one of the best in the world a hard hitter great leverage great punches really good power he kills you
01:00:49and he
01:00:51Gradually took Eric Lucas apart haste himself in the first six rounds
01:00:55maybe a little bit
01:00:57Drained after the afternoon of playing basketball
01:00:59Maybe not but for whatever reason he didn't really open up and start unloading the kitchen until around round seven or eight
01:01:06And then once he did it was target practice
01:01:12So Roy Jones having scored the technical knockout over Lucas here's Michael buffer with the particulars
01:01:18Ladies and gentlemen referee Brian Gary acting on the advice of the position ringside calls a halt to the bout the official time
01:01:27The knockout comes at the end of round 11
01:01:30Entered by TKO and still
01:01:33The undefeated
01:01:35I'm here super middleweight champion of the world
01:01:38Roy jr
01:01:43jr
01:01:45All right, final punch stat numbers in the 11 rounds of action between Roy Jones and Eric Lucas.
01:01:55And you can see the huge disparities in punches landed, punches thrown, et cetera.
01:02:01Lucas eventually bringing those statistics up for himself, but Jones thoroughly dominant throughout the bout.
01:02:08Larry Merchant is standing by with the winner.
01:02:10Roy, congratulations.
01:02:11Did playing basketball last night and this afternoon take anything out of you?
01:02:17No, I don't think it took anything out of me physically.
01:02:19First of all, let me take time out to thank God for giving me the opportunity to come out and do the things that I do, the way that I'm doing.
01:02:25And I thank God that we both had a successful night and no one got injured.
01:02:29Now, basketball, it takes a little bit out of you, you know, but it's really mental.
01:02:34And it's just like jogging in a fight or getting themselves down in weight a couple of days before the fight.
01:02:38They put out a lot and they work and they work and they work.
01:02:41And then they have to come in and fight.
01:02:43Would you do this against a formidable opponent?
01:02:45Would you play basketball before against a formidable opponent?
01:02:48Yes, just give me one.
01:02:49What was the point you're trying to prove?
01:02:51Would you tell us by playing basketball and fighting?
01:02:54What point is there?
01:02:56Well, it's like Delahoy has Shevins.
01:02:57He has my friend Ike Quartate.
01:02:59He has Trinidad.
01:03:00He has a lot of people out there for opposition.
01:03:01I don't have anybody that the public demands to see me fight or that you guys don't want to pay me enough to take a chance and go out there and fight.
01:03:07So I started creating challenges for myself.
01:03:11Basketball, to prove that I could play basketball, come out here and watch Smoke and Mane fight, then come and fight, prove something to myself.
01:03:16Anything I set my mind to, I can do.
01:03:18That gave me the urge to get up for this fight.
01:03:20Normally, I would have looked terrible against this guy because he's a durable guy.
01:03:23I would have ran out of things to do.
01:03:24My mind wouldn't have been sharp and this would have been a horrible night for me.
01:03:26All right, let's look to the future now.
01:03:29Tommy Hearns was here tonight.
01:03:31Are you getting ready to negotiate a fight with Tommy Hearns?
01:03:35I think Tommy Hearns and Fred Levin and Harold Smith and them were trying to work something out for a fight.
01:03:41But if I beat Tommy Hearns, I really haven't did anything.
01:03:44If I injure Tommy Hearns, I'd make myself look bad.
01:03:46So I don't really know if I want to negotiate that fight.
01:03:48But I would like to fight somebody like Virgil Hill.
01:03:50Or if y'all pay me some money, I'll fight Lou DelVale.
01:03:53If y'all pay me some money, I'll fight whoever y'all want to see me fight.
01:03:54Just let's go sit down, do some talk.
01:03:56I really would want to go ahead and fight Virgil while I feel like I can make the weight easier.
01:04:00All right, thank you very much, Roy Jones.
01:04:02Back to you, Jim and George.
01:04:04All right.
01:04:05George, you know the business of boxing as well as better than anybody.
01:04:08This is the highest paid non-heavyweight in the world.
01:04:11And he's complaining about how much money he makes for each of these fights.
01:04:15Does he have a point?
01:04:16Yeah, I don't know.
01:04:17But he should be happy to get paid for this business, especially tonight.
01:04:21He had a good fight.
01:04:22He looked good.
01:04:22But the opponent was not the best in the world.
01:04:25He got quality money, so he should be smiling all the way to the bank.
01:04:28Would you say that to him if you had a private conversation with him?
01:04:31That he should get his mind off of his complaint about how much money he's getting for each fight?
01:04:35Yeah, he should stop talking business, period, and concentrate on being a good middleweight.
01:04:40And take fights.
01:04:41I don't think anyone in proper conditioning can whip Roy Jones.
01:04:46So he needn't worry about who's out there, who's dangerous for him.
01:04:49Care to hazard a guess as to whether this basketball flirtation is going to continue?
01:04:52No, I think we should lead a basketball to Shaquille O'Neal.
01:04:56That's my man.
01:04:57We are in northern Florida.
01:04:58All right.
01:04:59Thank you very much, George.
01:05:00Let's turn our attention right now to last Friday night.
01:05:04As you get ready...