Boxing’s Greats of the States | Florida: Roy Jones Jr.

Boxers come from every corner of the globe. Sometimes, fighters are products of their environment, favoring styles prevalent in the country or state from which they hail. Various regions of the United States are considered factories for great fighters, though that certainly is not the case with each state. In this weekly Sherdog.com series, the spotlight will shine on the best boxer of all-time from each of the 50 states. Fighters do not necessarily need to be born in a given state to represent it; they simply need to be associated with it. For example, all-time great heavyweight legend Joe Louis was born in Alabama, but he is identified almost universally with Detroit.

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While perhaps better known for its alligators, hurricanes, key limes, picturesque beaches and massive insects, the state of Florida also has a rich history with the Sweet Science. Of all the boxers produced by the Sunshine State, none rose to greater heights than Roy Jones Jr.

Jones captured world titles at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight, becoming only the second fighter to hold major championships at 160 pounds and heavyweight. He was breathtaking to watch in his prime, with incalculable speed, ferocious power and superb defense. Jones was for a time the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, a man without equal.

The Pensacola, Florida, native appeared to have struck gold at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, only to settle for silver because of a horrendous judges’ decision. The setback did not to dissuade him. After turning professional, Jones went on to score wins over Bernard Hopkins, James Toney, Thomas Tate, Mike McCallum, Virgil Hill, Montell Griffin, Felix Trinidad and Antonio Tarver. He won 49 of his first 50 fights, a disqualification loss to Griffin the only blemish. Even though age finally caught up to Jones, he managed to rattle off eight straight wins in his 40s. Still active at age 47, Jones’ record currently sits at 62-9.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Ronald “Winky” Wright, Antonio Tarver, Randall Bailey, Nate Campbell, Ray Mercer, James “Buddy” McGirt