Legend comes to Britain

Jones Jr - simply the best

By Sanjeev Shetty BBC Sport Online

"Great" is a word bandied around all too easily in the context of modern sport - but amid the hype about the mediocre, the genuine article still stands out a mile.

Tiger Woods, Pete Sampras and Michael Schumacher will all pass into history as men who were on a level above even their closest rivals - and in boxing there is another.

Roy Jones Jr - who is expected to fight in Britain against Sheffield-based Clinton Woods on 7 September - established his claim to the pantheon some time ago.

The 33-year-old world light-heavyweght champion is a daunting prospect for Woods, even though there is no doubt that the Briton deserves his chance to fight for the title.

Jones to fight Woods

For perhaps eight years, Jones has been the top fighter in the world, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer around.

With frightening hand speed, underrated power and sublime footwork, Jones Jr has dominated boxing from middleweight through to light-heavyweight.

His sole defeat came via disqualification against fellow American Montell Griffin - a loss avenged a short time later with a first-round knockout.

Jones Jr does not just win - he dominates.

Turpin upset the odds and became a champion

He has been floored just once and barely loses more than a couple of rounds in any of his bouts - all while making it look easy.

And this is despite his record including wins over 14 men who have been world champion at various points of their career.

Such is Jones' stature that the pressure on him to move up to cruiserweight and even heavyweight for some genuine competition has been large in recent years.

But Jones Jr is smart, cautious even, and perhaps that accounts for his relatively low public profile.

He is as keen to come out of the sport with his health intact as he is to establish his legend.

Jones has established that he can make an excellent living from the sport without having to put his body at even more risk.

What chance an upset?

He has pursued that level of caution more vigorously since the severe injuries suffered by Gerald McClellan in his fight with Nigel Benn in 1995.

Jones Jr was close to the stricken fighter and the fact that McClellan can now barely see or read left an indelibe impression.

Jones' desire to remain unharmed does not make it any more likely that Woods will beat him.

But that does not mean it could not happen.

Consider the last time a super champion came to the British Isles.

His name was Sugar Ray Robinson, perhaps the greatest fighter that ever lived.

On 10 July 1951, he lost a 15-round decision and his middleweight crown to Randolph Turpin of Leamington Spa.

Robinson, tired and under-prepared after a tour of Europe, was out-hustled by Turpin.

Jones Jr has one of the best work ethics in boxing, but you just never know...