Roy Jones Jr.

At 55 years old, Roy Jones Jr. has this physical status:

Roy Levesta Jones Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American former professional boxer, boxing instructor, rapper, and actor who holds dual American and Russian citizenship.

He competed in boxing from 1989 to 2018, winning multiple world championships in four weight classes, including middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight, and was the only boxer to start his career as a junior middleweight and heavyweight champion.

He appeared for the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics, winning a silver medal in the junior middleweight division after one of the sport's first male middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years, as an amateur.

He made history by unifying the WBC, WBC, and IBF titles prior to that.

Jones was known for his outstanding hand speed, athleticism, mobility, and reflexes during his prime. Jones has the most victories in unified light heavyweight championship matches in boxing history as of February 2018. He also holds the record for the highest number in unified light heavyweight championship battles in boxing history.

Jones was named Fighter of the Year in 1994 by the Ring magazine, and the World Boxing Hall of Fame named him the Fighter of the Year in 2003.

He is also a three-time winner of the Best Boxer ESPY Award (1996, 2000, and 2003).

He was voted the Decade of the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Early life

Roy Jones Jr. was born in a boxing family. Roy Jones Sr., a Vietnam war veteran who was given a Bronze Star for valor after rescuing another soldier, was also a middleweight boxer. Roy Jones Sr. defeated Marvin Hagler on June 10, 1977 (which was Hagler's 36th pro fight) on the Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Vinnie DeBarros fight undercard. In the third round, Hagler knocked Jones Sr. out of the competition and earned $1,500 to Leonard's $50,000.

Personal life

Jones was born in Pensacola, Florida. Carol Sr.'s mother, Carol, was warm and inviting, while Roy Sr., his father, Roy Sr., was much like a Marine Drill Instructor with admiration to his son. Roy Sr., a decorated Vietnam veteran and retired aircraft engineer who had taken up hog raising, was harsh on his son, "sparring" with him, yelling at him, and insulting him often for 20 minutes at a time. Roy Jr. lived in constant fear of his father's verbal and physical assault against him.

Jones described his time in Sports Illustrated: "I didn't worry about gettin' hurt or dyin' anymore." I was in pain every day, and I was terrified of my father. He'd get up in his truck and start looking for something he'd done wrong. There was no escape, no excuse, and there was no way out of nothin'. Getting a "tyin" or "dyin' might've been better than the life I was living! ... I used to worry about murdering myself.'

Roy Sr. owned his own boxing gym, to which he devoted all of his free time and financial resources. Several youth were led by him, and many of them were saved from danger. Roy Sr. did everything possible to broaden the service and help more children. But toward his own son, he was merciless, bringing Roy Jr. to the brink of exhaustion, screaming at him in front of all the other fighters and assaulting him.

Jones wrote in the same Sports Illustrated story, "I spent all my life in my dad's cage." I could never be 100% of who I am until I left it. However, nothing annoys me because of him. I'll never be faced with anything harder and more challenging than what I already have."

Roy Jones Jr. met with Vladimir Putin in Sevastopol, Crimea, on August 19, 2015, to apply for Russian citizenship. Jones said he often visited Russia for business ventures, and that a passport would avoid inconvenient rides. On September 12, Jones was granted Russian citizenship. He was forbidden from entering Ukraine due to this.

Jones and his wife have three children. Roy III, the family's eldest son, competed basketball at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev.

Source

Amateur career

Jones won the 1984 United States National Junior Olympics in the 119 lb (54 kg) weight division, the 1986 United States National Golden Gloves in the 139 lb (63 kg) division, and the 1987 United States National Golden Gloves in the 156 kg (71 kg) division. He retired as an amateur with a 121–13 record.

Jones appeared in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games in the 156-pound weight class, becoming the youngest member of the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, where he earned the silver medal.

Jones did not lose a single round en route to the final. The match between Yevgeni Zaytsev and the Soviet boxer was the first American-Soviet Olympic match in 12 years (since no one in the country had boycotted one Summer Olympics during that period). Despite pummeling Park for three rounds, landing 86 punches to Park's 32, Jones was met with discontent when he lost a 2–3 victory to South Korean fighter Park Si-Hun. Park himself apologised to Jones afterward, and Italian referee Aldo Leoni, who was holding Park's hand, told Jones that the judges' decision was "I can't believe they're doing this to you." The decision was later confirmed by a judge shortly thereafter, and all three judges who voted against Jones were eventually suspended. Marv Albert, who was watching the contest on American television for NBC, announced that two judges from Communist countries, Hungary, and the Soviet Union scored the contest in favour of Jones, while those from Morocco and Uruguay favoured Park. The fifth judge from Uganda scored the match as a draw, allowing the decision to be decided on other criteria.

Although the suspect judges had been wined and dined by South Korean organisers, there was no evidence of misconduct in the boxing ceremony in Seoul, according to an official IOC investigation that concluded in 1997. Jones was named the best stylistic boxer of the 1988 games by the Val Barker trophy, which was only the third and the last time in the competition's history that the award did not go to one of the gold medal winners. The AIBA, an association that is not closely affiliated with the Olympic authorities, has given the Val Barker trophy. Following the incident, Olympic officials were able to develop a new scoring system for Olympic boxing.

After documents relating to East Germany's Stasi clandestine police revealed allegations of judges being paid to vote for South Korean boxers, the US Olympic Committee requested an investigation in 1996. East Germany finished second in second place on the medal table, behind the United States by one gold medal.

Professional career

On turning pro, he had already sparred with many top boxers, including NABF Champion Ronnie Essett, IBF Champion Lindell Holmes, and Sugar Ray Leonard. Jones began as a professional on May 6, 1989, knocking out Ricky Randall in two rounds at the Bayfront Auditorium in Pensacola. He met Stephan Johnson in Atlantic City, defeating him by a knockout in round eight.

Jones led to a 15-0 record with 15 knockouts before stepping up in class to meet former World Welt Welterweight Champion Jorge Vaca in a Pay Per View match on January 10, 1992. In round one, he knocked out wins in a row. Jones went the distance against future world champion Jorge Castro for the first time, winning a 10-round draw in front of a national audience of USA Network.

On May 22, 1993, Jones made his first attempt at a world championship. By a unanimous vote in Washington, D.C., he defeated former Undisputed middleweight champion Bernard Hopkins to win the IBF middleweight championship. Jones led all three judges' scorecards (116-112 three times). Jones landed 206 of 594 punches (35 percent) and Hopkins connected on 153 of 670 (23%). Jones admitted he had started the match with a weakened right hand, but the team was able to beat Hopkins in a unanimous decision win. Jones recalled this fact when he hit the world "Ya'll Must've Forgot" later in his career.

In a non-title match, he defeated Thulane "Sugar Boy" Malinga, the upcoming world champion, for his next fight. In six rounds, Jones defeated Malinga by knocking them out. Jones won by another victory over Fermin Chirino by a margin of 92. Jones defeated Danny "Popeye" Garcia by knocking out in six rounds and then defended his IBF crown against Thomas Tate in two rounds at Las Vegas on May 27.

Jones was supposed to face undefeated IBF super middleweight Champion James Toney, who was ranked first in the "pound for pound" rankings on November 18, 1994. Toney was undefeated after 46 bouts and was rated as the world's best at 168 pounds. Toney vs. Jones, which was billed as "the Uncivil War," was heavily promoted and on PPV. Jones was the underdog for the first time in his career.

Jones displayed his greatness during the 12-round unanimous decision. He danced circles around Toney, utilizing his agility and athleticism to dictate the course, and landing quick combinations when Toney threatened him. Jones was knocked down in the third round with a leaping left hook after going goading Toney by imitating a fight cock. Jones' appearance was ranked as the most dominant of any big fight in 20 years by a Ring magazine. Jones struck 285 of 614 punches (46%) and Toney tied for 157 of 451 (35%). Jones led all three judges' scorecards (117-110, 119-108, and 118-109). The fight resulted in 300,000 pay-per-view orders.

Jones defended his super middleweight title with aplomb in 1995. He began the year by knocking out IBF #1 Antoine Byrd in round one. At Pensacola's first match, a championship fight took place. He met former IBF lightweight Champion Vinny Pazienza and defeated him in round six after knocking down Pazienza three times. Jones became the first fighter in CompuBox to complete a round without being struck by his opponent. Pazienza was credited with five punches and landing zero. Pazienza was guaranteed $1.35 million, while Jones, who worked off percentages of the gate and pay-per-view, was guaranteed at least $2 million. Jones then defeated Tony Thornton in round three by KO three months later.

Jones won by defeating Merqui Sosa by a mere two points and future world champion Eric Lucas in round 11. Lucas was the first celebrity to compete in two paid sports tournaments on the same day when he boxed him in. He had attended a basketball game in the morning and defended his boxing crown in Jacksonville, Florida, that evening. He also held a press conference in the ring right before his 3rd bout of the year, answering questions from a chair in the middle of the ring and defending Bryant Brannon as his opponent rather than Frankie Liles, his nemesis from the amateurs. In a round two TKO, he defeated Bryant Brannon.

Jones won the vacant Interim WBC Light Heavyweight title in November 1996 at Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida, beating 40-year-old former world champion Mike McCallum via a shutout vote (120-107, 3 times). Jones was knocked down right before the bell at the end of round 10. Jones landed 254 of 535 punches (47%) in the 12 rounds, with McCallum hitting 209 of 651 (32%) soon after. Jones made $2.8 million from the fight, and McCallum earned $750,000.

Jones was disqualified from the Taj Majal Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 1997, his first professional loss, a disqualification against Montell Griffin (26-0, 18 KOs). Griffin was taught by Eddie Futch, who had taught him how to exploit Jones' technological mistakes and a lack of basic boxing fundamentals. Griffin took the lead on Jones early in round 9, but by round nine, Jones was ahead on the scorecards by a point, and Griffin had Griffin on the canvas early in round nine. However, Jones struck Griffin twice on the canvas in order to avoid more punishment. Jones was disqualified and lost his position as a result of his promotion. Jones was ahead on two of the judges' scorecards at the time of disqualification (75-76, 76-77).

Jones fought for a quick rematch at Foxwoods Resort, Connecticut, USA, five months later, knocking Griffin down within the first 20 seconds of the match and bringing the game to a close end by knocking Griffin out 2 minutes and 31 seconds with a leaping left hand shot. The contest took place in a bingo hall before a sellout audience of 4,500 people attended. Both Jones and Griffin received a $1.5 million purse.

Jones started in 1998 by knocking out former light heavyweight and future cruiserweight champion Virgil Hill in four rounds with a strong right hand over the body that broke one of Hill's ribs. Jones followed that by a victory over WBA light heavyweight champion Lou Del Valle by a decision in 12 on July 18, thereby unifying the WBC and WBA belts. Jones had to climb off the canvas for the first time in his career after being disqualified in round eight, but he went on to defeat Del Valle throughout the remainder of the contest and came out a unanimous decision. Jones continued with a defense of Otis Grant. He defended the throne by knocking Grant out in ten rounds.

Jones started 1999 by knocking out WBC number one ranked contender at the time, Rick Frazier. Jones became the first to unify the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles at that weight since Michael Spinks in 1983. Jones dropped Johnson in the first round and hard in the third round, but Reggie recovered and allowed the fight to finish.

Jones won by a 12-round vote at Radio City Music Hall on January 15, allowing him to keep his titles. Jones is said to have fractured his wrist a few weeks prior to the war and was almost entirely one-handed. He stepped into the ring surrounded by the Rockettes, a legendary group of dancers. His next fight was also a first-time boxing match for a venue, as he headed to Indianapolis and retained his title with an 11-round technical knockout over Richard Hall at the Conseco Fieldhouse. In New Orleans, Jones retired from undefeated Eric Harding in 10 rounds.

Jones released Round One: The Album, a rap album, in 2001. He retained the title against Derrick Harmon by a blowout in ten and against future world champion Julio César González of Mexico by a 12-round unanimous decision before a crowd of 20,409. Jones' three judges got it (119-106, 118-107, 119-106) all for Jones. Jones knocked Gonzalez down in rounds one, five, and twelve, winning a $1.5 million purse. Jones landed 192 of 375 punches (51%) during his 5-year career, but Gonzalez hit a very poor 91 of 609 (15%).

Jones retained his position in 2002 by knocking out Glen Kelly, an Australian boxer, in seven rounds via knockout. Jones squatted his back with both hands behind him. Jones went over the jab with a right to the head as Kelly came in behind a jab. Kelly went down and was counted out. Jones landed 124 of 249 punches (50%) and Kelly connected on 42 of 171 (25%). Jones was given the Ring Championship belt before this fight.

Jones then defeated future world champion, WBC #1 Clinton Woods, by a technical knockout before a crowd of 16,229. At his ring entrance, he performed a song from his CD. After Woods' corner threw in the towel, the game was called off in round six. Jones produced 140 of 300 punches (47 percent), Woods connected on 39 of 166 (23%).

Jones defeated John Ruiz, the man who defeated an aging Evander Holyfield in the WBA Heavyweight championship in front of 15,300 fans, on March 1, 2003. Jones weighed in at 193 lb (88 kg) and Ruiz at 226 lb (103 kg). Jones became the first middleweight champion to win a Heavyweight title in 106 years. Jones was the first fighter to start his career as a light middleweight and win a heavyweight title, as well as the second reigning light heavyweight champion since Michael Spinks in 1985 to gain a major heavyweight championship in his first fight in the division. Jones was promised $10 million in lieu of 60% of the profits. Ruiz had no promise. He earned 40% of the income, but he had to divide it with promoter Don King. Jones won on all three scorecards (116-112, 118-110, and 117-111). The fight brought 602,000 pay-per-view orders to HBO's Senior Vice President of Sports Operations and Pay-Per-View, Mark Taffet.

Jones returned to the light heavyweight division on November 8, 2003, defeating Antonio Tarver to keep the IBO and The Ring Light Heavyweight Championships, win Tarver's WBC crown, and take the vacant WBA (Unified) crown. Jones was a lot better after returning to the light heavyweight division, losing the muscle he gained for the heavyweight fight seemed to have put a strain on his aging body and his cat-like reflexes seemed to have been diminished. Jones was granted a majority verdict, with the judges granting him 117–111, 116–112 and 114–114.

Jones defeated Tarver in a rematch on May 15, 2004. Jones was highly favored to win but Tarver knocked him down at 1:31 of the second round. Jones had won the first round (Tarver only hit two punches in the first round), but, as Jones tried a combination, he was stopped by a big counter left hook from Tarver in the second round. Jones was up to his feet by the time, but referee Jay Nady found him in his first year that was unable to continue.

Jones defeated Glen Johnson in the IBF light heavyweight title on September 25, 2004 in Memphis, Tennessee. Johnson was knocked out of Jones by 49 seconds in the ninth round. After being counted out, Jones lay on the canvas for three minutes. At the time of the demise (77–75, 78–74), Johnson was ahead on all three judges' scorecards, having scored 118 punches to Jones' 75. Jones' upcoming rap album, which came out on November 1, used the ring's canvas for his upcoming rap album.

Jones, who had been away from the ring for almost a year, decided on preparation and working as an analyst for HBO Boxing, planned a third fight with Antonio Tarver on October 1, 2005, drawing a soldout audience of 20,895 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, which aired on HBO PPV. Jones was deemed an underdog going into battle for the second time in his career.

Tarver gained by unanimous vote (117–111, 116–112, 116–112) and had Jones out on his feet in the 11th round. Tarver delivered 158 of 620 punches (25%), and Jones connected on 85 of 328 (27%). Despite being clearly behind early in the game, Jones' camp or his performance as he continued to fight, with no sense of urgency in either Jones' corner or his efforts as he appeared to be content to make it to the end of the game.

Jones said in the post-fight interview with ESPN's Brian Kenny that he would return to fight again. He'd be able to fight Tarver or another duel with Johnson. The fighters earned more than $100,000 per-view plus a cut of pay-per-view earnings, with the war bringing in 440,000 pay-per-view orders.

Jones returned to action as a commentator for HBO World Championship Boxing in the third Tarver bout, naming the Floyd Mayweather Jr.–Sharmba Mitchell match on November 19, 2005, and the Jermain Taylor–Bernard Hopkins rematch on December 3, 2005. Jones' return to the network was short-lived, as Jones was fired from his ringside analyst position in January 2006. HBO cited his inability to attend the network's production meetings. Jones returned as a guest analyst for several bouts in 2010, and HBO brought him back as their analyst for Boxing After Dark next year.

On July 29, 2006, Jones faced Prince Badi Ajamu (25-2-1, 14 KOs), who was defeated by the Qwest Arena in Boise, Idaho. Jones won the WBO light heavyweight title by a unanimous vote (119-106, 3 times). Ajamu won the first round on all three official scorecards, but this was the only round he won. In round seven and one more in round eight, Ajamu lost two points for repeated low blows.

Anthony Hanshaw, a 29-year-old man with a 14 KOs), was next up for Jones on July 14, 2007, at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi. Hanshaw was ranked 11th in the IBF at super middleweight. In the 11th round, Hanshaw was eliminated. Jones received the vacant International Boxing Council light heavyweight title by a unanimous vote (114-113, 117-109) 118-109).

Jones met former three-weight world champion Félix Trinidad at Madison Square Garden in New York City on January 19, 2008. Trinidad had also won the WBA Middleweight Championship by defeating then champion William Joppy. The fight was held at a catchweight of 170 pounds. Jones had a noticeable advantage in terms of size and speed, and a short right hand to the temple brought Trinidad to his knees in round seven. Trinidad collapsed once more when Jones threw a combination in the tenth round. Jones won by scores of 117–109 and 116–110 (twice). This was the first time a former heavyweight champion had returned to fight at 170 pounds. The competition resulted in 500,000 pay-per-view purchases and $25 million in domestic television sales. This was also the last fight of Trinidad's career.

On HBO PPV, Roy Jones Jr. and Joe Calzaghe had agreed to compete for The Ring Light Heavyweight Championship in New York City on September 20, 2008. However, Calzaghe sustained an injury to his right hand in preparation, so the match had to be postponed a few weeks, with November 8 being the new date.

Jones took Calzaghe down with an uppercut and knocked him down in the first round, as well as cutting the Welshman on the bridge of the nose. Jones, on the other hand, failed to capitalize on the beating. Calzaghe began to control the game and dominated Jones throughout the remainder of the match. Jones, as the war progressed, received more and more punishment for his left eye, as well as a fractured his left eye. Jones' corner, who had never seen Roy cut before, was unsure how to properly handle the situation. The left side of his face was covered in blood. Jones lost by unanimous decision, winning just one round (10-8 in the first round) on the three official judges' cards. There were 14,152 people at the festival. The competition resulted in 225,000 pay-per-view orders. Calzaghe was paid $10 million from the war, according to reports. The fight on Setanta Sports in the United Kingdom aired at 4.30 a.m. local time, with a peak of 500,000 viewers.

Jones would face Omar Sheika (27-8, 18 KOs) in Pensacola, Florida, on March 21, 2009. Jones gained the vacant WBO light heavyweight title after beating Sheika in the fifth round of technical knockout. The match was the main event of a pay-per-view series called "March Badness" and featured both boxing and mixed martial arts matches. Sheika had previously defeated Glen Johnson, who had knocked out Jones in 2004 but came into the fight after losing six of his last ten bouts. This was his second bout since September 2005. According to The Ring, Jones was ranked as the world's top light heavyweight.

After Lacy's corner stopped the match, Jones defeated former super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy (25-2, 17 KOs) in ten rounds on August 15, 2009. The fight, which was described as "Hook City" and 'Left Hook', took place at the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi, and was branded as "Hook City" in honor of the boxers' nicknames of 'Captain Hook' and 'Left Hook'. Lacy had never been knocked out or suspended before. Throughout the fight, Lacy had attempted to pin Jones on the ropes, but Jones was unaffected by the tactic and seemed more concerned about playing to the crowd than with Lacy's punches. After the ninth round, there was a discussion in Lacy's corner about stopping it, but Lacy, the team's coach, convinced him to give him another round. Jones took 249 of 500 punches (50%) in a row, while Lacy Connected 429 (24%). At the time of stoppage (99-91, 99-89, 98-92) Jones was leading the three judges' scorecards (99-91, 98-92).

Roy Jones was due to meet Danny Green, an Australian boxer, in Sydney, Australia, in December 2009. There were stories in the newspapers indicating that getting Roy's sparring partners into Australia would be difficult. Danny Green defeated Jones in a first-round TKO after a lengthy pre-fight delay due to hand wrap protests. Jones was initially gracious in his humiliating loss, remarking that "We don't make excuses, it was a fantastic show by Danny" as he said. Jones, however, would file a formal lawsuit accusing Green of using unlawful hand wraps and requesting that his loss be reversed, but the decision was upheld. Though Jones' rematch with Hopkins seemed to be in risk after Jones' departure, the two teams would finally reach an agreement in February 2010 for a match on April 3.

On April 3, 2010, Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins (50-5-1, 32 KOs) met in a rematch match at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, 17 years after their first encounter. Jones was 5-5 in his previous ten bouts dating back to May 2004, but Hopkins was 4-1 in June 2006. Hopkins was awarded with a unanimous decision after going the distance (118-109, 117-110 twice). Hopkins hit 184 of 526 punches (35%), while Jones hit 82 of 274 (30%). Hopkins collapsed to his knees in his dressing room, drained from a brutal confrontation, and exhaustion by the end of his 17-year fight against Jones. The war resulted in 150,000 pay-per-view sales.

Denis Lebedev (21-1, 16 KOs) was fighting Jones in Moscow in February 2011. Vladimir Hryunov confirmed that talks were ongoing for him. Lebedev had just lost in a tumultuous split decision to Marco Huck. By the Ring, Lebedev was ranked #4 at cruiserweight. Jones would earn a $500,000 purse on March 24, according to a settlement that had been reached on March 24th. The confrontation, which was described as the "Battle of Two Empires," was scheduled to take place in Krylatskoye on May 22 at the Dynamo Palace of Sports. On the day of its unveiling, 2,000 tickets were apparently sold. A sell-out was anticipated by the promoters.

In a 10-round match, Lebedev knocked Jones out with 2 seconds remaining. The scorecards read (87–84, 85–86, 90–81). Lebedev punched Jones when it was, to some, clear that Jones was not responsive and that he was dead on his feet. Jones was left cold on the canvas and he didn't recover his consciousness for more than five minutes despite active medical assistance. Lebedev said he had nothing to be worried about after the match. Even though Jones could no longer protect himself, referee Steve Smoger was also accused of incompetence because he did not stop the war and resulted in Jones' death. "I didn't stop the fight because only seconds were left in the fight, and it seemed that Roy was pretending to trick his opponent," Smoger said in a tweeting post-fight. He did this often in combat. "I assumed Jones was doing the same thing here, threatening to deceive Lebedev in the final seconds of the game in order to compel Denis in to land a big punch [which Jones did not do in the previous round]. When asked about his feelings on the punch, Jones replied, "I forgive him."

Jones defeated Max Alexander in a 10-round unanimous decision against him on December 10, 2011, snapping a three-match losing streak and winning the Universal Boxing Organization (UBO) Intercontinental Cruiserweight Championship. The three judges all received Jones' favour (100-90, 100-90, and 99-91). Jones was rarely up for a round in the first seven rounds, but he did a good job in the eighth and tenth rounds to defeat Alexander. Jones said, "I'm feeling fantastic" after the match. Jones, who weighed in at 189 pounds, wanted a cruiserweight title, not the world championship. "This is just the start. I'm not done yet. The match was broadcast live on Internet PPV's Ustream channel for $9.99.

Jones was scheduled to face Polish boxer Dawid Kostecki (39-1, 25 KOs) in a ten-round match at Atlas Arena, Poland, on June 30. Kostecki was arrested on June 19 in order to begin serving a two-and-a-half years in prison for the first time running a prostitution ring. Jones negotiated his contract with 12 Knockout Promotions, the fight's promoter, was told that Kostecki would not begin serving his term until after the war. 12 Knockout Promotions attempted to get a temporary ban for Kostecki, but were unsuccessful. Pawe G. G.ewski (17-0, 4 KOs), who had been on standby all week, stepped in as a replacement. Jones won by a split decision (96-93, 94-95, and 96-94). The decision generated a lot of controversy. Many believed he was let down because Jones was lined up to face then-WBC cruiserweight champion Krzysztof Wodarczyk.

Jones won the vacant WBU cruiserweight title at the Dynamo Palace of Sports in Moscow, Russia, on December 21, 2013. The contest was billed as a "Winner Takes All" match, with the winner receiving the entire purse. Benmakhlouf collapsed with a left hook early in the third round, and he took a bow. The judges rated the match 120-108, 119-109, and 118-111.

In the 5th round of the psala International Exhibition Centre in Latvia, Jones defeated Courtney Fry (18-5-0) by RTD on July 26, 2014. By the time of the fourth round, Jones had a lead on all three judges' scorecards (50-44, 50-44, and 50-45). Jones won by 75 seconds over Hany Atiyo on September 26, 2014. At The Basket Hall in Krasnodar, Russia, this brawl took place in front of a sold-out audience. Jones won their second straight stoppage and fifth straight victory. Jones' next fight, in the United States, took place in Concord, North Carolina, for the first time in four years, and he defeated Willy Williams by 2nd-round TKO. Jones was back in the ring on March 28, this time against Paul Vasquez (10-6-1, 3 KOs), defeating him via 1st-round TKO for the WBU (German Version) cruiserweight championship at the Pensacola Bay Center in Florida, defeating him by 1st-round TKO for the WBU (German Version) cruiserweight title. Jones won his 62nd professional victory and 45th knockout victory by defeating Eric Watkins by 6th-round KO on August 16, 2015.

Jones will face former WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli, 35, who had a track record of 40 victories and 7 losses, for the WBA's'super' world cruiserweight championship, which was announced on October 28, 2015. This was, in fact, a 'false rumour.' However, it was revealed that they would face in a non-title cruiserweight tournament on December 12, 2015. This was Jones' first fight since being granted Russian citizenship, and he was going to win with eight straight victories, with the last four staying within range. The show took place at the VTB Ice Palace in Moscow.

The 4th round got off to a more even matched three rounds, bringing Maccarinelli's favor to a different place. Maccarinelli dropped Jones with an uppercut halfway through the round. Jones continued for ten to twelve seconds with his gloves to his face, in between consuming many more uppercuts. He then absorbed a massive right hook, which caused him to stiffen and fall face down on the canvas against the ropes. Referee Ingo Barrabas waved off the match in what was Jones' 9th appearance in his career, but 5th by KO.

Jones fought in Phoenix, Arizona, against 33-year-old MMA fighter Vyron Phillips, who had been denied the opportunity to combat him after being drawn in a vote on Facebook. Phillips, who fought in his first boxing match, was 5-3 in MMA bouts and 6-1 as an amateur boxer. If Phillips had knocked Jones out, he would have won $100,000, but Jones ruled him out in the second round. The referee brought the fight to a halt.

Jones will return to Pensacola, Florida, against journeyman "Rockin'" Rodney Moore (17-11-2, 7 KOs) in a cruiserweight match, according to Square Ring Promotions on July 29, Jones will return to his hometown, Pensacola Bay Center. The fight featured the "Island Fights 38" card, an ongoing series of boxing matches and MMA bouts mixed in one box. Jones last competed in Pensacola in March 2015, defeating Paul Vasquez in the first round. Moore did not fight between 2005 and 2012 and has lost nine straight fights, though only one of them was knocked out. Murat Gassiev, the top cruiserweight contender, was disqualified in second round of the tournament 13 months ago. Jones defeated a one-sided 10 round unanimous decision on fight night in front of more than 5,000 fans on a slowed-paced contest, with shutout scores of 100-90 on all three counts.

Jones suffered a tear in his right biceps in round five but carried on the rest of the match one handed, and it was clear that the recovery time he needed for his broken right biceps had probably come to an end. Jones said in October that he intends to continue fighting on and not withdrawing from the sport.

At a press conference on December 6, 2016, David Feldman Promotions announced that Jones and undefeated bare-knuckle champion and former world champion Bobby Gunn would meet for the vacant World Boxing Foundation Cruiserweight championship on February 17, 2017. Gunn, a former IBA cruiserweight champion and bare-knuckle heavyweight champion, had a record of 72-0, with 72 knockouts. At the press conference on December 7, the fight was declared official. Jones expressed his long-awaited desire to combat Gunn: "I always do things that people don't expect me to do." I told Bobby a long time that I would give him the opportunity, and I am a man of my word. "I am going to shock the world again on February 17th." Jones weighed in at 199 pounds, but Gunn weighed in at 197.4 pounds less. Jones stopped Gunn in the 8th round, before Gunn had even left his side to win the vacant World Boxing Foundation cruiserweight title. Gunn strained his nose and was out boxed by Jones in seven rounds. Jones and Gunn embraced each other in the post war.

Jones talked about his desire to continue his boxing career: "Anything is possible, I'm not going to make a decision right away." Why did I stop seeing as well as looking good? I want a shot at a cruiserweight title... I do intend to fight, but we'll see what happens in the future. "I looked good." "I think it's my last year in boxing, and I tell people all the time." Jones later told On The Ropes Boxing Radio, "I think it's my last year in boxing." Hinting that he might retire at the end of 2017. Miguel Cotto's farewell fight revived his desire to continue boxing on December 3, 2017.

Jones revealed on December 30, 2017 that he would return to Pensacola, Florida, to headline the Island Fights 46. Jones had previously headlined Island Fights, a show that featured both boxing and MMA fights. "My last day at the Bay," Jones said of the performance. It's my last one for the bayfront... Civic Center, Pensacola, Bayfront Arena, whichever you like to call it. So if you want to see my last day in Pensacola, be sure to arrive on February 8. "It's my last one here." It will be his last fight, according to the guy. Scott Sigmon (30-11-1, 16 KOs) was his opponent in the 10 round match, according to Jones. Jones ended his boxing career by defeating Sigmon by a one-sided 10 round unanimous decision and also winning the vacant World Boxing Union cruiserweight championship in the process. Jones won by 98-92 in favour of Jones. Jones started with higher cuts and hooks and remained in control throughout the fight. In round 5, Jones took an uppercut, knocking Sigmon's mouthpiece out. Sigmon began to throw more punches in round 6, but Jones blocked them immediately. Jones was also able to block the majority of the shots Sigmon fired.

Jones said he had been fighting with a bicep injury after the fight. Anderson Silva, a 42-year-old UFC middleweight champion, has also called for a boxing match against him. "I knew Scott was tough, I knew Scott was game, and I knew Scott would keep coming," he said in the post-fight interview. However, I don't make excuses, but last week, I tore my biceps in my left arm, and I didn't want to push out. "British versus the British Empire is the exact same [fight], the chapter ended." Jones was released after 75 professional fights over the years; 66 wins, 47 coming within the distance, and 9 losses.

Music career

Jones began his music career in 2001 with his album "You Must've Forgot" on the album and his debut single, "All Must've Forgot." In 2004, Jones formed Body Head Bangerz, a band that has since released an album. Body Head Bangerz: Volume One was released in the United Kingdom and featured B.G., Juvenile, Bun B of UGK, Petey Pablo, Lil' Flip, and Mike Jones among other things.

In addition, Jones has performed numerous songs about Florida State University Athletics. Jones has been a longtime supporter of Florida State University since growing up in the panhandle of Florida.

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