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HUNEBED
02-10-2005, 07:36
http://www.insidefighting.com/betweenRoundsDisp.aspx?uid=2322

zo te lezen had Roy gewoon van af de eerste ronde moeten SLAAN !!!!
beetje te afwachtend etc. jammer, heel jammer....
'ben zat ga nu sloapn, oja eerst de hond nog ee'm uitlaatn,
tjeu

Makijs
02-10-2005, 09:31
Hunebed, verander ajb de titel van deze thread in Spoiler, zodat de mensen die het gevecht willen downloaden en kijken zonder de uitslag te kennen, niet meteen weten hoe t is afgelopen.

Makijs
02-10-2005, 09:33
Roy Jones

“I was hard to go out like I would have being knocked out twice the last couple of times. I’m a true champion. I’ve been at the top. Being the champion that I am, it was good. I was satisfied with my performance, but I do realize that I lost the fight. I’m not the kind of fighter, like Johnson that can brawl. And that’s the way you have to fight to beat Tarver.

Tarver would have given me all I could handle in my best days as a light heavyweight.

I’ll be back. I got hurt once and I think that was the turning point of the fight. He hit me with a good shot. But I kept coming. Can’t nobody else beat me but Tarver.

Why?

Because God blessed me with a true talent.

Tarver: The three fights we had made us a lot of money. You made more than me but I’m not mad.

We can do it again.

Tarver: I heard that right from the horse’s mouth.

Tarver: I had to do my homework. I had to go to school and I passed with flying colors. If I would have made a mistake, he would have punished me. GIVE ME CREDIT.

Roy had a lot of resistance

Tarver: Roy was sharp tonight.

Ya’ll thought I was gunna be one- punch happy—but I passed my test. I did my homework.

You’re playin’ chess all-around. It’s a chess game. One mistake and I’m checkmate.

Give a man credit where credit is due. He was beat by a better fighter. Period.

I am one of the best fighters in the world. GIVE ME MY CREDIT.

The guy had resilience.

Nothing’s for granted. I wasn’t assured of victory till they raised my hand.

I just did the best I could. I feel I beat Roy a lot better, a lot worse than the first time.

(to Roy) You got more money than me…but I ain’t mad at you.

Makijs
02-10-2005, 09:39
http://forums.doghouseboxing.com/index.php?showtopic=28961The judges score the bout 116-112, 116-112 and 117-111, for the winner by unanimous decision, Antonio “Magic Man� Tarver!
Punches
Tarver: 158 of 620, 25%
Jones: 85 of 320, 27%

Power shots
Tarver:107 of 341, 31%
Jones: 74 of 207, 36%.

Tarver wins unanimous decision

For a 2nd time, the light-heavyweight defeated Roy Jones Jr., who lost for the 3rd time in a row.

George Diaz | Sentinel Staff Writer
Oct 2, 2005

TAMPA -- If this was Dancing With The Stars, Roy Jones Jr. wins easily Saturday night.

But in a sport in which the power of hands counts more than footwork, Antonio Tarver was easily the better man.

Tarver retained his International Boxing Federation light-heavyweight title with a unanimous 116-112, 117-111, 117-111 victory before a frenzied sellout crowd at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Thrown to boxing's scrap heap after two stunning knockouts, Jones managed one final push to solidify his legacy as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of this generation, but it was much more style than substance. Dancing, tongue-lashing, and mocking Tarver throughout the night, perhaps Jones thought that he could win on perception alone.

But Tarver -- who mostly stayed composed during all of Jones' shenanigans -- threw the most effective punches, particularly when he backed Jones against the ropes.

"Roy was sharp tonight," Tarver said. "We were playing chess all around. It was a chess game. One mistake, and I'm checkmate."

Tarver's dominance was reflected in the CompuBox numbers. He threw 620 punches to Jones' 320, and landed 158 (Jones had 85). Tarver had the edge in power punches, 107-74.

Tarver's strongest round of the 12-round bout was the 11th , drilling Jones with a series of blows -- starting with a sharp left hook -- before almost falling through the ropes trying to finish Jones with a flurry. Both fighters appeared exhausted by the end of the round.

"I realize I lost the fight," Jones said. "I'm not the kind of fighter who is going to go in and rumble with him like [Glen] Johnson did."

At 36, Jones (49-4, 38 knockouts) faces an uncertain future having lost three consecutive fights. Tarver (24-3, 18 KOs) now has won two of three matchups with Jones, including a crushing second-round knockout loss in May 2004.

The perception going into the fight weighed heavily against Jones. He had been beaten badly in his past two fights, the most recent a stunning ninth-round knockout by Johnson on Sept. 25, 2004.Jones fell on his back, his legs taut and raised from the canvas, as referee Bill Clancy counted him out. He lay motionless for several minutes.

There would be none of that Saturday, though Jones clearly didn't have much beyond a spring in his step.

After four monotonous rounds, Jones had his strongest round in the fifth, scoring with a series of uppercuts followed by a right.

But as the fight settled into its rhythm, it was Tarver who constantly landed the most effective shots when he backed Jones against the ropes.

"Give the man credit where credit is due," Tarver said. "He was beaten by a better fighter. I am one of the best fighters in the world."

Despite living in Tampa these days, Tarver was clearly not the hometown favorite. Jones got the biggest rise from a sellout crowd of 20,095, including Michael Jordan.

Jones wore an all-black robe as he stepped into the ring first, followed by Tarver, who lightly brushed up against Jones after climbing though the ropes.

There would be much more effective brushes later in the evening.

"It was hard to go out like I did after getting knocked out two times, but I'm satisfied with my performance tonight," Jones said. "We can do it again."

Makijs
02-10-2005, 09:43
Tarver Out-points Jones; Campbell Shocks Raiymkulov
http://www.maxboxing.com/Fischer/Fischer100205.asp
By Doug Fischer (October 2, 2005)
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http://www.maxboxing.com/Media/tarver_Main_Villasenor.jpg
Thirty years after Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought their hearts out in the final bout of their all-time great trilogy, the third match between Antonio Tarver and Roy Jones Jr. did nothing to honor the memory of the classic rubbermatch that took place in Manila as the reigning light heavyweight champ did a little more than the former four-division title holder in the majority of rounds to win a pedestrian unanimous decision by scores of 116-112 (twice) and 117-111 at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida Saturday night.

This was no “thrilla�, folks, but it did feature a few entertaining moments.

After being stunned by a double left hook to the body and head from Jones in the fifth round, Tarver, who improved to 24-3 (18), caught and hurt the former middleweight champ with a right hook and powerful left uppercut follow-up in the 11th round. Jones, who seemed to be in a fog for the rest of the round, walked towards his arm-weary tormentor on unsteady legs and landed a few hooks before the bell rung.

The mix of showboating and furious flurrying off the ropes in the fifth round and the resiliency he showed in the 11th were probably the last hurrahs from one of the most popular fighters of the past 15 years.

With his legs and reflexes about 50% of what they were just three years ago, the most Jones could do in the majority of rounds was feint, throw single punches and mug a little bit for the star-studded crowd. If judges scored showboating, Jones, who dropped to 49-4 (38) in losing his third consecutive fight, might have pulled this rubbermatch out.

However, he seemed satisfied with just going 12 rounds during the post-fight interview with HBO’s Larry Merchant.

“I wasn’t going to go out like no chump, I couldn’t go out [of boxing] on a knockout,� Jones said, referring to his last fight, a ninth-round KO loss to Glen Johnson one year ago. Prior to that loss, Jones was stopped by a single punch form Tarver in the second round of their rematch earlier in the year.

“He’s taller and he fought a smart fight,� Jones said of Tarver. “I did what I could, I boxed him.�

That used to be enough to beat almost any fighter in the world, regardless of weight. No longer. Although Jones hinted that he may fight again during his interview with Merchant, let’s hope this was the last time fans see him in the ring.

As he told Merchant: “I been where I been; I held my own for a long time.�

Three losses at the end of his career will not erase the titles he won at middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. Most of the fighters enshrined in boxing’s hall of fame lost their final bouts, or even the majority of their final bouts. If Jones quits now – the way Ali should have quit after the “Thrilla in Manila� – he will not only be a first-ballot hall of fame, but a healthy one.

CAPO58
02-10-2005, 18:08
Verdomme.. :evil: Jones weer verloren..

HUNEBED
02-10-2005, 18:15
Hunebed, verander ajb de titel van deze thread in Spoiler, zodat de mensen die het gevecht willen downloaden en kijken zonder de uitslag te kennen, niet meteen weten hoe t is afgelopen.

okay excuses, maar aan de andere kant, welke website / forum wou je op zonder de uitslag al te lezen.... > en downloaden ? waar dan ?

Wheelie
02-10-2005, 18:23
welke website / forum wou je op zonder de uitslag al te lezen.... > en downloaden ? waar dan ?

hier zetten we altijd spoiler in de topic titel voor de mensen die geen uitslagen willen weten.

Makijs
02-10-2005, 18:27
Er zijn websites met torrents die verwijzen naar recente wedstrijden. Op die sites worden geen uitslagen vermeld. Dus kun je de partijen op je PC bekijken zonder de uistlag al te weten.
Kijk bijv. ook naar de manier waarop vorige week de K1 wedstrijden hier zijn behandeld. In het MMA forum staat dan bijv. Aerts vs. Mighty Mo *** Spoiler ***. Als je de uitslag wilt weten, kun je daar discussieren en bespreken wat je wilt. Wil je dat niet dan kijk je niet in die thread. In het MMF staan al zeer snel na de wedstrijd yousendit links om de partijte kijken. Zo kan iedereen die dat wil de wedstrijd bekijken zonder de uitslag van tevoren al te weten.

Overigens is de tekst Tarver again Spoiler natuurlijk voor de goed verstaander ook genoeg om te weten hoe het is afgelopen. :lol:

HUNEBED
02-10-2005, 18:42
ja klopt die titel zegt alles (was óók zo bedoeld trouwens) omdat die partij PPV is en 'k dacht dat hier wel 'n PBP zou zijn.... was goed bedoeld mensen ! > 'heb de titel niet veranderd overigens ! (zullen de mods wel gedaan hebben)

Makijs
02-10-2005, 19:12
Voor alle duidelijkheid: ik twijfel geen moment aan je goede bedoelingen.

Makijs
02-10-2005, 20:31
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/4723983.stm
Tarver outpoints Jones in decider
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40864000/jpg/_40864696_tarver203.jpg
Antonio Tarver beat Roy Jones Jr by unanimous decision in Tampa on Saturday and almost certainly ended the career of one of boxing's all-time greats.
It was their third fight, Jones having won the first on points in 2003 only to be knocked out in the rematch in 2004.

Jones showed some glimpses of his brilliant best in the first half of the fight but faded badly down the stretch.

Tarver, who used his jab to great effect, had Jones in trouble in round 11 and fully deserved his victory.

You might see me back, I don't know. But I'm a long way from who I was Roy Jones

The judges awarded Tarver the fight 116-112, 116-112 and 117-111.

Tarver improved to 24-3 while Jones, who has now lost his last three fights, fell to 49-4.

Tarver said: "The guy had great resilience. He came to regain his throne. It didn't happen tonight. I did what I came in to do."

Jones said: "You might see me back, I don't know. I just don't feel I had the urge. I still had the skills. But I'm a long way from who I was."

While no major world title was at stake, the fight attracted a sell-out crowd of more than 21,000 to the Forum Arena.

And Jones started brightly, showing his old speed to evade Tarver's blows and showing some intent in the fifth with some hurtful flurries.

But as he began to tire, Jones was limited to single shots while Tarver built up a lead behind his jab.

And although Jones staged a big final round, Tarver had already done more than enough to win the fight.

Marco
02-10-2005, 22:18
de titel van deze topic is nog steeds niet lekker met Tarver again....gelukkig was ik zo wijs om pas na het kijken van de partij weer op het forum te gaan kijken maar ik zou werkelijk behoorlijk gebaald hebben als ik nietsvermoedend hier ff was wezen kijken.....

maar goed, de partij was niet echt geweldig Tarver die het meeste deed en Jones die allemaal moves deed en niet te raken was maar dus niet scoorde omdat hij amper initiatief nam en in de counter niet doorzette..
teleurstellend en aan Roy zijn reflexen en snelheid lag het niet hij was gewoon te bang om nog een keer k.o. te gaan en nam geen risico. zonde want hij had in de 11de en 12de ronde kans om Tarver evt. k.o. te slaan want die was op...en aangeslagen.

ben benieuwd wat Jones gaat doen nu, stoppen of toch verder.....nogmaals aan zijn reflexen en snelheid lag het niet dat gaf Emannuel Steward ook al aan.......

HUNEBED
03-10-2005, 13:00
de titel van deze topic is nog steeds niet lekker met Tarver again....gelukkig was ik zo wijs om pas na het kijken van de partij weer op het forum te gaan kijken maar ik zou werkelijk behoorlijk gebaald hebben als ik nietsvermoedend hier ff was wezen kijken.....



waar heb je de partij gezien ? of gedownload ???

Marco
03-10-2005, 22:44
de titel van deze topic is nog steeds niet lekker met Tarver again....gelukkig was ik zo wijs om pas na het kijken van de partij weer op het forum te gaan kijken maar ik zou werkelijk behoorlijk gebaald hebben als ik nietsvermoedend hier ff was wezen kijken.....



waar heb je de partij gezien ? of gedownload ???

check je PM. :wink:

Makijs
05-10-2005, 10:09
Roy Jones Jr: Once upon a time the best
By Homer Sayson Second Overtime

CHICAGO – It was a fight for a king.

The arena – the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida – swelled with 20,895 celebrity-infested people. The bout, hopefully the last of a horribly one-sided trilogy, was featured for a precious $49.95 in pay-per-view, and beamed around the world via satellite.

But after 12 sometimes spirited and often dull rounds, the glitz, the glamour and the hype failed to alter the fact that like many great athletes before him, Roy Jones Jr. had lost his jewel. He couldn’t turn back the clock, he couldn’t recapture the magic that once made him boxing’s best, pound-for-pound.

Jones had hoped to hop on the time machine and take it for one more joy ride to greatness. He wanted redemption from his second-round TKO loss to Antonio Tarver last May 15, 2004, and he wanted to purge the embarrassment of his ninth-round demise to Glen Johnson in Sept. 25 last year.

Instead, Jones just fell off the wagon of old age.

For the second time in 17 months, he succumbed to the lefty might of Antonio Tarver. There was no one-punch KO this time around. But the loss was just as painful – unanimous and decisive.

He has been in the hurt business for 16 years, worn and torn by fighting the best and conquering three divisions. Roy is now 36. Boxing has passed him by.

Against the 6-foot-2 Tarver, the 5-11 Jones had all sorts of problems, and he confessed that after the fight saying, “He’s taller and fought a smart fight.� Indeed, Tarver was wise to exercise caution by choosing when to brawl and relying heavily on his 75-inch reach to thwart Jones.

With about 65 percent of his reflexes and hand speed gone, Jones is clearly and sadly a shell of his old dominating self. But despite the lack of ammo, he still was able to put together flashes of brilliance, especially in the fifth round, where he rocked Tarver with blinding quick combinations that heralded the good old days of his decades long reign.

Jones’ decline was most evident in his activity level. Always a busy bee during his peak, he was tired and timid last Sunday. After 12 rounds, he managed to throw only 320 punches, landing just 85. And he connected only 74-of-207 power punches.

NO MAGIC. For someone who fancies himself as the Magic Man, Tarver didn’t flaunt anything eye-popping. But he did outwork Jones, spewing 620 punches with 158 finding its mark. Tarver also landed 107-of-341 power blows, many of which rained in the thrilling 11th round where Jones was almost knocked out silly.

Roy didn’t get any of the judges’ nod, but he pleased his throng of believers by showboating in the course of the fight. The antics were fun to watch, but it was also painful. Painful because while the grace of his moves were still there, the ease had already left.

While watching the clock melt for Pacquiao versus Morales last March 19, my good friend Juvie Cabigon and I milled around the MGM Grand Hotel lobby with bottled beer gripped in our hands.

As we watched the place hum with excitement, one of the hotel’s revolving doors swung and in came Roy Jones Jr. He darted past us like a speeding train, but before he could reach the cesspool that the main lobby had become, I called him.

We talked briefly, and he was very kind to accommodate all of my entourage, Ermee and A.J. and Juvie, a photo-op.

Sure, I’m biased. Sure, I liked Roy, But one doesn’t really have to be a fan to understand that Roy Jones Jr. is a first-ballot- Hall-of-Famer. His 49 wins and 38 knockouts is now stained by four defeats, but nothing could erase his legacy of greatness, a middleweight turned heavyweight king.

THE BEST. Roy Jones’ story is a like a good novel. It can’t be digested into a two-hour movie.

Struggling to explain why Jones, to his scholarly mind, is the best ever, lawyer Jingo Quijano wrote: “He was so good that he played minor league basketball on the day he was to defend his light heavyweight title. He was so good that he agreed to wear a microphone in his fight with Mike McCallum.

“He was so good that he knocked out Glen Kelly with both his hands behind his back. He beat both Bernard Hopkins and James Toney, two of the best in the sport. He was so good that he hardly lost a single round, so good that there was a round where Vinnie Pazienza couldn’t hit Roy even with just one punch.

“He was so good that he once was heavyweight champ, added 25 pounds to his majestic frame to beat John Ruiz and then shed the poundage off to beat Antonio Tarver in their first encounter.�

As always, this column’s resident boxing guru delivered a knockout.

Makijs
05-10-2005, 10:11
Roy Jones Jr.: It's Time to Say Good Bye
By Mike Leanardi (October 4, 2005)
http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Harrison/Mike100405.htm
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http://www.doghouseboxing.com/Media/Jones_BIG_lamarstandish.jpg
As a Boxing writer I am supposed to be unbiased, I am not supposed to have any emotional interest in fights I write about or cover and I am not supposed to have an emotional attachment to a specific fighter(s). But, at least this one time, I'm going to say "To hell with that," and here's why; I have been a Roy Jones fan for much longer than I have been a boxing writer, because of this I have a lot more experience as the former rather than the later. For that reason, I am going to tell you what Mike Leanardi, the diehard Roy Jones fan, has to say about Tarver/Jones III, rather than tell you what Mike Leanardi the boxing writer has to say.

While the fight went pretty much how I expected it to, that does not mean it makes the outcome any easier to take. As all hardcore boxing fans, such as myself know, we form attachments to fighters. That's right, you even start calling the really special ones "your fighter." You watch them, you cheer for them and you celebrate when they are victorious; however, even more powerful than their victories are their losses. When "your fighter" looses, it is heartbreaking, gut wrenching and demoralizing. For whatever reason, when "your fighter" looses you feel their pain. As a boxing fan, there is nothing worse.

When Antonio Tarver knocked out Roy Jones in their second fight, I was shocked. It was genuinely sad to see "my fighter" knocked out, especially in such a brutal and unexpected fashion. The Glen Johnson fight was just as bad.

Despite Roy's terrible performances in his previous two fights, when it was announced he was coming back to fight Tarver for a third time I was ecstatic. As I broke down the fight in my head in the weeks leading up to it, my mind was telling me "Roy can't win, he doesn't have the legs anymore to box all twelve rounds. Even if he does, will he be able to commit to an attack? Will he be able to get inside on Tarver?" This is quite the opposite to what my heart was telling me, "Roy's back!" and "He's gonna pull it off."

No matter how badly I wanted Roy Jones to win Saturday, I knew deep down that it was not going to happen. While Roy appears to have retained a great deal of the Superman-like skills he once possessed, it became clear throughout the night, he does not have the fight anymore. Roy was more concerned about not being hit Saturday than being able to land clean, effective punches. At one point, Roy threw only eight punches in an entire round, landing only one of them. While I am genuinely glad Roy did not go out there a get himself hurt, as many people expected to happen, I am also saddened by the loss of will by "my fighter," my all-time favorite fighter. I wish Roy at least tried to win the fight down the stretch, in the twelfth round Tarver was out of gas and while Roy was slightly more aggressive than previous rounds, he did not take the necessary risks to attempt to knockout Tarver and win the fight.

While I am glad Roy did not get knocked out and certainly glad that he did not get hurt, watching "my fighter" dance and showboat all the while he was unwilling to engage in combat, was just as sad to watch as his previous knockout losses because I realized, no matter how fast he still might be, the great Roy Jones is gone forever. In multiple post-fight interviews Roy left the door open for him to fight again, I hope he reconsiders because no matter how much he looks the part on the outside, the fighter inside is gone.

Roy thanks for the memories, you'll never be forgotten but it is time to say goodbye.

Makijs
05-10-2005, 10:13
Is RJJ 'over the hill'? De cijfers spreken voor zich:
Punches Stats For Tarver vs Jones III
Tarver: 158 of 620, 25%
Jones: 85 of 320, 27%
Power shots
Tarver:107 of 341, 31%
Jones: 74 of 207, 36%.

Makijs
05-10-2005, 12:04
Quit Conning Yourself And Us, Roy Jones. It's Over
By Michael J. Woods (October 5, 2005)
http://www.maxboxing.com/Woods/Woods100505.asp
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http://www.maxboxing.com/Media/Jones_Lamarstandish.jpg
The con is over, Roy Jones. It's time to get off the stage. You know it, deep down, don't you? You have to know you're operating at three-quarters effectiveness from those days when you romped over opponents with such stylistic grace, uncommon coordination and superhuman hand speed that we debated your place among the greats.

Those guys around you, the sponges that get those scraps off the gravy train that should have ground to a halt after you got knocked out by Glen Johnson last September, before you further sullied your legacy on Saturday night against Antonio Tarver, they probably don't tell you that you fooled no one on Saturday. Can you blame them? That gravy tastes good. The applause, it just doesn't reach the same decibel level at those cockfights you enjoy, does it? Nah, very little compares to the roar of 40,000 adoring lungs chanting your name. It's an addiction, really, and it's why the Stones lug their geriatric asses from city to city. The roar is like smack, idn't Keef? The gravy lappers aren't going to cop to this fact, Roy, but it should be very clear that you are thinking like an adulation addict. After Tarver handed your behind to you on a platter Saturday, you were talking like a graduate from the Norman Vincent Peale School of Borderline Delusional Optimism.

"I'm not going to stop," you said. "That's the champion I am. I felt like Saturday could have been the beginning of a new day because I felt good in the ring for a while. My body is starting to get better. I'm looking at everything as a positive."

Whoa, scary talk. You say "champion I am." Not to get all grammar police on you, but you got the tense wrong. "Champion you were." Not to be harsh on you, but someone has to cut through the fog of delusion here. You haven't had a belt to strap on your waist since 2003. Two years, Roy. You were 34 then, you're 36 now. I'm not an ageist, mind you. Tarver, the guy who's bested you twice now, three times in some people's eyes who say you lost the first try, in November of 2003, he's also 36. But he has more tread on the tires than you do, Roy.

You threw 320 punches on Saturday night, and while you were usually economical with your output, this was sub-Butterbean level activity. You tossed 424 in that first, successful outing. But your standards have dropped since then, along with the capability of your body.

"I want to have good, competitive fights," you said after Tarver chiseled away at your eroding legacy in Tampa on Saturday. "That's my whole goal."

Yeah? That's a switch. Refresher time, Roy.

"I could beat Mike Tyson," you said in 1995. "I couldn't beat a large heavyweight like Riddick Bowe, but Tyson's only five-eleven. I could reach him. I could carry 185 pounds. I want to do something no one thinks I can do. That's what a champion does. A warrior is someone who'll fight to the dying end...But a champion is someone who'll find a way to adapt to any situation and win. That's what I am."

You had the tense right then, Roy. But that was before the fog settled in your head. Was it the fog talking when you said, "If it made money, it made sense," after Tarver was done with you, yet again? Hey Roy, remember when I said the con is over? You aren't just conning yourself with talk like that, trying to pretend that as long as the promotion made money, you're all good with losing. You're conning all those Average Joes out there who don't piss away $50 as easily as you do. They called their cable company on Saturday night after watching a Tarver-Jones III infomercial, thinking that maybe your reunion with Big Roy would reverse the unreversible slide, and they're on the hook for $50 on the next bill. But as long as you got yours, eh Roy?

You never really did factor in the indubitable fact that you are an entertainer when people are paying you to watch you ply your trade. That's why you coasted through countless rounds, often using 30% of your astounding genetic package as you solidified your place among the all time greats. It's why so many of us had to give you credit for skills, but not for your demeanor.

But maybe there is hope, Roy. Let me try that Norman Vincent Peale stuff for a second. You did say, "I realize I lost a step" in your post-fight analysis session. Bravo.

Shoot, I can't keep up that happy talk, Roy. Think of me like a counselor for the Betty Ford Clinic For Athletes Who Don't Know When To Walk Away. Sorry to depart from the Peale Deal, Roy, but you've lost more than a step. Don't let the gravy lappers and flesh peddlers who'd love to see you continue this campaign of legacy defacement tell you different. You've lost several steps, and your chin has been involuntarily re-wired, compliments of Tarver and Johnson, don't forget. Can't let you forget, Roy, because the gravy lappers aren't big on injecting reality into the mix.

You had to know you needed to knock out Tarver in the twelfth round on Saturday night and you just couldn't pull the trigger. You couldn't, you wouldn't, and thus you shouldn't belabor this sad spectacle of a quest.

"Boxing loves Roy Jones," you said after the latest loss, the bad kind of three-peat. "This couldn't happen without Roy Jones."

What did you mean by "this," Roy? If you mean the sad diminishment of one of the most talented pure boxers to ever lace up a pair, then you're right. But if you keep at it, that first statement, about how the sport loves you, will ring even more falsely than it does today. It took us a little while to shake off the images of Ali getting mugged like the greenest of sparring partners by Holmes and playing out the string inelegantly against Berbick. And we liked Ali, loved him even. Your brand of hubris never compared favorably to the Greatest's, Roy, no matter what the gravy lappers tell you. We have to defend our sick sport too often, Roy, so we don't need another all-time great talking with a mouthful of marbles and shuffling like he's got a load in his pants when he's 50.

Walk away today, Roy, and tell the world that time is no longer on your side. Exit the stage today with most of your marbles and a good chunk of dough so we can ponder your place in the savage science pantheon, Roy, and you'll do pretty well when the votes are all counted. You were one of the best, Roy, but now it's time to rest. Let the roosters do the fighting."