Saturday night at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Roy Jones Jr., proved again why he's not on pay-per-view TV making those big bucks. Televised instead on HBO, he is the fighter many (not me) regard as the best pound-for-pound fighter out there today.
Jones put up another nondescript and boring performance while defending his undisputed light-heavyweight (175-pound limit) title against unknown and 17-1 underdog David Telesco. Jones, 41-1 with 33 KO's, won every round on all three judges scorecards as he toyed with the outclassed Telesco over a dull 12 rounds.
Jones, who hasn't been in a good fight for a long time, did his usual clowning, mugging and sticking his tongue out at Telesco, who is 23-3 with 19 KO's. The lopsided fight was not very good and a tough break for Radio City, which was hosting its first fight ever. Too bad the fans didn't get a better match to see.
The best thing on the fight telecast happened before the first bell ever rang. Whitney Houston sang a couple of songs before the fight started and then famed ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced the fighters and said his famous "Let's Get Ready To Rumble" phrase, but nobody "rumbled" at all during that fight.
By the way, it's been reported that Telesco made a few hundred grand for the fight and Jones was paid $1.6 million. Nothing to sneeze at, but that's chump change for top-name fighters these days.
- The HBO live telecast did include a decent heavyweight fight with a surprise ending!
Undefeated Derrick Jefferson took on David Izon and Jefferson was so far ahead after seven rounds that Izon needed a knockout to win the 10-round fight.
Well, he got it. Jefferson ran out of gas in round eight and went down from exhaustion and a weak punch. He barely survived the round. As round nine opened, Jefferson staggered out of his corner, took a few shots and when he couldn't raise his arms to defend himself, the referee stopped the fight just 11 seconds into the round. A nice upset win for Izon in a pretty good fight.
- There was an oddity on that HBO fight card. Referee Arthur Mercante Jr., worked the Izon fight and his father, Arthur Mercante Sr., worked the Jones fight. I can't ever recall a father-son team refereeing a semi-main and main event together on the same card.
- The ESPN2 live fight card Friday night had better fights than the HBO card. Heavyweights Ross Purity and Frankie Swindell went at it for 10 tough rounds in a very entertaining fight.
Swindell, who sometimes comes to lose, came to fight Friday night and he beat the favorite Purity. He didn't get the decision, though, as the fight was wrongly called a draw. There is a reason for that.
The fight card came from the Don Hansen Center in El Paso, Texas. That's Purity's hometown and Purity was an outstanding defensive lineman for UTEP from 1986-90.
In the main event, Irene Pacheco kept his IBF flyweight (112-pound limit) title by stopping a game Pedro Pena at the 2:32 mark of round eight of their scheduled 12-round fight.
Pacheco, 24-0, 19 KO's, wore down the tough 21-year old Pena in a decent fight. It was Pena's first loss and he's now 16-1 with eight KO's.
- There's a good main event on tap for this Friday on ESPN2 with a starting time of 6 p.m. Las Vegan James "Lights Out" Toney and Terry McGroom go at it from Los Angeles in a scheduled 10-round cruiserweight (190-limit) fight..
- HBO is back Saturday night with a weird starting time of 9:45 p.m. The main event has "Sugar" Shane Mosley fighting Willy Wise. Wise is the guy who beat Julio Cesar Chavez to get this fight, which he will lose, probably by a knockout!
The co-feature has Las Vegas fighter Vincent "Too Cool" Phillips taking on Vernon Forrest in a welterweight (148-limit) fight. The fights come from the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas.
- Sunday night, FOX sports (Channel 31 in CC) has its regular Sunday night fight card set for 7 p.m.
- LIVE AMATEUR FIGHTS - The first live amateur fight card of the new year takes place Saturday at the Reno Boys & Girls Club (2680 E. 9th St.) when the Reno Jets Boxing Club host an invitational amateur boxing card that begins at 2 p.m.
"We expect to have 15 bouts and have fighters from Reno, Carson City, Fernley, Wadsworth, Fallon and Stockton (Calif.) coming," said Thelma Tavares, who is putting the show together.
The card is sanctioned by USA Boxing of Nevada and admission is $6 general, $3 for students under 15 and seniors. Tickets will be available at the door for the non-profit show, which benefits the Jets boxing fund.
Carson City Boxing Club head coach Chuck Williams reports four local fighters will be on the card.
"We'll have Mike Peralta fighting Al Goranson of the Jets in one fight and Dwayne Pope fights Chad Saganey of the Jets in another," said Williams. "Also, Louis Loe and Marco Urbina will fight. Assisting me as coaches are Frank Peralta, Victor Bruno, Wayne Pudwill and Louis Loe Sr."
Williams also reports the team is "back at the National Guard Armory" training and anyone interested in fighting or coaching can stop by the gym any Wednesday night (6-8 p.m.) for signups or call Chuck at 885-9253 for additional information.
- We'll close by noting that Mike Tyson will fight in England Jan. 29th despite the fact British officials threatened to not let the convicted felon into their country.
If you believe there was a chance England wouldn't let Tyson fight there, I've got some old boxing posters I'd like to sell to you. The price is $1 million apiece.
I figure anyone who really believed they wouldn't let Tyson in to fight after selling out Manchester Stadium (21,000+) might go for one of my posters.
After all, I only have to sell one and I'm on easy street from then on ....
ALAN ROGERS is the Nevada Appeal boxing writer.
