6 of the best boxing PPV performances since 2000
4. Roy Jones Jr. UD12 John Ruiz
March 01, 2003
Often forgotten due to how long he continued to fight past his prime is Roy Jones. He was named the Fighter of the Decade for the 1990s, and for years, it was rare to see Jones lose a round, much less a fight. The blend of athleticism, speed, power, and pure confidence has yet to be duplicated in the same package.
For years as a reigning unified champion at light heavyweight, there was a demand for Jones to challenge himself as fights with Steve Collins and fellow light heavyweight champion Dariusz Michalczewski never materialized.
Jones decided to move to the heavyweight division to challenge WBA heavyweight titleholder, John Ruiz. No, Ruiz wasn’t the lineal heavyweight champion, that was Lennox Lewis, but he represented the first real threat, Jones had faced in years.
Beginning his career at middleweight, the move to heavyweight could backfire, resulting in Jones getting seriously hurt for the first time.
Teaming up with Mackie Shiltone, a fitness specialist who previously worked with fighters Riddick Bowe and Michael Spinks, Jones moved to heavyweight while maintaining his speed and increasing his strength.
The Ruiz fight would turn out to be a typical Roy Jones performance. He fought at his pace, potshotting Ruiz almost at will in complete control. The standard showboating was also at full display for Jones, proving that at any weight, he was still leagues above his opponents.
No matter what Ruiz tried, he was unable to catch Jones with a genuinely hard shot. Jones was careful; however, he took risks attacking Ruiz whenever he created openings.
Jones would win a unanimous decision becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title since 1897 when Bob Fitzsimmons did the same in the first chapters of boxing’s history. In total, Jones won titles in four weight classes, including middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.
There are many who believe that had Jones retired after his victory over Ruiz, his standing in boxing history would be right alongside Henry Armstrong and Ray Robinson.