Fight Preview: Danny Green v. Roy Jones Jr.
Believe it or not, this Wednesday's must-win fight for Roy Jones Jr. is actually pretty interesting. For those unfamiliar with Danny Green, I'm not going to overhype what he does, or try to sell you a man that doesn't exist.
Green is 36 years old. He twice challenged Markus Beyer for the WBC super middleweight title, getting disqualified in 2003 and decisioned in 2005. The biggest fight of his career was also one of the biggest fights in Australian boxing history, as 30,000 fans turned out in 2006 to see Green face his long press rival, Anthony Mundine. After losing to Mundine, a rematch was discussed, but has yet to come about.
Post-Mundine, Green beat a few decent, not great fighters, and then was set for a 2007 fight in America with Antonio Tarver. And let's call it what it was: Tarver ducked Green, and had no interest, ever, in fighting him. This was not a situation where internet people or any one in any part of the press went wide with misleading facts, either. Showtime, who were to broadcast Tarver-Green, had run ads for the fight. Tarver himself had talked about the fight. And then before you know it, a bait-and-switch is pulled, with Danny Santiago replacing Green.
Green had already come to the States to begin training and to get used to the time difference when he found out he would not, in fact, be fighting Tarver. So he went back to Australia for a fight with then-WBA light heavyweight titlist Stipe Drews. Green won. It was his first major belt, and after the fight, he retired.
But like most, his retirement didn't last. A year and a half later, he hit the ring again, with faint whispers of a fight with Roy Jones Jr. possibly on the horizon, and some more talk of a Mundine rematch. Two fights later, and here we are, with Green and Jones ready to square off.
And it'll be Danny Green with homefield advantage in Sydney, Australia.
Don't overlook the fact that this is Roy Jones Jr.'s first fight outside of the United States, but don't put a ton into it, either. Frankly, I don't expect Jones will receive a terribly hostile reception. Even at 40 and faded from his prime, Jones is still a major name in boxing, and his going to Australia legitimizes, in some ways, their boxing and their boxing economy. Having a living legend the stature of Roy Jones come to town to fight Danny Green is a pretty big event, and should be exciting for the Aussie fans.
Danny Green really needs to focus on one thing: Power. Danny Green has 24 knockouts in his 24 wins, and Roy Jones has a bustable chin. We know that. Tarver knocked him out with a perfect shot, and Glen Johnson put a vicious beating on him the next time out. That said, that was five years ago. Since then, he's lost to Tarver again by decision, and by decision to Joe Calzaghe.
Simply put, Green cannot play the speed game with Roy Jones. When you watch Green's fight with Mundine, it's apparent that Green is far from a speed merchant. He's a very basic fighter -- a good one, a strong one, and a tough one. But he's not hard to figure out. He comes at you, he doesn't make his intentions hidden, and there's not much to more than the usual to prepare for when Green is your opponent.
Jones cannot look past him, though. Of the two tune-up fights on Wednesday that could lead to Jones-Hopkins II, it's Roy taking the bigger risk, and rightly making the most money. Jones deserves some props for living up to his promise to fight Green, even when the Hopkins rematch was put to paper officially. He even hinted that of course he didn't really want to risk this with that money fight on the horizon, but he's proven to be a man of his word. Danny Green came back, it would seem, to fight Roy Jones. And he'll get his chance.
This year, Jones has fought twice, beating a couple of shot fighters. Omar Sheika had fought just once (in 2007) since 2005, and 2005 was also the last time Jeff Lacy looked good in the ring. I think you can gloss over Sheika very easily as nothing more than a pure bounce-back fight, but Lacy was a bit more impressive. Even given how slow, limited and worn out Lacy appears these days, Jones had some real spark in that fight. He came to impress and to end the fight before the scheduled 12 rounds, and he did so.
What it really comes down to is Jones' last 10 fights. He's got a debated win over Tarver, plus victories over Prince Badi Ajamu, Anthony Hanshaw, a bloated Tito Trinidad, Sheika and Lacy. He's got clear losses to Tarver (twice), Johnson and Calzaghe.
So where does Green fit in? For my money, and no disrespect meant to Danny Green, he's much closer in class to the likes of Ajamu, Hanshaw and Lacy than he is to Calzaghe, prime Tarver and Glen Johnson. Jones may be old, but he's not a shot fighter. Faded, aged, yes. Shot? No.
I just don't think Danny Green will get that big right hand that he'll need. If Jones fights smart, doesn't lay on the ropes and put himself in bad positions (something he's been anxious to do in recent outings), he'll win this one going away. Jones deserves to be the heavy favorite, and I think he'll win the fight. But if Green curbs that big rematch, I won't be shocked.
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Jones should look good
From the couple of occasions i’ve seen Danny Green, he likes to bully people and apply the pressure relentlessly. But in the Mundine fight he was outboxed and counter-punched in most rounds, a fairly easy target and quite sloppy defensively. A decent jab. But a predictable approach.
This may serve as a useful blueprint as Jones will fight in a similar style to Mundine on that night, he will wait for Green to make his move then pick him off at will. I think Jones Jr will look great in this fight. The risk element is small for me. Jones will be too smart to be caught by a flush Green right hand. This tune-up fight will probably go the distance and looks to me like a wide points win for Jones – maybe even a shut-out. Providing he doesn’t underestimate Green, which I’m certain he won’t.
Jones UD
Jones seems to have finally made a few adjustments from his younger style where he didn’t make the same mistakes against Sheika and Lacy that he did against Hanshaw and Ajamu. Green’s a little too similar to Sheika for this one to play out much differently. He won’t get a mercy stoppage in Australia, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Green doesn’t win a round.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Weigh-in video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOlwg402_r4
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDWnMXzgeZo&feature=related
Can anyone ID the guy Jones drops at 1:24 of this video?
It looks like Hopkins, but I’m fairly sure it isn’t for a few reasons, mainly that I’m sure Hopkins didn’t go down in their fight, and also that he was wearing black shorts(?)…
Anyone know?
Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)
ANYBODY?????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)
It kinda looks like Montell Griffin. Did some searching and thats what I came up with. Could be totally wrong, but thats my horse.
Nope. Griffin wore red shorts. He's the guy chicken dancing all over the place at the end of the clip.
Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)
The lanky guy in the black shorts was Richard Hall
Not sure about the blue shorts right after that.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
And a little youtube research
Blue shorts was Antoine Byrd
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
I thought Byrd was white?
Was it Hall that Jones danced all the way round while he was staggering, then knocked him out?
Boxing is the beginning of all sports. I'm willing to bet that the first sport was a man against another man in a fight. (Omar Epps)
Yeah, that was Hall
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Danny is slow but is an explosive puncher with heavy hands. His style should be fairly easy for Roy to exploit, but if Danny catches him on the ropes, look out.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 1, 2009 10:26 AM EST reply actions
a pre-bday throwdown, good shit!
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Dec 1, 2009 11:08 AM EST reply actions
“I just don’t think Danny Green will get that big right hand that he’ll need. If Jones fights smarts, doesn’t lay on the ropes and put himself in bad positions (something he’s been anxious to do in recent outings), he’ll win this one going away.” Spot on, SC.
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 1, 2009 12:13 PM EST reply actions
btw
Is it just me or is there, I dunno, a different feeling about this one? The last few Jones fights have felt sort of like, “Oh great, another Roy fight.” This one feels more like, “Hey, Roy’s fighting again, cool.”
Bad Left Hook
"If bulls**t was poetry, Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini's name would be Shakespeare." -- Dennis Rappaport
That, and because Green is the best opponent he's faced (other than Calzaghe) in about 4 years
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
i’m about as pumped as one can get to watch a 40 year old dude
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Dec 1, 2009 4:16 PM EST up reply actions
Watching Jones throe double and triple hooks at Lacey, and talking to the Assuies in the crowd while clinching holding) him revived many memories. If he can stay in the middle of the ring, he can do it again. And HE is the draw against Hopkins, not the other way around IMO….
"If you sit there and watch a person take about an hour to tie his shoestrings, then you realize that whatever problems you got ain't that significant"
---Vernon Forrest 2006
by The Midnight Rambler on Dec 1, 2009 3:55 PM EST reply actions
An opponent needs at least a little hand speed to beat Roy….look what Calzaghe did to him. Green is slow in his hand and in his footwork, leading us to believe he was handpicked to lose and not give Roy any problems. Still, I’d love to see Green land a hard punch to Roy’s chin…it’s always amusing to see Roy do the “Zab Judah” dance.
Agreed on the comments above me. Roy has everything to win this fight, speed, smarts, movement and power. Green has power and that only. If he cant keep up with Roy then it could be a shut out.
It may get interesting at the mid to late rounds as Green is tough and will be able to stay in there and Roy could very well slow down enough for Green to get to him. He is 40 and moving around and keeping Green chasing might just start to gas him out.
This will be the only fight i get to watch live on TV before all you in America and it adds to the novalty factor. I’ll be waiting till the post fight write up before i can talk about the fight. The Hopkins fight is live over here to but its on mid day while im meant to be working
"Good, so it can’t go any deeper." - Arturo Gatti after being told he was cut to the bone
REMINDER: NO JONES SPOILERS
The last few have been long-time posters, so I’ve just hidden the comments, but I’ve already had to ban someone today.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

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