Roy Jones Jr Could Be Option for WBC Titleholder Krzysztof Wlodarczyk

Luke Furman reports that WBC cruiserweight titlist Krzysztof Wlodarczyk may be considering a title defense against 42-year-old Roy Jones Jr in early 2012, but that a mandatory challenge could prevent the fight from going forward.

Jones (55-8, 40 KO) turns 43 on January 16, and was recently in the ring for an easy but entirely unimpressive victory over Max Alexander, a non-contender who had to be dragged out of retirement for the fight in Atlanta.

Prior to that, Jones had lost three straight, and still doesn't have what anyone reasonable would consider a "good win" since 2003, as during his run since then, he's gone 6-7 and beaten second-rate fighters, faded ex-contenders, semi-retired guys who never quite made it, and one blown up welterweight who was also retired before fighting Jones.

Wlodarczyk (46-2-1, 33 KO) stopped Danny Green in the 11th round on November 30 in Australia in his most recent fight. Green, of course, got Jones out in the first round in December 2009 in a 180-pound catchweight fight for a minor cruiserweight title.

But if good sense and good luck prevails, the 30-year-old Pole will first have to rematch Francisco Palacios (21-1, 13 KO), who gave Wlodarczyk all he could handle in April of this year, losing by split decision in Poland.

Jones has a few things going for him here, but none of them are related to his remaining ability in the ring. It's simply a fact that Jones is still well-known outside of the United States, and thus is something of an international attraction. I don't think the fans in Australia or Russia thought they were getting THE Roy Jones Jr when he fought Green and Denis Lebedev, but it was a chance to see a former boxing sensation. That's the appeal here; plus, Jones can't even draw fans in his hometown in the States anymore, and there was a smattering of fans at the Atlanta show at best. If he wants money for his risk, it has to be international boxing. All of it is sort of a sad reality, and obviously most of us wish he'd just stop, but he's going to keep fighting.