clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Pacquiao vs Marquez IV: Roy Jones Jr on facing opponents multiple times, Pacquiao's public perception

Roy Jones Jr discusses what goes into camp before facing an opponent you've already met, and Manny Pacquiao's public perception if he were to lose to Juan Manuel Marquez tomorrow.

Austin Schindel, XFINITY Sports: "First of all, Roy, you've had the opportunity to face guys several times. What's the difference in training camp, and the first couple of rounds, when you've faced a couple times?"

Roy Jones Jr, HBO Sports: "There's really no difference. It's kind of simple. Every time you fight a guy, you have to have a different strategy. Whatever you did last time, he's going to be prepared for. That's what he's going to go back home and prepare for, whatever you did last time, whatever may have caused him problems last time. So when you go to the gym, you gotta come in with a new strategy. Of course, Freddie Roach was smart enough to come up with a new strategy for Pacquiao. His new strategy was, he enabled Pacquiao to become more of an aggressive power puncher this time, so that if he can catch Marquez, he can try to get him out. On the other hand, Marquez did the same thing. He went back to the table and said, You know what? I catch him with counter punches. So how about I put on a little bit more muscle and become a little bit stronger, get a little more quicker, and now when I catch him with counter punches, I'm gonna follow it and get him out. So both fighters went to the gym doing exactly what you'd expect them to do. Never go into a fight with the same guy with the same plan you had last time, because they'll be ready for that plan. I think both of these guys are well aware of that, both of them want a different outcome to what they've seen the last three times. Even the winner, Pacquiao, who's won the last two, he wants to see better results this time. He don't want to leave there with the fans thinking, I don't think he won that."

Schindel: "You have the unique perspective of being in prizefights and sitting on the sidelines and watching them. How has your perspective changed on these big events and boxing events, now that you're watching?"

Jones: "It hasn't changed a lot. My hat goes off to guys like Pacquiao, Donaire, Marquez, there's a lot of guys. Ward, even Broner. My hat goes off to those guys because they're all fighting as champions. You're supposed to welcome all challengers. I'm at the end of my road, I've got about a year left and I'm done, but just yesterday, old Steve Collins said he would come out of retirement to fight me. And called me a bad, dirty name. Why would you call me a name when I was trying to fight the likes of Holyfield, Mike Tyson, the Klitschkos. I tried to fight everybody. I'm ducking you? I ducked you in my prime, are you serious? I won't duck you now. He's trying to say, 'Oh, Roy ducked me.' (laughing) What Roy was he watching? So, but, that's what I stood for in boxing. When I see guys like Pacquiao and Marquez who are willing to take -- even though the challenge is tough -- they're willing to take a challenge, my hat goes off to them."

Schindel: "After Pacquiao lost to Bradley in a controversial decision--"

Jones: "Hold it! Hold it. Don't use those words to me. Say, 'After they robbed Pacquiao in the Bradley fight,' and then move forward. Don't say 'lost to,' and 'controversy.' Don't say it."

Schindel: "In Roy Jones' words, as Pacquiao was robbed, if Marquez beats him this time, do you think the public's perception of Pacquiao will change, having now -- no?"

Jones: "No. No. Because he didn't lose to Bradley. Simple. He did not lose to Timothy Bradley. Dude. Pacquiao did not lose to Bradley. OK? Let's get that in our head first. Let's not even say that. That's like saying I lost my gold medal fight in the Seoul Olympics. That's my point! That's the same thing! It's the same exact thing! Don't act like it's different! It's the same thing! He did not lose to Timothy Bradley, I'm sorry! I love Timothy Bradley. I think he's one of the gamest, toughest guys in the sport, he took everything Pacquiao threw and kept coming. He did not win the fight, though. Just like the South Korean took everything I threw and kept coming, he did not win the fight, though."

(The video is cut short there for whatever reason.)

Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for the Bad Left Hook Daily Roundup newsletter!

A daily roundup of all your global boxing news from Bad Left Hook