Roy Jones Jr. will pursue his third straight knockout in as many fights on Wednesday at the Acer Arena in Sydney, Australia, against hard-hitting IBO cruiserweight (200 pounds) champion Danny Green.In victory, the 40-year-old Jones (54-5, 40 knockouts) would earn a fifth crown in as many different weight classes, having already held middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight titles.
Already the only man to have captured world championships at 160, 168, 175 and heavyweight, Jones would also remain on pace for an already-agreed-upon rematch with former world champion Bernard Hopkins (49-5, 32 KOs) that is scheduled for March 13 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"Cruiserweight is not a division I've really been interested in, but seeing as it's there, why not," Jones told Boxing Scene's Mark Vester.
"It's the only big weight division that I haven't won a title in, and it's right there close by within reach," said Jones, an eight-belt titlist who is fighting in Green's hometown. "I'll do it, get it done, and put it on my resume. Then, I will move on to Hopkins."
The 44-year-old Hopkins will also compete on Wednesday night, taking on the rugged 29-year-old Enrique Ornelas (29-5, 19 KOs) in a non-title, 12-round, light heavyweight fight at Temple University's Licouras Center in Hopkins' hometown of Philadelphia.
Jones-Green (27-3, 24 KOs) will be televised by VERSUS on tape delay as part of the Hopkins-Ornelas broadcast scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.In May of 1993, Jones earned a unanimous decision over Hopkins for the vacant IBF middleweight crown -- his first-ever championship in the initial world title match for each fighter.
Hopkins turns 45 on January 15 -- one day before Jones turns 41.
A resident of Pensacola, Fla., Jones scored knockouts in his first 17 fights. Jones was 34-0, and ahead on two judges' cards, before being disqualified for hitting Montell Griffin when he was down.
Jones stopped Griffin in the first round of their rematch five months later in August of 1997, his first of 15 consecutive wins -- nine of which were knockouts.
That run included an April 1998, fourth-round knockout of former world champ Virgil Hill, whom Jones stopped for the first time in his career.
Jones also knocked out Glen Kelly, and decisioned Eric Harding and Julio Cesar Gonzalez, who were 28-0-1, 19-0-1, and, 27-0, at the time of their losses.
At the height of his winning streak, a 193-pound Jones dethroned the WBA heavyweight champ, John Ruiz, by unanimous decision in March of 2003, despite being out-weighed by 23 pounds, then returned to light heavyweight to dethrone the WBC king, Antonio Tarver, by majority decision.
After that, however, Jones lost twice to Tarver, and once to Glen Johnson -- being knocked out once by each of them.
Nine months after the second loss to Tarver, Jones returned to the ring for a July 2006, unanimous decision over Prince Badi Ajamu. That was followed up by decisions over unbeaten Anthony Hanshaw and former world champion, Felix Trinidad, before the loss to Joe Calzaghe.
"Danny's a strong guy, he's a very tough guy, and he's going to put a lot of pressure on me," said Jones, who has been knocked out twice while Green never has.
"Danny's going to try to wear me down because I'm 40, and he's 36. So he's going to think that he can wear me down. But I'm ready for that.
"The foot, and hand-speed are going to be the key to my victory. I can win it powerfully. I can win it boxing. I can win it either way. I'm just a better fighter."
Green is after his seventh consecutive victory, have stopped five of his last six opponents.
"Roy Jones Jr is hard for anyone to prepare for because he's such an amazing fighter," the 36-year-old Green told the Perth Sunday Times, adding, "this fight won't go 12 rounds."
Green has won his last six bouts -- five of them by KO.
On the undercard of Jones-Lacy, Green scored a fifth-round knockout of Julio Cesar Dominguez, dropping him twice in the final round of his last fight.
"I'm known as a banger and that's the way I like to fight," said Green. "But my hand speed is definitely underrated. I'm starting to realize that."
Green has lost route-going decisions to Markus Beyer, and, Anthony Mundine, respectively, during unsuccessful bids for the WBC, and, WBA super middleweight titles in March of 2005, and, May of 2006.
Green's legacy of toughness includes having earned the WBC's interim super middleweight crown with a sixth-round knockout of Eric Lucas in December of 2003.
Green has also gotten up from a second-round knock down to stop Omar Eduardo Gonzalez in the fifth round of a light heavyweight bout in September of 2004, and floored Beyer in the 12th round before falling by majority decision.
Green's third loss was also against Beyer during a controversial, August, 2003, fifth-round, disqualification in his first WBC title fight.
Green had been 16-0, all knockouts, heading into that bout, during which he dropped Beyer in the first and second rounds, before being penalized for a second-round head-butt that caused a cut on the face of his rival.
After being ruled to have intentionally head-butted Beyer, an infraction that worsened the cut, Green was disqualified when a ring-side doctor stopped the fight.
Green was successful in his third bid for a crown in December of 2007, thanks to a one-sided, unanimous decision over Stipe Drews for the WBA light heavyweight belt.
"I just have a feeling someone's getting knocked out [Wednesday]" Green said. "I know [Jones] is keen on a knockout, and obviously with my style of fighting, not many have gone the distance with me."
