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'I love a challenge' Jones looking forward to fighting tall southpaw Hall
Posted: Friday May 12, 2000 08:04 PM
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Things will be looking up for Roy Jones Jr. on Saturday night. Chances are good, however, the 5-foot-11 undisputed light heavyweight champion could be looking down at 6-3 1/2 Richard Hall during their 12-round title bout in Conseco Fieldhouse. Jones' speed and power, which has produced 33 knockouts on a 41-1 record, figure to be too much for the left-handed Hall. The challenger from Jamaica has a 24-1 record, with 23 knockouts, but against nondescript opposition. "I'm going to win. ... Jones has good speed and he's a good counter puncher," Hall said. "Those are the big things I have to look out for." Should Jones fail to get the job done with power, however, his speed and boxing ability could carry him successfully through the 12 rounds. "Richard Hall is a tough guy," Jones said. "He's a strong puncher. I know he's going to come out to try and knock me out because that's his main thing, his power. But I'm very powerful. I love a challenge. I love somebody to come out to try and knock me out because it makes me feel good." Jones weighed in Friday at 173 1/2 pounds while Hall weighed in 174 1/2 pounds. "It may go 12 [rounds], I don't know," Jones said after his weigh-in. "He's a big puncher. I'm a big puncher. I can't see us getting together and going 12 rounds." Hall's only hope would seem to be a knockout against a man who's only been down once -- a flash knockdown against Lou Del Valle. "I put in for a long night or a short night. Either way, I'm going to win," Hall said after his weigh-in. "Somewhere along the line, Roy Jones is going to make a mistake and when that happens, Richard Hall is going to take advantage of it," said Aaron Snowell, Hall's trainer. The only costly mistake Jones made was to hit Montell Griffin while Griffin was down. That led to his ninth-round disqualification on March 21, 1997, and cost him the WBC light heavyweight title. Jones regained that 175-pound championship by knocking out Griffin in the first round Aug. 7, 1997. Then he won the WBA title by outpointing Del Valle on July 18, 1998, and he added the IBF title by outpointing Reggie Johnson last June 6. Jones also is a former IBF middleweight and super middleweight champion. He won the vacant middleweight title in 1993 on a decision over Bernard Hopkins, who won the IBF 160-pound title in 1995 and who will make his 12th defense Saturday night on an HBO telecast that begins at 9 p.m. EDT. Hopkins (36-2-1, 27 knockouts) will open the telecast against Syd Vanderpool (28-1, 18 knockouts) of Canada. Hopkins, of Philadelphia, called for another fight against Jones Thursday. And it is possible a fight can be arranged, probably at 168 pounds, in what would be a good payday for both fighters. Officials said Friday afternoon that about 5,000 tickets remain available, with more than 12,000 sold.
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