Roy Jones Jr stepped back into the ring on Sunday night to beat a boxing fan with a second round knockout in the latest instalment of the veteran's faltering career.
Jones’s opponent, Vyron Phillips, won the right to fight the 47 year old having been selected from 1,500 entries through a vote on Facebook, and was due a $100,000 payout if he won the contest staged in Phoenix, Arizona.
Phillips, a 33-year-old MMA fighter with no professional boxing experience, was caught late in the first round but continued into the second where he was quickly knocked to ground. With Phillips unable to carry on, the referee stepped in and ended the contest.
The bout was sanctioned by Arizona State Boxing and headlined a pay-per-view bill on the American television channel UR Shows TV. Jones, who became a Russian citizen last year, afterwards avoided calling an end to his fighting days. "I don't have anything planned," said Jones, who was brutally knocked out by Britain's Enzo Maccarinelli last year. "You just never know what's going to happen."
Phillips said he had idolised his legendary opponent as a child but advised him to hang up his gloves. “I’d like to see Roy go away from this,’’ he said. “Maybe coach. I don’t want to see him get hurt.’’
(Guardian service)
