Quotable quotes from boxing legend Roy Jones Jr, his July 14 PPV TV opponent Anthony Hanshaw and others who gathered at Madison Square Garden Wednesday to formally announce the Jones-Hanshaw fight. The fight will be seen nationally and around the world on a live broadcast emanating from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center.
BOXING LEGEND ROY JONES JR.: “I love to do what I do and I am back to doing what I do. No one can dictate to me because, when I go in that ring, it is my life that is on the line. I take my hat off to Anthony Hanshaw. I can’t wait for July 14. I wanted a challenge. Why would I want to fight someone who is not a threat? I’m not here to fool myself. He is young, up and coming and he is hungry.”
UNDEFEATED ANTHONY HANSHAW: “July 14. That is my time. Roy Jones had his time. But, on July 14, that is my time to shine. Starting from today, my trainer is Floyd Mayweather Sr.”
JON LUCAS, PRESIDENT & GM, IP CASINO/RESORT/SPA, BILOXI, MS: “It was 21 months ago, the entire Gulf Coast was hit with devastation (Hurricane Katrina). The name for this fight should be ‘We’re Back,’ meaning not just Roy we meaning Biloxi and the whole Gulf Coast. We want to tell everyone we’re back and open for business. What better way to do that with Murad and Roy bringing a major fight to Biloxi to show that we are open and we are back!”
LEGEND LOU DUVA, WHO HAS WELTERWEIGHT OSCAR DIAZ ON THE UNDERCARD: “This guy here, this Murad Muhammad, he is not like King, Arum or De La Hoya. Murad is a real fight guy and a man of his word. One time he was talking to me about a fight and I asked him where it was gonna be held. Murad says it will be in Venezuela. I asked him where again and he says, you know, in Italy in that city where they ride around on them little boats. I think he meant Venice. As far as Roy Jones, he’s a good guy and I admire him inside and outside the ring. Everything Roy does, he does it the right way. Hanshaw has got a style that will give Roy Jones hell out there. There was a time when Roy Jones kept boxing alive all by himself.”
OSCAR DIAZ, WELTERWEIGHT CONTENDER FROM SAN ANTONIO: “I had some war with Golden Johnson and now I am back for another one on this show. I grew up watching Roy Jones so it is a great pleasure to be on a show with him.”
COMEDIAN PAT COOPER: “I am a boxing nut, that’s why I’m here. What’s the big deal, people can afford to spend $30 to see this fight on TV. Go for the thirty bucks, it’s worth it.”
MULTIVISION MEDIA TV EXECUTIVE BRIAN RICCO: “We were going to do a reality show on this fight but somebody (HBO) beat us to the punch. We’re looking forward to July 14 and we have reasonable price point of $29.95. We’re building for the future and, whether Roy is the winner or Anthony is the winner, July 14 will be a great day.”
MURAD MUHAMMAD, MURAD PROMOTIONS: “Anthony wants to prove that it’s the end for Roy Jones. He wants to prove that he should be a seven figure fighter so he’s got beat a legend to do that. This is a platform for this young man. He feels like he is the uncrowned champ…But Roy Jones was not only considered the best pound-for-pound. Some people rated him the best pound-for-pound of all times. Everybody has a plan to fight and beat Roy Jones but then the first bell rings.”