PRESS RELEASE: Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. has an important fight coming up on pay-per-view TV July 14 from Biloxi, MS., against undefeated opponent Anthony Hanshaw. Jones has made it plain that if he loses to the 21-0-1 Hanshaw, he might take his gloves and head off into retirement. But Jones said that “what if” won’t happen, that he will beat Hanshaw and that he’ll then be more than happy to fight the un-retiring Felix “Tito” Trinidad.
“Will a fight between me and Tito happen?” Jones said in an interview with Puerto Rico’s big El Nuevo Dia newspaper Thursday. “I say it will because if two people, me and Tito, want it to happen, then nobody is going to be able to stop it. This would be a fight that could fill Madison Square Garden or Yankee Stadium. It’s a fight fan’s fight between two fighters who bring fireworks into the ring.
“I really think it would be a black eye for boxing if it didn’t happen,” Jones, 38-years-old and with a 50-4 ring record, said.
Promoter Murad Muhammad, whose Murad Productions is promoting Jones-Hanshaw with Square Ring Inc. in association with IP Casino-Resort-Spa of Biloxi at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum, said it is encouraging that Trindad’s father, Don Felix Trinidad had zeroed in exclusively on Jones as the target for a 2008 comeback bout.
“Roy likes the idea of Trinidad coming out of retirement,” Muhammad said. “We're not dealing with speculation or rumors. This news comes straight from the great Trinidad and his father, who molded his great career. This would be a mega-bout. But Tony “Tyger” Hanshaw could put a wrecking ball to such grandiose plans.”
Jones was asked if talk of Jones-Trinidad would “distract” him from the job at hand with Hanshaw.
“No,” Jones said, “it has not and will not distract me. I will handle my business come July 14. I like the idea of the Roy fans and the Tito fans filling up a large venue for a big fight down the line. If I fight Tito, I might just go and buy a home in Puerto Rico. I love Puerto Rico, the people and the whole Latin lifestyle. Tito picked the wrong guy when he fought Winky Wright because Winky is a classic defensive specialist. Winky doesn’t bring any fireworks into the ring like Tito and I do.”
Jones-Hanshaw and an explosive undercard will be available on cable and satellite dish TV for a suggested price of $29.95. Call your local cable operator or dish TV provider for more information.
