Jones says making weight a struggle, but promises impressive stoppage

GL:  Tell us about it.  How was your holiday?  I see you're still bouncing around, attending Knicks Practices, making appearances here and there.  What's good? "Everything was good, everything was wonderful.  I was going to tell you that someone misinterpreted what I said about the dogs.  I said when I was a kid, that's what I did, not that I do, or endorse such things.  I don't, so that was a misunderstanding.  Everything is wonderful, I've been enjoying it out here, feeling good.  It's a little tougher than I thought it would be, but I have to do what I have to do.  I will have it off when it comes time.  I still stick to my word, Tito had to go in 4." 

GL:  When you say the weight is a little bit tougher than you thought it was going to be,  how many pounds above where you would like to be are you right now?

Roy Jones Jr.:  We don't really need to go into all of that, but it's a little bit tougher than I thought it was going to be.  I'm handling it, but it's a little tougher than I expected it to be. 

GL:  If it's a little tougher than you expected it be, does that mean you're going to be a little weaker, come fight night, as a result of it being a little tougher?

RJJ:  No, it's nothing that I can't figure out.  I'm glad I kept as good as I did, or I would have been a little weaker.  I'm glad I kept it as hood as I did, because I don't have to work at it, it's pretty cool.

GL:  Will you ever be able to fight this low again, or is this your body telling you...

RJJ:  I'll be able to fight this low again, but after you get to a certain number, it gets hard.

GL:  Trinidad's a consumate professional, he's not a real big trash talker.  Does that make it more difficult for you to get motivated for him, knowing he's a much smaller guy.

RJJ:  No, because I'm not really a trash talker either.  What I am is a fun haver, and I'm back into having fun again.  If I can have fun, I don't care who you are, when I get in there and do what I do, it's going to be a fun night for everybody.  For me, it doesn't take trash talking, it doesn't bother me.  What it is to me is, I've got to be me going into the ring.  If I'm not me going out there, and I'm not having a good time, my fans know they're not getting the best Roy Jones performance.  I'm feeling good, I'm feeling like me, so you're probably going to get the best Roy Jones performance. 

GL:   Trinidad has to go in 4, if he makes it to 6, something is wrong with the Roy man.

RJJ:  If he goes more than 6, I've got to be in on the fix. 

GL:  You're going to close the door in 4, if he makes 6, somethings got to be in the fix.

RJJ:  That's right.

GL:  On another note, what did you think of Mayweather-Hatton?

RJJ:  I thought Mayweather did a wonderful job of going out there and outboxing Ricky Hatton.  I thought Ricky Hatton got a little over-anxious, he got caught up in an ego situation, and Floyd used it very wisely against him. 

GL:  There's been a lot of talk about Hopkins fighting Calzaghe.  The fight is supposed to happen.  If it happens, who do like in that one?

RJJ:  I like Calzaghe.  Hopkins is a smart guy, but I don't think he punches hard enough to stop Calzaghe and Calzaghe throws way too many punches for Bernard. 

GL:  I asked Hopkins the other day what his prediction was for the fight with you and Tito, and he sarcasticly said he thinks it will be the first fight in the history of boxing where both guys knock each other out.

RJJ:  That might be, but there's going to be excitement at the Garden on January 19. He doesn't know how to have an exciting fight.

GL:  The fans seeing you fighting Tito, and Hopkins fighting Calzaghe, obviously they start being fans and hoping the winners are going to fight each other.  Is there any chance of that happening?

RJJ:  The only way is if Calzaghe wins, then it will definitely happen.  If Calzaghe doesn't win, then no it doesn't happen, because Bernard is not going to fight me. 

GL:  Is there anything different with this camp as compared to other fights?

RJJ:  No, everything is wonderful, I'm enjoying myself having a wonderful time.  The only thing different about this fight is before I didn't enjoy myself at fights, now I enjoy myself at fights.  This is the first time I've been in a real camp in about five years, I'm feeling good and having fun.  My boxing technique, it's a whole different environment than what I've been used to for the past five years, I'm very thankful to God that I'm able to get myself together and have the time that I'm having.  The results should show on Saturday night. 

GL:  You've never been a stranger to me and BoxingTalk, but throughout the years you've recieved some criticism for not going the extra mile to promote your big fights.  However, in this fight, you've been all over the place, doing everything that's asked of you and then some, going above and beyond what the norm is.  Are you hoping...

RJJ:  The only reason why I didn't used to do things like that is because I was always afraid stories were going to get twisted.  The way the pitt bull story got twisted, and because I was afraid of that I used to stay to myself.  It kind of makes you wish you had continued to stay to yourself, because had you not said anything at all, they couldn't have misquoted you and twisted the story around.  That's what kept me out of it, that's why I've always stayed quiet.  I was asked to give 100%, and that's what I did. 

GL:  I must live in the shell of boxing, because it's all I do, but I'm unaware of this pit bull story and maybe some of my readers are.  Would you care to elaborate?

RJJ:  I told a guy that when I was 15 years old I did have a dog.  I did try him a little bit, just like many kids were doing at the time.  I told him I was a little boy and I didn't know any better, I couldn't take it, because I couldn't watch my dog die in no way.  I wasn't going to let that happen, and I got out of it, because I knew I couldn't handle it.  He said I would still let my dog fight right now in the place where I live, and I told him that's not true. Next thing happened, people were in my yard looking at my dogs.  I do not fight dogs.  He said he misquoted me, he thought I said I do it now.  I said that when I was a kid, I had one dog.  I told everybody that, I didn't say I do that now.  I wouldn't dare think about doing no shit like that now.  The way they're doing Michael Vick is crazy. 

GL:  It wasn't something that served as a distraction with the extra attention?

RJJ:  It did at first, because everyone was calling me.  I had to tell everyone I don't fight no damn dogs.  I said, when I was a kid, I had one dog.  There were people telling me I had to get rid of my dog, I told them I don't fight my dog.  Why do I have to get of it?  It was a distraction at first, until the guy who wrote the story admitted that he misquoted the part when I said I was a kid.  Then everyone kind of backed off me, they realized I don't fight dogs.

GL:  Why get rid of the dog?  That could make you look guilty of something.

RJJ:  When they first told me, I said why do I have to get rid of my dog?  It ticked me off at first.  I wasn't getting rid of my dog, what did I have to get rid of him for?  My dog doesn't fight.  I'm not giving up my dog. 

GL:  I'm just glad we've got you accurate on BoxingTalk for 6 years and running.  You've never been misquoted on BoxingTalk.  


RJJ:  Not one time, not one time. 

GL:  I look forward to seeing you in the Garden, give us some closing thoughts for the fans.

RJJ:  I'm feeling really good, I'm enjoying myself.  I'm back to being the entertainer I believe, it ain't as easy as it used to be, but I can still get up off of it, and get it right.  I think I've got it right this time.

M

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