GL: The Trinidad fight had been in discussion for quite some time. Now that it's a done deal can you give us some thoughts on the fight? "I love the fight. I'm glad the fight is happening. Some people might say it's a fight that should have happened five years ago, but God always knows best. It's a fight that needed to happen and this is the best time for it to happen. I'm thrilled to death that it's happening."

GL: At what weight will the fight take place

Roy Jones Jr: "170 pounds. It's going to be tough for me to make, but I'm going to get there. The fans want this fight, they need a big fight like this. There's not going to be no pitty pat rat-tat-tatting. It's going to be some bang bang. The fans wanted the fight and I'm going to make it happen. I'm going to put my body through a whole lot because it's been a while since I've been that low, but I'm going to make 170 and I will be ready."

GL: It's no secret that Tito Trinidad is and has been the crown jewel of Don King's company for many years. With that being said did you have to give King any future options to make this fight happen?

RJJ: "Yeah, I gave him future considerations because of that. We're basically going to be partnering up for a year. After this fight, which is a big fight, and like you said he's the biggest fighter King has so if he's going to be taking that gamble, the year is understandable. After that year I'm going to be back where I was, and really it's like I told Don King if we do well during this year and everything is on the up and up there would be no reason for me to want to go nowhere else. Don King is not a bad dude and he knows how to make him some money, it's that simple. As long as you've got your situation right it's not difficult to deal with Don, but if you ain't got your situation right, that's on you."


GL: Will the fight take place on January 26 and where will it take place?

RJJ: "It's looking like January 26, but we're out there looking at a few places, we just ain't got one locked in right now."

GL: Winky Wright shut Trinidad out in his last fight, what are his chances of success against you? Does a victory over Trinidad considering those circumstances, diminish what it could have been had the fight taken place a few years ago?

RJJ: "Not really because Tito has a style that is to make fights. I told Don, that against Bernard Hopkins, Trinidad was the man and Hopkins had everything to gain by fighting him. With Winky it's the same thing. Winky had everything to gain and nothing to lose. Against Bernard all he had to gain was the unification, but Bernard was not a draw then and he's still not a draw. Trinidad didn't have to fight him and could have went in another direction and everyone would have respected him as the man at middleweight."

GL: Do you plan on going toe-to-toe with Trinidad?

RJJ: "It's going to pretty much be toe to toe, I'm going to just stand there. I've got head movement and I'm not going to move my face in front of punches, but I'm not backing up. He's too little for me. Backing up from a damn welterweight would be stupid."

GL: Winky didn't have to do much more than jab to shut Tito out. Do you plan on using your jab early and often come January?

RJJ: "Winky and me is two completely different fighters. His best punch is his jab, mine ain't. I don't Tito going no twelve rounds with me, I want Tito out of there. It doesn't make sense for me to jab with him. If I can't stop him in six or seven rounds something's wrong with me."

GL: If he goes more than seven rounds something's wrong with you?

RJJ: "Something's gotta be wrong with me. I'm going there to take him out. People are paying for it and I'm going to be there to give them what they're paying for. I'm going to get loose and sit in and once that happens somebody is going to be laying down and it ain't going to be me. I can tell you how the fight is going to play out right now. I'm going to take the first couple of rounds to get warm like I always do, maybe pot shot him a couple of time, but come round three I'm going to start making it a fight and that's when it'll be all over for him."

GL: In your opinion does a victory over Trinidad add to your legacy?

RJJ: "Yeah it does. This is a big fight for me. He knows he's up against Roy Jones Jr so he's going to be taking this very, very seriously."

GL: Do you feel that the Trinidad's are accepting this fight now because they feel that you're vulnerable? If so, does that motivate you even more?

RJJ: "Most definitely. Now they think he's going to be able to land a big shot. He said he's going to knock me out, and that's good. I'm glad he thinks he has a chance to win, that's what I want. He would have had a much better chance if he tried to fight me right when I came back down from heavyweight."

GL: Where would you prefer for this fight to take place, Las Vegas or Madison Square Garden?

RJJ: "I would prefer the Garden and do you know why? His people are the people I love the most because they do what I love. It's legal to fight game roosters in his country and I'm fitting to buy me a house out there after this fight so me and him can fight roosters together. I got nothing but the utmost respect for the Puerto Rican people, his people are my kind of people. If we had to go to Puerto Rico, I'd do it."

GL: Is there a rematch clause in the contract?

RJJ: "Nah, ain't no rematch clause. I didn't want it in there because I know I wasn't going to need one. It's like I said and I'm being honest with you if he goes six or seven rounds something is wrong with me. Unless I had an injury or I've damn near killed him and he losted longer than six rounds than I probably quit."

GL: Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

RJJ: "I love this fight, I love Tito as a fighter, I love the Puerto Rican people. I'm fitting to learn me some Spanish so when I buy my house out there, I can talk to everyone. The people wanted me in a big fight and it don't get no bigger than this for me."

M

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