Roy Jones Says He's The Old Roy

Looks like RJ has a tiger by the tail.

Roy Jones Jr. refused to let his opponent Anthony “The Tyger” Hanshaw use his gym equipment that was set up in the IP Casino Resort Spa that is the host hotel for the upcoming fight on Saturday.

Bad idea Roy.

“We fly in from Las Vegas and they tell us we are barred from the training center,” stated Hanshaw. “Is this the great, legendary Roy Jones who pretends to be a classy gentleman, or is this the egomaniac who thinks he is running boxing?”

Former heavyweight world champion Jones (50-4, 38 KOs) returns again to the light heavyweight division against super middleweight contender Hanshaw (21-0-1, 14 KOs) on Saturday July 14 at Biloxi, Miss. The fight will be televised on pay-per-view.

Jones seeks to show the boxing world that he still has plenty of fighting skills to shoot back to the top of the rankings where he reigned for more than a decade. During the 1990s he beat James “Lights Out” Toney in a unification bout for the super middleweight titles, decisioned Bernard Hopkins for the middleweight title and destroyed Montell Griffin after that fighter won by disqualification from an errant punch fired by Jones in their first encounter.

Jones had speed of hands and speed of foot that was unmatched in boxing history. But he failed to take on the big matches that would have nailed him a place among the greats. Instead he fought nondescript opponents for exorbitant amounts of money. Then he accepted a fight with Antonio Tarver and looked horrible.

“It was a bad move,” said Jones while in Los Angeles last month. Moving back down to light heavyweight from heavyweight after beating John Ruiz for the WBA title proved to destroy the springs in his legs.

“He needs his legs to fight his style,” says Floyd Mayweather, who trains Hanshaw.

Jones disagrees.

“I lost the hunger,” says Jones, 38, who a 12-round match last year against another nondescript opponent. “I just didn’t have that hunger no more. But now I do.”

Hanshaw agreed to move up in weight to challenge Jones at 175 pounds and vows to emerge with a victory.

“I have great respect for Roy, but as I say, it’s my time,” Hanshaw said. “I’ve seen a lot of tape of Roy Jones fighting.”

The Ohio native Hanshaw now lives and trains in Las Vegas. He was a participant in a super middleweight tournament and scrapped his way to the finals where he fought to a draw with France’s Jean Paul Mendy.

“Anthony Hanshaw is a really good fighter,” said Sergio Mora, who fought Hanshaw twice as an amateur, splitting the two fights. “Roy Jones better watch out.”

Jones has been sparring with Alfred Angulo, one of Antonio Margarito’s stable mates.

Hanshaw says he’s no longer giving Jones any respect.

“I had so much respect for this guy and it has all gone out the window,” Hanshaw said. “He got knocked out by (Antonio) Tarver and (Glen) Johnson, now he’s going to get knocked out by me.”

Mayweather made the capping statement: “He (Jones) is a glass-chinned bum who will get starched by my Tyger in six rounds.”

Laila Ali

Super middleweight and light heavyweight world champion Laila Ali said her plans to return to boxing are still intact.

“Yes my plans are still the same. I am getting married at the end of the month,” said Ali, who was recently on the Dancing With the Stars television show. “I am in the process of setting up my post boxing career.”

Though she is not training at the moment Ali says any reports that she has retired are premature.

“I have not retired because boxing is not out of my system yet. But it is not my focus right now. I can’t continue training so hard and make sacrifices only to end up in the ring with a girl who is overmatched,” said Ali. “As you saw on DWTS, there are so many other things that I can do well so why keep boxing when I am getting no fulfillment out of it any more?”

Ali will take time off to pursue some projects and hopes the other contenders like Ann Wolfe, Laura Ramsey and Leatitia Robinson fight each other now.

“I have some exciting offers on the table and I’m looking forward to some new challenges outside of the ring,” Ali said. “Hopefully boxing fans will see all of those girls who call me out fight each other, but I doubt it.”

Fighter suspended in Cali

Jamiah Williamson was suspended by the California State Athletic Commission for testing positive for marijuana following his fight on June 29 in Ontario, California.

It was Williamson’s second suspension. He is fined $1,000 and will not be able to fight again until Dec. 26, 2007.

Morongo Casino fight card

Two Feathers Promotions will stage a fight card on Friday July 13, at the Morongo Casino.

Las Vegas boxer Jose Magallon (6-2) faces Alejandro Artiaga (3-1) in a junior lightweight contest set for six rounds.

Also on the card will be Michael Franco (7-0, 6 KOs) stepping up against another Las Vegas fighter Manuel Sarabia (15-19-8) in a six-round junior featherweight bout.

Several other bouts are scheduled. For information call (866) 388-8084.

Celebrity golf tournament

The World Boxing Hall of Fame celebrity golf tournament takes place at Soboba Springs Country Club on July 28 in Southern California. It’s about 30 miles west of Palm Springs.

It’s the sixth annual event and features a number of former pro boxers such as Carlos Palomino, Greg Haugen, Danny “Little Red” Lopez, Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Albert Davila and Mando Ramos to name a few.

The event begins at 11:30 a.m. For information call Armando Muniz at (951) 202-7988.