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Jones Vs
Tarver
Las Vegas
Nevada
May 15, 2004
The king is
dead.... long live the king. How
the mighty have fallen, and dam was that a surprise ending. I was amongst
those who believed Jones would out class Tarver.
However, when Don King gave Jones the title of Superman, he must have
forgotten about Kryptonite.
In all
humbleness, I have been saying for years Jones got away with stuff no one else
would try, because of balance and hand speed. But he had no fundamentals, and
took unbelievable risks. It was
as I said, just a matter of time before a lucky punch, like the sloppy shot
Tarver threw, would knock him out. I am disappointed and surprise that Emanuel
Steward called it a “planned, perfect punch”.
Sadly, Jones has inspired countless fools to imitate him with dire
consequences. I have said a hundred times, there is only one Roy Jones.
When I see fighters holding their hands down, and doing that crazy
chicken fighting thing with their heads, I laugh, because I know its only a
matter of time. Every one of
those guys has eventually met a boxer with basic boxing fundamentals and
suffered the same results. Remember Princes Hamed, and Barrera. We’ve not
heard a word form the loudmouth princes, maybe he kissed a frog and grew
warts.
I wonder what
Roy must be feeling. The only thing harder that climbing to the top is getting
knocked off so easily. He must be devastated.
He gambled and lost. His
advisors have worked themselves out of a job. They failed him.
I understand no one believed Tarver could knock him out. However, if
someone had taught Roy boxing fundamentals, he might still be the king.
Although I seriously doubt Roy would have listened.
As things are now, he joins the ranks of defeated super stars like
Tyson, Hagler, and Hearns. I’ve met Hearns, he’s still pissed off at Sugar
Ray and Tyson hides his face with tattoos. Too bad, a little more respect for
his opponents, better coaching, and just one honest person amongst those
surrounding him, might have saved Roy from a humiliating defeat. Let it be a
lesson, everyone, no matter how powerful, or rich needs at least one honest
person to keep him grounded to reality. Not
blowing smoke up your wazoo all day long. Please. Why would a grown, mature
man, need someone walking beside them saying such nonsense.² You're the best,
pound for pound “, repeatedly ad nauseum. Please, cheerleaders don’t even
work in football, that’s for high school. You think the Raiders really
listen to their noise.
On the other
side there is Antonio Tarver; man, this guy makes talking a contest. If there
were an Indy 500 of blabbermouths, he’d be top dog.
I don’t believe he won the first fight and I don’t understand why
Jones let Tarver goat him into a rematch.
I don’t believe Tarver will be the champion Jones was, nor do I
believe he will be around long. I do believe Boxing, once again proved why it
is, as George Foreman said is “ the sport other sports aspire to be ². This
fight will go down as a major upset, worthy of all the attention. Jones and
Tarver have earned a place in boxing history. Tarver should change his ring to
Kryptonite. I was very
disappointed Tarver, did not give Buddy McGirt a well-deserved thank you.
Emanuel may have the commentator’s position, but Buddy works the real
magic. As I said, the King is dead.... long live the king.
I am proud to be a part of boxing. While others might put it down,
trash it, disrespect it or ignore it. I would rather be doing this, than
anything else in the world. If only my enthusiasm counted for something. It
seems writing about boxing is just as corrupt as boxing itself. All the good
spots are taken, depending on who you know, and being at the right place at
the right time. I received my second rejection to cover the De La Hoya vs.
Strum/ Hopkins Vs Allen in Las Vegas.
According to Amy Zopfi, of Brener Zwikel and Associates, Inc. I did not
make the cut, although she did wish me continued success. Wasn’t that nice
of her. Still, my love for boxing
helps me cope with disappointments. I keep working at my keyboard. Perhaps
I’ll light a candle to the God of Boxing sports writers (whoever that is)
and as they say “bite the bullet”. Maybe, George Lopez, my comic hero, can
use it in his routine.
I am looking
forward to the rematch. Although Jones said he had no interest in fighting
Tarver again, I’m betting all those player haters out there, and all those
people who love to see a great man fall, will be there to poke fun, tell jokes
and make him miserable. I doubt
Jones, the warrior, will go quietly into the night. I believe the next time he will prepare better. In the mean
time, I have no complaints, who would listen anyway?
Thank God the rest of my life continues to be interesting outside of
boxing. My adventures keep me amused.
I’m writing for a Chicano / Latino comic named Johnny Angel.
I attended a meeting of a comedy college class in San Francisco.
I was shocked. I felt like I had mistakenly walked into the gay and
lesbian, West Coast Chapter of the Klu Klax Klan.
No kidding, I never knew gay people were just as bigoted, narrow mined
and screwed up as those whom they claim discriminate against them.
To be honest, I don’t know a lot gay people, but I don’t get it. I
mistakenly believed that if I were non judgmental; they would treat me the
same way, like in the Golden Rule. You remember, "Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you". Well, those people must have never heard of it, because I
felt as welcomed as a Nazi at a bar mitzvah.
However, I did as the bible says, and kicked the dust from my feet, and
never looked back. I assumed San
Francisco was a city of open-minded people, man was I wrong.
Believe it or not, it reminded me of Texas. I had not felt so unwelcome
since I left that fine state with 54 hate groups.
Paradoxically, we live in a state with 45 hate groups, as many as
Georgia. Now we have a Governor
whose father was a Nazi Storm Trooper and his wife looks like she’s been in
a concentration camp. Wow, is that just a coincidence. How thin, is thin
enough? If bones are beautiful, Maria is a Goddess. She’s so skinny she
wouldn’t even make good soup. I don’t get it; she looks like a poster
child for anorexia nervosa, or death camp survivor.
I can’t be the only one that's noticed Maria, the first lady, appears
to have an eating disorder. Now she wants a constitutional amendment to permit
foreigners to be allowed to run for president.
I think her air diet is starting to have adverse effects on her. Or she
and Hilary Clinton both want to be married to the President.
I’ll bet a few pounds of greasy French fries and a pound of red meat
would fix it, all I’m saying is just one Mac Donald's a day, and she’ll be
as healthily as the rest of us. Just
kidding, Thank God for boxing.... I’ll be back...
Always in Your Corner,
Jorge A. Martinez
Sportswriter/Trainer/Manager
dancingskyhorse@earthlink.net
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