Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Originated in 65 B.C., Carpe Diem is a Latin phrase that translates to seize the day.
00:08The sport of boxing generally provides few opportunities for fighters to make significant advances in their careers.
00:14For most, there may be just one or two occasions when they can seize the day.
00:19Roy Jones had one such chance four years ago when he took on undefeated champion James Toney.
00:26Roy was the underdog.
00:27Although also undefeated, he was thought by many too raw, too brash, too unproven.
00:33That fight was the one that set me off as the man in my division and proved that I was powerful, kind of the best.
00:39Dominating from start to finish in a unanimous decision victory, Roy Jones was able to seize the day.
00:47Virgil Hill also had one such moment when he accepted a challenge from Thomas Hitman Hearns.
00:52Hill was undefeated at the time, yet largely unrecognized outside his native North Dakota.
00:58Would have put me into the superstardom category.
01:02But Hill was overmatched and suffered a unanimous decision defeat.
01:06Virgil Hill was unable to seize the day.
01:09Since the Toney fight, Roy Jones has dominated the 168 and 175-pound divisions.
01:16But the absence of big-name opponents and an infrequent fight schedule has hurt his image and respectability as one of boxing's pound-for-pound best.
01:25Tonight's fight could be the beginning of Jones' journey back to the spotlight.
01:29For Virgil Hill, the picture is even clearer.
01:33If he defeats Roy Jones, he will automatically achieve the superstar identity that has eluded him his entire career.
01:42Two fighters with conflicting goals.
01:45Only one can be successful.
01:47As the Romans would say, Carpe Diem.
01:50Seize the day.
01:50The Romans would say, Carpe Diem.
02:20The Romans would say, Carpe Diem.
02:50In Biloxi, Mississippi, HBO Sports presents World Championship Boxing.
02:56And in a state in which the history of prize fighting goes back 116 years to the bare-knuckles title fight in 1882 between Patty Ryan and John L. Sullivan,
03:06Some of us may feel as though we've waited almost that long to see this battle tonight between Roy Jones Jr. and Virgil Hill.
03:16A light heavyweight fight which has been talked about for years and will finally take place tonight under our watchful eyes.
03:23A gorgeous weekend on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi.
03:27If ever you wanted to see this part of the world, Biloxi, Gulfport, Bay St. Louis, maybe sneak over to Mobile or New Orleans, this would have been the weekend to do it.
03:36Spectacular weather and great excitement as quite probably the largest live fight crowd ever to see a prize fight in the state of Mississippi fills this arena tonight to see Roy Jones return to the ring and do his stuff just a couple hours' drive from his home in Pensacola.
03:53And hello again. Hello again, everybody. I'm Jim Lampley. Welcome you to this edition of HBO's World Championship Boxing, one that we've waited for for quite some time because Roy Jones and Virgil Hill have been talked about as a likely light heavyweight matchup for three years or more.
04:09The fight finally takes place under unusual circumstances as Hill surrendered his version of the light heavyweight championship ten months ago to Darius Mikoshevsky in Germany.
04:19And Roy Jones' governing body, despite his title belt, has identified him as a, quote, champion in recess, whatever that means.
04:28So there is no official title at stake tonight as the two best-known American light heavyweights get together face-to-face finally to see which one is the best.
04:37Working with me, as always, HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant.
04:41And Larry, more has been made of Roy Jones' careful, microscopic management of his career and his absence from ring activity in the last year and a half than anything he's done in the ring.
04:51To what do we owe the somewhat unexpected pleasure of his return to active fighting?
04:57El Nino, perhaps. The peace talks in Paris.
05:00Who truly knows with Roy Jones, who plays the role of the talented and tortured prima donna as well as he fights, which is very well indeed.
05:12To his credit, though, when the original fight scheduled for tonight, Whitaker versus Quarte, was canceled,
05:19it was Roy Jones, who hadn't fought in nine months and seemed to want to go on indefinitely without a fight while proclaiming himself the best fighter in the world.
05:31He rode to the rescue.
05:34But one recent Roy Jones-ism, Jim, he had a scheduled luncheon with an important United States Senator, John McCain,
05:41who was holding hearings on how to better regulate boxing.
05:45Great boxing fan, Senator McCain. Roy never showed up, stood him up.
05:51Senator, we surely know how you feel.
05:55But when he shows up in the ring, Jim, and the spirit moves him, he's as good as it gets.
06:01And Virgil Hill, who's waded through a couple of promotional appearances for this fight without seeing Roy to his satisfaction,
06:07does expect to see him in the ring tonight.
06:09Working with us, of course, HBO boxing expert and heavyweight legend George Foreman.
06:14George, Roy Jones, previously identified as the world's best pound-for-pound fighter,
06:19is rankled that in the past year, after his disqualification loss to Montel Griffin
06:24and Oscar De La Hoya's five fights, was moved back on that list in favor of De La Hoya by most boxing experts and publications.
06:31Roy says, hey, I'm still the best fighter.
06:34When we look at his skill and talent level, it's a strong argument.
06:37But does his inactivity, his absence from the ring, argue against his presumed status as the world's number one fighter?
06:44Well, first of all, Roy Jones is a gifted fighter.
06:46And you've got to forget all about that.
06:48This gift was not bestowed upon him by critics.
06:51He earned it. He got it in the gym.
06:53He got the reputation in the ring.
06:55And the only way to keep that, stay in the gym, stay in the ring.
06:58Don't foxtrot, as Ronnie Spears would say.
07:01Walk him down.
07:01All right.
07:03Roy Jones is back in the ring tonight and ready to begin making his case again.
07:07He's not fighting Buster Douglas, as he had intimated he might.
07:10He's not fighting Oscar De La Hoya, as he may someday like to do.
07:14But he's back, so let's enjoy it.
07:21He's still a young man.
07:23Yet for five years already, he has been arguably the best fighter in the world, pound for pound.
07:28But in the past year and a half, he's been in the ring just twice.
07:31And now many in the boxing world question his desire to compete.
07:35So who really is Roy Jones?
07:38I think the public perception of Roy Jones, the boxer, is that he's a reluctant warrior.
07:43That he doesn't really want to get into the ring.
07:46Boxing is not what it used to be.
07:48And I don't really love it like I used to because it's not a fair sport.
07:51Pay me what I ask for.
07:52Boom.
07:52You've got to end them fights you want.
07:54If you don't give Roy what he wants, they won't see Roy because it's not the public's fault.
07:58I mean, it's the people who pay Roy.
07:59The boxing world hasn't seen much of Roy Jones recently because, in his opinion, there's no one for him to fight.
08:06Since his domination of James Toney in 1994, Jones has been without an obvious rival to help drum up interest.
08:14In the 80s, Sugar Ray Leonard had Tommy Hearns, Roberto Duran, and Marvin Hagler.
08:18More recently, Oscar De La Hoya has had Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker, with Felix Trinidad and Ike Corte yet to come.
08:27Jones has no big-name nemesis.
08:29The fact that he hasn't had quality opponents has really been a detriment to his career, more so than anything that he has done himself.
08:41He hasn't done a lot to himself to degenerate his career.
08:47The only thing that he has done to hurt himself is not be active.
08:50While Oscar De La Hoya fought five times last year, and his popularity and market value soared, Jones virtually disappeared from the boxing scene.
09:00Recently, he hired Murad Muhammad as his promoter to help him regain the lost spotlight.
09:05He's got to come out to the public. He's got to make personal appearances. He's got to come to the media. He cannot go into isolation. And he must be active.
09:16But that, for Jones, is easier said than done. In his hometown of Pensacola, the $20 million he's already collected goes a long way, especially with a lifestyle as simple as Roy's.
09:27You know what I love to do? Stay at home, hunt fish, raise my chickens and dogs, and I love to fight when the circumstances are right. That's all.
09:35He has very few concerns outside of boxing here. And it's a comfortable time for him here. And that may blunt his drive or his ambition.
09:51I don't think he's as motivated as he used to be. You know, because everybody knows it's harder to stay at the top than to get there.
10:00Once you get to the top, a lot of people want to relax and let their hair down. But that's when your work begins.
10:07In boxing, reluctance to get into the ring always raises the blunt question. Is the fighter simply afraid to get hit?
10:14I ain't afraid of nothing. Understand? I ain't afraid of nothing. Which would you rather have? The lack of fighting hurt your market value or to have the battering and the anger and the discussion out of, after you get out of boxing, you can't talk.
10:29You have to have somebody to walk with you everywhere you go. I'm going there as an athlete. And I want to come out as an athlete.
10:34I don't want to come out as, oh, this guy who can't think right and, oh, I had this fight. I ain't with that. You know? I want to come out as Roy.
10:43Clearly, Roy Jones' priorities differ from those of most boxers. He has all the money he could ever need. He's invested it wisely. And he'll never have to fight for food and shelter.
10:53You got to understand that self-happiness, you can't buy. Fame and money, you can buy. You can fool people. You can do a lot of things, get fame. You can do a lot of things, get money.
11:03You know what I'm saying? But self-happiness, you can't buy that. You got to live that. That's the only way you can be as happy as I am.
11:09Roy Jones is in an unusual position. He has the ability to control his own destiny.
11:14But he must decide if he wants to continue in his attempt to be remembered as one of boxing's all-time greats or as an athlete who ultimately placed self-happiness above that goal.
11:30And in just a few minutes, here live on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, Jones will experience the self-happiness that goes with stepping into the ring against an opponent that the world has wanted him to fight for quite some time.
11:44Roy Jones against North Dakota's Virgil Hill.
11:49Larry, almost everybody agrees that this fight might best have taken place a few years ago when Hill would have been perceived to have more firepower to bring to the task.
11:59At age 34 with everything that's behind him, can Virgil Hill still make this fight meaningful for him now that it's here?
12:05Well, I think the conventional wisdom, Jim, is that he's Virgil over the hill.
12:09But this is his 15th year as a professional prizefighter, as a champion, and as a winner.
12:17And he has done the very unlikely thing of having turned the sausage department of boxing, the light heavyweight division, into steak for himself.
12:28Including tonight's purse, he will have made $4 million in his last three fights.
12:36Jim, he has the kind of skills that will bring out either the least or the beast in Roy Jones.
12:43And that's what this fight is about.
12:45He's a conventional boxer.
12:47He's a technician.
12:47He goes into this fight, George, against Jones, giving up advantages in youth, in speed, and most especially, it would appear, in power, where Hill has only 20 knockouts in his 43 fights.
12:59So, given all of that, how could he conceivably win the fight?
13:02Well, most importantly, don't come here and put on a good show.
13:06Leave all of that jabbing and moving alone.
13:08Get in there.
13:09Take a chance.
13:10You're not going to whip Rod Jones by boxing him.
13:12You're going to have to just put your gloves down, go toe-to-toe, and pull it out.
13:16He can do it.
13:16He's as big.
13:17Why not?
13:18If he tries to do something unconventional, he has the motivation and the moral support of an entire state behind him.
13:26Maybe no athlete in America has a more direct relationship with his constituency than Virgil Hill.
13:36North Dakota, a prairie state dotted by closely knit small towns, understandably devoid of professional sport.
13:43It's been the lifelong home of Virgil Hill, who, in a state without boxing tradition, began dreaming at age six of becoming a professional prize fighter.
13:51The odds were long, but Hill somehow constructed his own grassroots.
13:56I've been fortunate enough to be around people that teachers and coaches, they said anything was possible.
14:04All you have to do is believe in yourself, sacrifice, and anything can come true.
14:10He said, you know, I want to be another Sugar Ray Leonard.
14:15I want to be a champion.
14:18And I said, well, you know, if you want to be a champion, and you're aiming high, all you've got to do is put the time in and give yourself the opportunity.
14:28Virgil Hill certainly had a tremendous amount of competitive drive within his own self, but we also tried to encourage that and maybe add a little fire to it.
14:41Virgil Hill took his modest state's proud faith in him to the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games,
14:47then defied the naysayers by returning home with a silver medal and sparking a romance that endures to this day.
14:54When he won the medal in the Olympics, he ran around the ring with a North Dakota flag,
15:00which was a sign of somebody that had a little bit of character and cared about North Dakota.
15:04And when he became the first of that famed Olympic team to win a world title, North Dakota showed how much it cared about Hill.
15:14From the late 80s through the mid-90s, the 175-pound fighter put his unheralded state on the map by introducing international boxing here.
15:23Virgil Hill is undefeated in 22 prize fights in his home state.
15:27They had people camping out days ahead of time.
15:30They were buying up tickets as fast as they could get them.
15:33Now here is the most popular man in North Dakota.
15:36You get goosebumps.
15:37I have a whole state, you know, that follows me.
15:41600,000 people in the whole state.
15:42I have a whole state when usually, you know, most people just have, you know, a city.
15:49North Dakota rises for Virgil Hill.
15:52There's people in North Dakota, believe it or not, right, you can walk down the street with a Virgil Hill t-shirt on,
15:57and they'll invite you to dinner.
15:58The state's admiration mushroomed, and the new champ found support in the unlikeliest places.
16:04Virgil could come to my dry cleaners at any time of day and night, where I could get it in excess of 160 degrees,
16:10and he could shake out and do a little workout and some shadow boxing and have the whole place to himself.
16:15And with North Dakota's devotion behind him, the inspired local hero built a record of 20 successful title defenses.
16:23Virgil attributes his two long and successful championship reigns to the deep-rooted values typical of his upbringing.
16:29I developed my hard work ethic and stuff from North Dakota, and, uh, and loyalty.
16:38I'm extremely loyal.
16:40Those homespun principles, combined with old-fashioned boxing fundamentals,
16:44have helped make Virgil the game's most decorated light heavyweight.
16:48He's also North Dakota's most revered public figure.
16:51Yet the Prairie icon purposely stays humble by remembering the values of the community that nurtured him.
16:57He's always given acknowledgement to where he came from and the kind of people that, that, uh, help mold him
17:06and shape his personality and his work ethic.
17:09The people make you, and that's why I've been able to go to North Dakota and stuff,
17:14because the people come, you know, they want me there.
17:19And so, I like doing it. It's great.
17:22Tonight, Virgil Hill steps into a ring many miles away from home
17:26and finds himself again in the role of underdog,
17:29but shielded, as always, by the spirit and pride of North Dakota.
17:33One tiny disclaimer as we bring you back live.
17:43He hasn't actually lived full-time in North Dakota for several years,
17:46splitting time between California, Missouri, Las Vegas, New Jersey, where he trains,
17:51but that doesn't diminish his connection to his home state.
17:56Tale of the tape between Roy Jones and Virgil Hill.
17:58And you'll see that Jones is already 29 years old, but Hill is giving up five years in age.
18:04Hill with a two-inch listed height advantage.
18:07They weighed in at an agreed-upon limit of 177 and a half pounds.
18:12Jones, one pound under Hill.
18:14A half pound under the weigh-in took place at 10.30 last night,
18:18because Jones was concerned about how much time Hill would have to gain weight
18:22between the weigh-in and tonight's scheduled fight.
18:25Reach four-inch advantage for Hill, and he'll have to find a way to use it
18:30to have a chance to win the fight.
18:32Punch-dad numbers, Larry.
18:34These are power punches.
18:37Roy Jones lives and lives very well off of his power punching.
18:42Hill is not a power puncher.
18:44It should be pointed out, however, that since he became a light heavyweight,
18:47Jones throws about 50 percent fewer punches than he did as a middleweight.
18:52Fewer punches than Hill usually does.
18:54And these are the jabs.
18:56That's the main weapon of Hill.
18:58It's not a weapon at all for Roy Jones.
19:01Rules of the bout with our unofficial ringside scorer, Harold Letterman.
19:05The Roy Jones-Vergill Hill fight is scheduled for 12 rounds
19:09using the rules of the Mississippi State Athletic Commission.
19:12A little bit different tonight, Jim.
19:13The standing eight count is in effect.
19:15The three-knockdown rule is in effect.
19:18Only the referee can stop the fight,
19:20and you can be saved by the bell in the 12th and final round only.
19:23Jim.
19:25Harold has been the scourge at the Gulf Coast beaches in his all-out yellow shorts this weekend.
19:31And now here comes Virgil Hill into the ring.
19:34His last seven fights, incidentally, have all gone the distance.
19:43The mark of the absence of punching power that George and I discussed just a short time ago.
19:48He likes his privacy a lot.
19:52And, of course, if you want to be private, there's no better place to hide out than in the light heavyweight division.
19:57Third on the all-time list of successful title fight defenses
20:01behind only Joe Lewis and Julio Cesar Chavez.
20:06Imagine that.
20:08This man is number three all-time in the history of the sports
20:11for the number of times he's successfully defended a title.
20:15Overall record for Virgil Hill.
20:1743 wins.
20:18Losses to Thomas Hearns and Darius Mikliszewski.
20:21Only 20 KOs.
20:23Twice he won light heavyweight championships of the world.
20:26More than half of his fights, title fights.
20:32We mentioned the first of the 1984 Olympic team to win a world title, and you saw the picture.
20:38Freeland, Biggs, Meldrick Taylor, Cornell Whitaker.
20:42It was a star-studded team.
20:45Evander Holyfield as well.
20:50Roy doing his rap number.
20:53Hard to tell the lyrics, but I've read them, and they all add up to
20:57I Love Me.
21:00It's hard to tell the lyrics, but I'm not going to lie.
21:04You know, you do your pain, and I do my thing.
21:07While I'm knocking them off the charts, you knocking them out the range.
21:10The fat lady has fame, I guess I know it's over.
21:13We taking that ass out now, ain't no nookin' over our shoulder.
21:16You think the men up some chains not good for you?
21:19What make you think that you can hang with these players?
21:21Bumpy Colum, the biggest dog in the yard, just started barkin'.
21:25No homers, just 64 knacks and Austin Martin Martin.
21:28Y'all can be the fans and we'll just be the superstar.
21:50Roy Jones, 35 wins, the one loss, the controversial disqualification against Montel Griffin
21:56in the ninth round last March.
21:58He avenged that with a first round knockout of Griffin, one of 30 KOs on his record.
22:05We invite you to check out our boxing website at www.hbo.com slash boxing.
22:10Check stats, score at home, be just like Harold Letterman, or chat with other fans.
22:14That's www.hbo.com slash boxing, our boxing website.
22:21Now let's go to Michael Buffer for the official introductions.
22:26Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Biloxi, Mississippi, courtesy of the Grand Casinos,
22:34where tonight, Murad Mohamed, Eminem Sports Incorporated, Square Ring Incorporated,
22:40and Cedric Kushner Promotions, along with your undisputed, undefeated king of beers, Budweiser.
22:49This Bud's for you present an evening of world-class professional boxing, 12 rounds in the light heavyweight division,
22:59sanctioned by the Mississippi State Athletic Commission, Chairman Billy Lyons, Chief Deputy Assistant, Sal Toronto.
23:06The three positions at ringside are Dr. Bob Middleton, Dr. Lance Barnes, and Dr. Todd Coulter.
23:14Timekeeper, David Toronto.
23:16Counting for the knockdown seconds, Denver Anderson.
23:20The scoring will be done on a 10-point must basis,
23:24and the three judges assigned are Elmo Adolph, C.D. Jenkins, and Paul Sita.
23:30And when the bell rings, the man in charge of the action, your referee, Fred Steinwinder III.
23:38And now, for the thousands in attendance, and the millions watching around the world,
23:45ladies and gentlemen,
23:47let's get ready to rumble!
23:51Introducing first, fighting out of the blue corner,
24:02wearing black, trimmed with silver, and weighing in at 177 pounds.
24:07In 1984, he captured silver at the Olympics in Los Angeles,
24:12and now, as a professional, he has an outstanding record,
24:15consisting of 43 victories with 20 knockouts,
24:18and only two losses.
24:19And for 10 years, he held two world title belts.
24:24From Bismarck, North Dakota,
24:26here is the former two-time light heavyweight champion of the world,
24:32Virgil Quicksilver Hill!
24:43And across the ring, in the red corner,
24:46wearing gold, and weighing 176 and one-half pounds.
24:51This 1988 Olympic silver medalist also has an outstanding professional record.
24:57Four world titles in four divisions,
25:00scoring 30 knockouts in his 35 victories,
25:03with the only blemish coming by way of a controversial disqualification.
25:07To this day, he has never been defeated by an opponent.
25:12He is considered by the experts to be, pound for pound,
25:16the best in the world.
25:18Ladies and gentlemen,
25:20from Pensacola, Florida,
25:22presenting,
25:23the four-time world champion,
25:27Roy Jones Jr.
25:40There you go, sir.
25:42Virgil!
25:43Virgil!
25:44Virgil!
25:44Virgil!
25:44Roy!
25:46Roy!
25:46Look, I both give y'all instructions early in the dressing room.
25:57I want you to listen to my commands at all times.
25:59Protect yourselves at all times.
26:01Touch gloves, come out fighting.
26:02Good luck to both of y'all.
26:04All right, sir.
26:05Are we going to have a go for as advertised for this match,
26:10or are we going to get the Biloxi Blues?
26:13Roy, I guess, insisted on that introduction
26:18as having never been defeated by an opponent,
26:22still regarding his disqualification loss
26:25as self-inflicted.
26:28Major Burr under his saddle.
26:32Saw the 305 days inactive for Virgil Hill coming in.
26:36Maybe that's good because he was bothered by injury
26:39in his loss to Miklaszewski,
26:41particularly a tendon injury
26:43and the bottom of his foot
26:43that made it extremely painful for him to step forward.
26:47Here, he's going to have to step lively.
26:50Hill immediately using his jab to the body, George.
26:53And, you know, it's strange
26:54because Roy Jones, Jr.,
26:56doesn't wear his cup above his navel.
26:59That's what you want to do
26:59is get that cup up there
27:00so you can protect yourself as much as possible
27:02as though he's not even afraid of body punching.
27:05And, you know,
27:06it's strange because Roy Jones, Jr.,
27:08doesn't wear his cup above his navel.
27:10Jones coming out aggressive
27:11in the first round.
27:13Not waiting to see...
27:14Or, check it.
27:15Hill coming out aggressive, I should say.
27:17Not waiting to see what Jones is going to do.
27:19And that jab is going to the body and to the chest.
27:22And he is simply trying to land it, George,
27:24which you often prescribe in this situation.
27:27Yeah, because if the fight goes beyond two or three rounds,
27:29you've been hitting the chest,
27:30there's no knockout power for you.
27:33So you do not allow the guy to touch your chest, your body.
27:38Roy obviously trying to throw that quick right hand over the jab,
27:41trying to time Hill's jab.
27:44There you go! There you go!
27:48Jones almost with his back against the ropes.
27:51Repeatedly in the nine-round fight against Griffin,
27:53he backed up into the ropes
27:55and allowed Griffin to wail away at him.
27:57He did it also against McCallum.
27:59He says it's a viable tactic that he uses
28:02to bide his time and wear his opponents down.
28:04Quick left hook up top by Jones.
28:06Best punch of the fight so far for him.
28:08There you go!
28:10If you're going to come out throwing those big, heavy shots,
28:13you've got to make sure no one touches your body
28:15because it takes a lot of your strength away.
28:18Mitchell Hill, as we pointed out,
28:22trying early simply to touch Jones' body,
28:25particularly with his left jab.
28:27And Jones is then still allowing him to do as much.
28:31Jones stepping in and firing the single left hook.
28:33Hill coming back and struggling to try to land a jab in the right hand.
28:40Another quick left-hand shot by Jones
28:42and he lands a right over the top.
28:44Another right hand and Jones is starting to get it going.
28:48In the last minute of round number one.
28:51This guy, Virgil Hill, has been hit
28:53by one of the best right-hand punches in the business.
28:57Hitting man, Hearn.
28:58And he's able to withstand those heavy blows.
29:03There you go.
29:05Both fighters close to slipping
29:07as they exchange punches along the ropes.
29:11Jones has gotten his offense going
29:13in the last minute of the round.
29:14He's landed several hard left and right-hand shots.
29:17Hill has stuck to his knitting,
29:20trying to land his jab and work to the body
29:22throughout the round.
29:31That right hand working over his jam.
29:33That's good.
29:33Out of here.
29:34Okay.
29:35Take this mouth, please.
29:37That's good.
29:38That's good.
29:39Way to count him with that right hand.
29:40We're doing good.
29:41Just keep it like that.
29:43Keep it like that.
29:44You have room with that left uppercut, too.
29:45All right.
29:46You got a good angle on it.
29:50Way to work.
29:51And stay in front too long, right?
29:53Move side, step up.
29:55Move side, step up.
29:55Keep that left hand busy.
29:58All right?
29:58Feint and go.
29:59Feint and go.
30:00All right?
30:01Nice deep breath.
30:04Keep them hands up.
30:06That's the way.
30:07All right.
30:07Keep turning.
30:08Keep turning.
30:13Hill refers contemptuously of Jones as the Wonder Boy.
30:20And he fought him with a little contempt in that first round,
30:22I thought, George.
30:23Yeah.
30:24Every time Jones touched him with something,
30:26he'd go right back to the body.
30:27And I think that's a lot of good skill there.
30:30You can keep your mind on your strategy.
30:32Hill landed 17 of 42 jabs in the first round.
30:35Almost all of those 17 connects.
30:37To the body where he's been focusing his attack.
30:39You can see him coming out in round two with the same thing.
30:42Jones lands a right hand flush on the cheek.
30:45Up top.
30:50Jones only threw 37 punches in round one.
30:53He likes to work in a staccato rhythm.
30:55Bunch of punches, followed by a low.
30:58Then another bunch of punches.
30:59There you go, yeah!
31:00Hill is doing a good job.
31:02He boxes when Jones wants to stand still.
31:05When Jones standing still, he'll start moving forward.
31:11You fight him when you want to box him.
31:13You box him when you want to fight.
31:15Hill continually sticking that jab to the body.
31:19Momentarily backing Jones up.
31:20And he steps away.
31:22And Jones often is not firing back.
31:24Jones choosing his occasions for stepping in
31:27with quick left-hooks up top or the right-hand lead.
31:35Another right-hand lands for Jones.
31:38Hill has taken all the power shots pretty well so far.
31:41Yeah, and that's not really good for Roy Jones Jr.
31:45to throw that much power early in the fight
31:46knowing that this fight could go on and on and on.
31:49This guy is able to really recover good from a shot, Virgil Hill.
31:53And he goes right back to that midsection.
31:57That's not good.
31:59For Jones, it is.
32:00That's not good for Roy Jones Jr.
32:02In other words, it's good for Hill.
32:05So you like Hill's fight plan so far, Jr.
32:08So far.
32:08He's catching a lot of shots.
32:09But, of course, he's being shot by a genuine light heavyweight.
32:13I mean, a middleweight.
32:14He's been in there with a big light heavyweight for the last few years.
32:20So even though Roy hasn't fought at 160 for a few years now,
32:23you still think of him fundamentally as a middleweight?
32:26Yeah, you look at Virgil Hill.
32:27Look at the size of those legs, the calves.
32:30He's been caught with some good shots.
32:32But believe me, there's not enough weight behind him yet.
32:38Jones landing with sharp lefts and rights.
32:41Now he's starting in round two to occasionally look to put together combinations.
32:45For the most part, up to now, it's been one punch at a time.
32:49Hill's still focusing on trying to land his jab to Roy Jones' chest.
32:53Yeah, he's believing that he's going to take a lot of the juice out of that power of Roy Jones.
32:58And he's taking the chances, as we said earlier on.
33:01He has got to get out there and take a chance.
33:03Can't worry about the scars on your face.
33:06Can't worry about getting cut.
33:07This is your chance.
33:08Chance of a lifetime.
33:09Oh, there's leaping left hooks landing for Roy Jones.
33:13Hill doggedly sticking to the plan.
33:16Keeping his left jab in Jones' chest.
33:18Now he comes back up top and backs Roy into the ropes.
33:25Two rounds in the books.
33:26I know it.
33:34I push my stomach.
33:35Listen to me.
33:36Don't worry about hitting him hard.
33:38He can take a pretty good shot.
33:39Just touch him.
33:40Just touch him.
33:41Then all of a sudden, give me some power.
33:43You'll get this turkey out of here.
33:44Now he's reaching for your jab when you throw him to the body.
33:47He's reaching for him.
33:48Make the jab to the body.
33:50Let him come down with that right hand and throw your hook.
33:51You'll catch him again to you, Roy.
33:54Every time you throw that jab to the body, he'll reach down for him.
33:56The crowd has been turned on, but made many of these long punches by Roy Jones.
34:02But most of them are missing.
34:04They are not connecting.
34:06And you wonder what influence that will have on the judges.
34:10Even that punch was not a clean punch.
34:24Ronstadt numbers through two rounds.
34:26Jones has landed 34 of 68.
34:2850% connect percentage.
34:30According to CompuBox observations, Virgil Hill, 35 out of 80.
34:3444%.
34:36Errol Letterman gives each of the first two rounds to Roy Jones on his guard.
34:42There you go.
34:43Nice hook.
34:46And you heard Alton Merkerson suggesting to Jones that Hill is reaching for his jab.
34:51So if he fakes the jab to the body and comes upstairs with the left hook, he'll do some damage.
34:56He can do some damage, but he's not going to get what Jones is accustomed to getting.
35:01Knockdowns like that.
35:02He's going to have to touch him a little bit.
35:03Just find the man so that you can get the big shot.
35:07Virgil Hill is very solid.
35:09Keeps his footwork.
35:12Bends his knee when he jabs.
35:13All of the things that's necessary to counteract all of this unopted by stuff Jones is doing.
35:20You know, frequently we get the impression early in fights that Roy doesn't have it in him.
35:27He's not trying to get at his opponent, but I have the impression tonight that he's working
35:32hard and really looking for an opening to make something happen.
35:35I agree.
35:36He's even using his left jab this time.
35:38That's something he doesn't like to do.
35:40And as Hill lands his right hand, Jones shakes his head as if to say, I can't do damage to me.
35:46But first of all, he has a jab, Roy Jones goes.
35:52And Hill still just trying to keep his glove on Jones.
35:56Jones lands the left, but it's one stretch at a time.
35:59Now there's the combination.
36:00Jab and right hand.
36:02Hill lands the right hand over the top in retaliation.
36:05Good right hand by Jones, and I thought that momentarily stunned Hill, who may be getting a little too braised.
36:12Yeah, you just can't catch him all night long.
36:18Sometimes you've got to start moving your head left and right.
36:24Hill does best when he gets off first and goes to the body.
36:28But Hill has done a good job if this fight goes another couple of rounds.
36:31He's putting the investment in the chest and the stomach to keep some of the power out of this man in the long range.
36:37When Hill steps up and then waits for Jones to do something, Jones is able to land.
36:43So Hill's plan has to be to get off when he goes forward.
36:48He's going to take energy.
36:50He hasn't thrown one right hand with authority yet, Virgin Hill.
36:54Nope.
36:55Not one right hand.
36:56He's landed a couple, but they were clawing efforts over the top.
36:59That was a little controversy about the gloves early on.
37:03When a guy is that concerned about gloves, that means there's maybe something wrong with one hand or another.
37:11They finally settled on the long sun grayish gloves just a few hours before fight time.
37:17Harold Letterman said that Roy Jones would try to go to him right.
37:20Right hand shot by Jones as the round comes to a close.
37:26Virgil Hill stopping Jones in his track with the left hand.
37:32He played a tier four on both sides of the ring.
37:34He's a jab right there.
37:36I'm out.
37:41Okay, you don't want that a little bit now.
37:44Look, you're hitting him with your jab.
37:46He knew your jab.
37:47The one-two is working.
37:48Just stick to that.
37:49Just keep that shooting, that one-two.
37:51If you're hurting bad, if you're hurting bad with your right hand, go ahead and follow up.
37:54Until the end, just give me the one-two.
37:56Give me the one-two.
37:58You're dominating with the jab.
37:59You're hitting him with the jab.
38:00Now, you got him froze.
38:01He had his fight plan.
38:03Stick with the jab and the one-two.
38:05If you hit him with a one-two and he curls, go down and get your body real strong, okay?
38:09Okay.
38:10Give him a little run.
38:12Take it down.
38:13Jones' popular trainer, Alton Merkerson, saw his son, Ron,
38:17drafted out of Colorado in the fifth round by the New England Patriots last week.
38:22Inside linebacker.
38:23Here comes Hill to begin round four against Roy Jones.
38:29There you go.
38:30Virgil Hill is doing a lot of footwork, and when you've got the power and the size like
38:40that, you've got to move forward.
38:41You don't need to box.
38:44Harold Lenneman, how do you have it scored through the first three?
38:47Jim, I got it.
38:48Three-nothing, 30-27.
38:50Roy Jones chooses.
38:51Jim, I've got to tell you, it's the boxer against the puncher.
38:53And unless Freddie's fine blinder is hitting Virgil Hill, somebody's making Virgil Hill's
38:58eyes swell up.
38:59I'm telling you, Roy Jones is not missing him with that right hand.
39:02He's whacking him with it.
39:03He constantly throws a right-hand lead that lands on the left side of Virgil Hill's head
39:07and is hurting Virgil Hill.
39:09No questions.
39:10Virgil Hill is hot in the chair, but just like Foreman said, he doesn't throw a right hand
39:14behind it.
39:14So far, it's Jones' power over Hill's chair.
39:17Right to the body, downcoach.
39:19Unheard of.
39:21Unheard of.
39:22Only the third time Hill's ever been down.
39:25He's holding the kidney area on the right side.
39:29Ten.
39:30And Steinwinder's in the fight.
39:34First time Virgil Hill's ever been knocked out.
39:37Roy Jones did it with a right hand to the body.
39:40I've seen it all.
39:41That's one of the few hard body shots I can recall Roy Jones ever throwing, much less ending
39:54a fight with.
39:56Unheard of.
39:56He's normally not a body puncher.
39:59Didn't he knock out Glenn Wolf with a body shot as well, a long time ago back in Vegas?
40:03Well, I said one of the few.
40:06But he never has done it against a world-class opponent, and I can recall.
40:10But this is a world-class opponent being knocked out by a body shot.
40:16This is one heck of a body shot.
40:18I mean, this was a perfect, clean shot to the right of the ribcage, and here's another
40:24look.
40:25Larry, tell us about this, please.
40:27Well, it was just a sudden shot underneath the jab instead of over the jab.
40:34And through the first three rounds, Virgil Hill had been seeing Roy throw the punch, throw
40:41the right hand over the jab.
40:43This time he elected to throw it under the jab and just caught him in a very vulnerable
40:49spot.
40:49What does it feel like, George?
40:50What does it feel like when you get hit there?
40:52Boy, I tell you, there's nothing like it because it actually paralyzed your body for the second.
40:57And all you're thinking about is recovering from the pain.
40:59And that's what he's thinking.
41:00How do I recover?
41:01Okay.
41:02It's not about defending yourself.
41:03Fighters describe that to me as feeling as though a knife has just been passed through
41:06your ribs.
41:07It's paralyzing it because it takes your breath.
41:09And from the waist down, your legs can't move, right?
41:11Yeah, it's shock.
41:11It's physical shock.
41:13So a lightning knockout on the fourth round for Roy Jones.
41:20One punch knockout on a body punch.
41:24And quickly, let's go up to Michael Buffer for the official particulars on this one.
41:29Referee Fred Steinwinder, the third, calls a halt to the bout.
41:33Following the ten count, the official time, one minute, ten seconds of round number four.
41:39The winner by knockout victory from Pensacola, Florida, he is Roy Jones Jr.
41:53A significant campaign stop in Roy Jones' bid to be seen as the best pound-for-pound fighter
41:59in the world.
42:01He knocks out an excellent, well-conditioned opponent, Virgil Hill, with a body shot in the
42:07fourth round, and George Foreman, that in the eyes of some, is going to bolt him back
42:12to the top of the heap.
42:13I tell you, as I said, Ronnie Spears said, you can't pox drop.
42:17He was flat-footed, and he hurt this guy.
42:20Final punch stat numbers.
42:21CompuBox observations show Roy Jones landing 34 of 69 power punches.
42:28That's pretty much his norm.
42:29He lands more than half of his power punches.
42:31And Virgil Hill only threw 30, landing only 11, and you saw those right hands, which were
42:37not heavy blows.
42:40Jabs, you know, and of course this is window dressing for Jones, who doesn't normally use
42:44the stick that much, but went to it in the third and fourth rounds tonight, when trainer
42:49Alton Merkerson asked him to do so, so he built his stats up on the jab, landing an uncharacteristically
42:55high 49%.
42:57Virgil Hill was doing what he wanted with, with his jab for the first three rounds, he
43:02couldn't keep Jones away from him when it mattered most in the fourth.
43:05Let's go to Larry Merchant with the winner.
43:08All right, and the winner is Roy Jones.
43:10Congratulations, Roy.
43:14Frequently we've seen in your fights that if you don't hurt the guy in the first round,
43:18you look to settle down, settle down, get him when you can.
43:22But it seemed you were much more intense from the start till that dramatic finish tonight.
43:29I haven't fought.
43:29Well, first of all, I'd like to take time out to thank God, give him the strength, wisdom
43:32to help around me, supply me with the people and the utilities to do what I do.
43:36But what it was, was I came out, I haven't fought in a while, you know, I've been a little
43:39rested, haven't been doing anything, so I wanted to get myself into the groove, but I know
43:42that I'm too powerful for Virgil Hill, I was much too strong, I'm a big puncher, so I
43:46figured why waste time in boxing?
43:47If I box, that's what he wants to do.
43:48Don't box him, let's go get him.
43:49Okay, now we want to talk to you about the punch that ended.
43:52You're not noted as a body puncher, but throughout the fight it seemed you were throwing right
43:58hands over his jab, at that occasion it was under it.
44:02So let's take a look at a replay of what happened there, and you describe it.
44:06Was it a kidney punch?
44:07I don't know what it is, that's a good body shot there, it's right on the side, I mean,
44:11it could be called whatever, kidney punch, whatever, but when I go up on his jab and throw
44:14my punches, I can't sit there and guide it, I mean, I don't care what he called it, in boxing we
44:17have to take those, I get hit with him all the time.
44:19In fact, I get hit further back than that, that's a legal shot to me because that's...
44:22No, no, it is a legal shot, nobody is claiming otherwise, but were you conscious of the fact
44:28that you had been throwing right hands over his jab and that he was opening up for that
44:33underneath?
44:34Very much so, that's why that's the first right body shot I threw the whole fight because
44:37I wanted to get him used to jabbing and stuff.
44:38I knew he was going to keep jabbing, I was trying to hit him over the top, but I said,
44:41since I can't go over the top, let's go underneath, baby.
44:45Up until that point, were you surprised that he was as aggressive behind his jab as he was?
44:52No, because that's basically his best punch, is his jab.
44:54I knew he had a good jab, I knew his jab would cause some problems early because Virgin
44:58Hill has been noted his entire career for a jab, he's a boxer.
45:00So when you fight, the whole thing is, you fight a boxer and you box a fighter.
45:04He's a boxer, so I had to fight him, I don't go into an out jab, I'm not going to beat him.
45:10Normally, when you go into a ring with a guy like this, you're content to let the pace play
45:18out as I observed before.
45:20Were you looking for some dramatic statement because you were very jealous of your reputation
45:26which people were tending to forget because you had been away from the ring for so long?
45:30No, it's just that I haven't fought in a while and I think some people probably thought
45:33that, well, he's probably slacking now and we probably can beat him, so let's try him.
45:37I wanted to fight Virgil long ago, as you know, but the fight now will materialize, so I said,
45:41you know what, I'm going to go out here tonight, I'm not going to box Virgil because he's a boxer,
45:44I'm going to go in and fight him and get to fight over with.
45:46Just one more question about that body punch because it was so devastating and it's so seldom
45:51that we see a one-punch body punch knockout.
45:55Were you aware while the fight was going on that a body punch can be that devastating even?
46:05Because I don't remember the last time you have done anything like that.
46:09Let me tell you something, see this is why I know that I am pound for pound the best fighter
46:12in the world.
46:13I don't like to argue it, but I beat the best fighters, you know what I'm saying?
46:15You stop Virgil here in three rounds, I mean, come on, you know what I'm saying?
46:18It tells you, I'm a good punch, I'm a good fighter, I don't even argue with it no more,
46:22I just sit back and take it easy, I love doing what I do, I love the golf course, I love
46:25the whole world, I love all my fans, I appreciate boxing and performing for people.
46:30Some people, some people including your own trainer of question whether you still have
46:36the passion to be the best and to do what you do, are you saying now that after a fight
46:43like this against a world-class opponent that you feel that great feeling you had when you
46:50were younger in the ring?
46:51No, I don't have that feeling still, I mean, it's hard to get that feeling, especially
46:54when you're at home training, you've got a lot of distractions, I dealt with a lot of
46:57distractions before this fight, I've been dealing with a lot of distractions for a long time
47:01now, and you know, if I'm happy, if the situation is right for me, then I can get that feeling
47:04back.
47:05Right now that situation is not really the best, so I'm just doing what I've got to do to
47:08get by.
47:08Who do you think you're going to fight next, Roy?
47:10I don't know, whoever HBO decides they want me to fight, if they come get with me,
47:13Mariah, whoever, Fred Levin, Stan Levin, all of us are still together, get with us, let
47:17us know what they want to do.
47:18I'm always interested in performing for people.
47:19You know, I'm a good fighter, I enjoy what I do, I thank God for giving me the talent
47:23to do what I do, I love the fight, I just want the conditions to be right for Roy Jones
47:26Jr., because after boxing, Roy Jones Jr. does have a life to live still.
47:30So I want my situation the best for me, and I can do what I've got to do.
47:33Thank you very much, Roy.
47:34You know, Roy often talks about his humble, quiet life on the farm outside of Pensacola,
47:41but coming into this fight, he insisted on a Rolls-Royce from the backers of the fight.
47:48That was a Rolls-Royce of a body punch.
47:51Jim?
47:52All right, Larry, and for the last totally academic observation, all three judges had
47:59Jones with a shutout, winning each of the first three rounds, up to the point of the
48:04knockout.
48:05Speculation is that the next appearance will be against a man named Graziano Roshigiani,
48:09who is, despite his name, a German.
48:11He's one of the three light heavyweight champions of record, along with Reggie Johnson and Louis
48:18Duvall.
48:19So there's a message out on the boxing internet tonight for fighters like Oscar De La Hoya
48:25and Prince Nassim and Evander Holyfield and any other contenders for that best pound-for-pound
48:30fighter in the world title.
48:32He's back, Roy Jones, with another thunderous knockout.
48:36We'll have a final word on what happened here in the ring in just a moment.
48:38Now let's look ahead to some upcoming programs on HBO.
48:41To destroy your enemy, you must find him, face him, and then become him.
49:04Nicolas Cage.
49:05This is between us.
49:07John Travolta.
49:08Whee!
49:08Face-off.
49:10Saturday, May 2nd.
49:14Somebody once said, a little hard work never hurt anyone.
49:17Tell that to these guys.
49:20Undefeated sensation Sugar Shane Mosley punches in with a vengeance to defend his title against
49:24season slugger John John Molina, the man who went the distance with the Golden Boy.
49:29Plus, it's his toughest job yet.
49:31See if Olympic hero David Reed continues his golden winning streak in a rumble with Nick
49:36Rufa.
49:36Live, Saturday, May 9th.
49:39Hard work might hurt, but it pays off.
49:41HBO Boxing After Dark.
49:43Boxing After Dark continues May 30 with a heavyweight doubleheader featuring two of the division's
49:50brightest prospects, Michael Grant, who will take on Obed Sullivan, and Chris Byrd, who
49:54will meet Eliezer Castillo.
49:57And join us May 19 for the next installment of Real Sports with Brian Gumbel, featured in
50:01this edition.
50:02An investigative report on the continued use and possible risks of chewing tobacco among
50:06Major League Baseball players.
50:07A profile of the original exercise guru, Jack LaLanne, still going strong at 83.
50:13What a beauty.
50:13Plus, a hard-hitting examination of how the new Arizona Diamondback Stadium was financed
50:18with public tax dollars without ever allowing taxpayers to vote on the issue.
50:22Real sports where nothing is out of bounds.
50:25Just a few moments ago here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Roy Jones knocked out Virgil Hill
50:31at 110 of the 4th with a vicious body shot in what we imagine is a matter of routine
50:37observation.
50:38Virgil Hill has been taken away in an ambulance to go to a nearby hospital.
50:42We are told there's a possibility that Hill has a broken rib, and if so, he'll be treated
50:48for that at the hospital.
50:50Coming up immediately following tonight's coverage of World Championship Boxing, stay
50:53tuned for HBO Comedy Half Hour, Jeff Stilson, followed by Hollow Point on the East Coast and
50:58the premiere of Selena on the West Coast.
51:01So now for Larry Merchant, George Foreman, and Harold Letterman.
51:04I'm Jim Lafley, saying so long from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum and Convention Center in Biloxi,
51:11Mississippi.
51:12The executive producer of HBO Sports is Ross Greenberg.
51:14Tonight's telecast of World Championship Boxing was produced by Rick Bernstein and directed
51:18by Mark Payton.
51:20The feature producers were Adam Berger and Max Siegel.
51:22The associate producer, Kendall Reed.
51:24Assistant to the producer, Thomas Erdlfeld.
51:27The production manager was John McKellie.
51:29And the technical supervisor was Bob Hunter.
51:32The production manager was John McKellie.
52:02This has been a presentation of HBO Sports, the network of champions.