Memo to Jones: Retire

Saturday night I covered my first live boxing event in 11 years, my first assignment for TheSweetScience.com. Roy Jones Jr. was on the receiving end of a pummeling from Joe Calzaghe. It pained me to watch it, even more to write it, because I grew up a fan of Roy Jones. He's another of too many examples of those holding on way too long for both pride and another payday. What's really sad is that guys like Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe are still going at it, in their late 30s-early 40s and a barrage of punches from brain damage.

Jones is better than that. He's set up for life after boxing and still has his wits about him. He took a beating Saturday at Madison Square Garden and should bow out right now. See for yourself this Saturday on HBO, or DVR it if you're watching UFC 91. 

I started my career covering boxing and attended George Foreman-Shannon Briggs in Atlantic City in November of 1997. The Garden crowd was electric and there was a serious buzz well before the fight, which was turned up an octave when a large contingent from Wales cheered the arrival of Calzaghe, their countryman. Ten minutes later, Jones was shown on Garden Vision and was booed vociferously.

MMA is pushing boxing away from the spotlight of the big hype, throw a party package, but the Sweet Science still gets plenty of attention. The Garden was at or close to a sellout - the 400 section went unsold - and at least 100 media credentials were issued.