This is not one of them best pound for pound things … they do nothing for me … anyway, those type scribblings are normally tainted by the author’s rooting interest rather than from the unclouded view of a neutral stance.

Example: championship titles were once put on hold while the real fighting was being done on them Pacific beaches at Iwo, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Okinawa … and with it my beloved Marines were getting my vote as pound for pound. Later it was Normandy and Anzio landings in Europe by the Army … and others gave them the nod … and the argument still hasn’t been settled who was the best pound for pound back then. (Of course I knew all along and it was pretty much proven come Korea and the 1st Marine Division landing at Inchon on September 15, '50 that saved the USA from an army version of the Brit’s Dunkirk in WW2). And so, to rate fighters of different weight classes under a single listing makes no sense to me at all … simply put, the "special" ones are just that, and is good enough for me.

Any serious minded fite fan whatever the age can quickly flash back to a prior era and recall a Louis, Robinson, Pep … or an Ali, Leonard. Hagler, Duran, Hearns … or Holmes, Trinidad and Hopkins and Chavez etc. and quickly shout "pound for pound."

For this old fight fan "special" is good enuf … for not only the Sugars or Rockys earned the accolades but other champions as well fit the mode … Conn, Moore, Zale, LaMotta, Ike Williams, Basilio, Gavilan of yesteryear as well as the Holyfields, Jones', Lewis', Oscars, Forrests and Barreras of today. And what about Roy Jones Jr. and his place in the big pugilistic picture? Pretty much established in my opinion … the boxing ability- not the ego trip, the silly today pre fite choreography nonsense - is what should earn the credits.

First saw Jones in them Olympics and the immediate gut feelings were that this kid will make a solid professional … very similar to my thoughts about another USA Olympian, Evander Holyfield, that was also ripped off by the politics of international amateur boxing … both had the look and feel of one day becoming "special" … a third Olympian fits the mold although he did come home with the gold. Sugar Ray Leonard caught the eye in his claiming the bauble via decsion over a then top-rated world amateur champion from Cuba. Ray did it with an eye-catching final round flurry in getting the nod that had been scored even after two candles.

But back to Mr. Jones … odd in personality or not … you’ll not find me reaching into the purse to pick the other guy in a fight. And guess that pretty much places him as a "special" one in my book. But pleeze … when it come to pound per pound he’s nowhere near my beloved U.S. Marine Corps that stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Geo El

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