This Saturday night at Madison Square Garden Roy “Superman” Jones (52-4-38 KO’s) will be facing the Welshman from Cardiff, Joe Calzaghe (45-0-32 KO’s).  Jones has been trying to resurrect his career after suffering three straight defeats, twice by Antonio Tarver who was the first to knock Jones out in the second round of their rematch and by the Road Warrior Glenn Johnson, who had Jones on the canvas once again, this time around for about twenty minutes.  

Roy was pretty much written off since then. No one saw the possibility of him being remotely competitive against any of the top fighters anymore.  Jones who was the pound for pound king for several years was now looking like a fragile warrior, a guy who could get himself brutally hurt if he continued.  Regardless of what anybody said, Jones never considered hanging it up.  

He went away and had two low key fights against Prince Ajamu and Anthony Hanshaw before facing long time nemesis Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Now at 39 yrs old, have those fights done enough to rebuild his confidence and ability to do it once again, is the big question. Jones spoke with utter confidence at the final press conference,  “At 39 yrs old I am going to turn the clock back and I am going to beat Joe Calzaghe. Now you got it from the horse’s mouth. Aren’t any estimation. I am just telling you what is going to happen. I will win, as simple as that.”

What Jones is facing in Joe Calzaghe is a guy who is not only undefeated but a fighter who is now where Jones once was, on top of the pound for pound list. A guy who is a very active puncher, throwing a thousand punches a fight. Joe who was promoted by Frank Warren was considered a protected fighter who never fought outside his country.

It wasn’t until he dismantled Jeff Lacy that the American boxing media began to pay attention. He continued to win beating the likes of Sakio Bika, Peter Manfredo and  Mikkel Kessler. Joe finally arrived in America to face “The Executioner” Bernard Hopkins. His first American was not impressive at all. Hopkins put Joe down and pushed him around in the first round. Looking like the bigger stronger fighter. Then things changed, Hopkins didn’t do much after the first round, doing a lot of clinching and hitting.

Joe struggled throwing a lot of sloppy type punches. Joe won over the judges, scoring a decision against Hopkins with his activity but the media was not convinced. Hopkins protested the decision and went on the beat the then undefeated Kelly Pavlik. Jones who was at that fight might have been inspired by Hopkins' performance.

Roy probably saw something in Joe in his fight against Hopkins. One thing was evident, as a light-heavyweight Joe was not as dominant as he was at super middleweight. Statistically, Calzaghe might have an edge but considering the way a 43-year-old Hopkins was the underdog and silenced the critics by giving a beating to the younger Kelly Pavlik, and like this past weekend when 27 out of 32 boxing writers picked Cristian Mijares to beat Vic Darchinyan, who knocked out Mijares in the ninth round, anything’s possible.

Calzaghe by decision.