Roy Jones Jr. withdraws from Danny Santiago bout, postpones card
Roy Jones Jr. (54-7, 40 KOs) has withdrawn from an 7 October cruiserweight bout with Danny Santiago.
Jones’s promotional company, Square Ring Promotions, announced it was postponing the entire card in light of the news, which was to feature both boxing bouts and mixed martial arts fights at the Pensacola
Civic Center in Pensacola, Florida.
"Roy's manager, McGee Wright, informed me that Roy injured his left hand while sparring on Saturday and that on Monday, he went to the doctor and X-rays were taken," John Wirt, CEO of Square Ring Promotions
confirmed. "While the X-rays do not show a fracture, his hand is swollen and continues to bother him to such an extent that we have no choice but to postpone the fight."
Jones, a former four-division boxing champion and pound-for-pound king, had been looking to bounce back with a hometown win after suffering losses in his last two bouts. In December of last year he was
knocked out by Danny Green in the first round, and in April lost an uninspired decision to rival Bernard Hopkins.
In recent years a boxing chorus has called for Jones, 41, to retire after a series of lacklustre bouts have shown him to be a mere shadow of his former self. Jones has resisted such claims and still believes
he has what it takes in the ring.
Wirt said: “At this point, we are planning on rescheduling the fight and will make an announcement regarding the new date as soon as possible.”
Though it is a cruiserweight bout, Jones and opponent Santiago (31-4, 19 KOs) were contracted to meet at a weight of 185 pounds.
Jones Jr. is the only boxer in history to begin his career as a junior middleweight and go on to win the heavyweight world championship. As well, he is also noted for previously holding seven belts at
the same time.
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