BOXING: What must irritate boxing's critics most of all is that, once in a while, the much maligned business throws up a sporting performance of artistry, power and grace, such as that witnessed by those lucky enough to see Roy Jones create history as he outpointed John Ruiz at the Thomas & Mack Centre. Jones was quite magnificent.
The 34-year-old world light-heavyweight number one made nonsense of the champion's huge size and weight advantage and delivered what could only be described as a masterclass as he claimed Ruiz's World Boxing Association heavyweight title. One veteran observer described Jones as "reminiscent of Muhammad Ali in his prime".
Despite winning the opening round, Ruiz was outboxed thereafter and never seemed likely to make use of the superior power and strength which many neutral observers had assumed might win him the fight.
Jones said: "When he cracked me, I thought okay, is that all you got? I hit him and he thought, wow. You didn't see me run, you saw me box. It's what I do for a living.
"This means, pound for pound, I'm the baddest mother. Everybody said I couldn't take a punch. I took the fight out of him, and I had him real quick."
The key to Jones's dominance was his rapier-sharp jab which created the opening for all manner of eye-catching attacks, although Ruiz complained later the referee Jay Nady had ruined his chances by denying him the opportunity to rough up his opponent at close quarters.
Lennox Lewis, commentating at ringside, was full of praise for Jones, saying: "He was terrific. It was a great, masterful performance and was all about the sweet science of boxing. Ruiz has never got back into the fight because it seemed he wasn't prepared to take any chances."
But the World Boxing Council champion said he did not believe Jones would be prepared to challenge him, and he went on to throw doubt over whether he would continue to box if his projected June rematch with Mike Tyson did not materialise.
He said the decision rested with Tyson. "It really depends on him. I'm forcing no man to face me. I need to be excited by a challenge to continue, and at this point I'm not excited about anyone."
When asked about possible retirement, he confirmed it was a possibility, saying: "It is definitely an option. I can sit as emperor of boxing, as Don King calls me, and relax."
But he played down the possibility of signing a contract with King: "At this point I don't need to sign. I'm standing at the top and I don't need to get locked into a contract."
Jones will savour the moment before deciding whether to continue operating as a heavyweight, although the brilliance of his victory is certain to mean he will not be short of offers. A title-unification match against the International Boxing Federation champion Chris Byrd is a possibility.
"It would take a lot of money for me to even talk about fighting anybody else. I don't even know if I want to fight no more," he said. "I don't feel I (am) really a heavyweight; I just did it to make history."
Jones's win makes him the first one-time world middleweight champion to become world heavyweight champion since Britain's Bob Fitzsimmons in 1897, and he emulates Michael Spinks, who beat Larry Holmes in 1985 as a light-heavyweight champion who moved successfully to the higher level.
