Jones out to prove he can beat bigger guy

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003 | 10:06 a.m.

Roy Jones Jr. has a healthy respect not only for the man he'll fight March 1 in Las Vegas, but for challenging any legitimate heavyweight.

"I'd much rather fight (middleweight champ) Bernard Hopkins than this big a-- man," Jones said of meeting Ruiz, which is scheduled for March 1 at the Thomas & Mack Center. "He's got a lot of punching power and he's well conditioned."

Ordinarily, Jones fights and dominates as a light heavyweight, which has a 175-pound limit. He said Wednesday that he weighs 189 right now and will come into the fight with Ruiz at about 192.

"Ain't the best thing for a small fighter to do," he said of jumping not one but two weight divisions, let alone take on the World Boxing Association champion. "You keep doing it and you're going to get hurt. You might even get hurt doing it just once."

But Jones has a fearlessness about him.

"When I was a kid I fought bigger guys all the time," he said. "But I quit doing it until I could get paid like this."

He's assured of $10 million for the pay-per-view bout that has only a single historical precedent: Michael Spinks is the lone light heavyweight to defeat a reigning heavyweight champion, having beaten Larry Holmes in 1985.

"But Holmes wasn't the puncher this boy is," Jones said of Ruiz. "He's totally different."

Beyond the financial incentives, Jones is taking this chance because he feels a personal need.

"When was the last time you saw me here (in Las Vegas)?" he said, knowing the answer is 1994 and his fight with James Toney. "I see the big fights and I want to be in one, too. If you told me Lennox Lewis would fight me, I'd be fighting him right now."

He -- and his supporters -- have been pining for a challenge.

"Everybody says 'Do something where we can see you in trouble,' " Jones said. "So this is that big event. It's the kind of s--- I live for.

"If I don't take this, my big fight's not going to come."

Beyond a possible fight with European light heavyweight king Dariusz Michalczewski, Jones felt his big-pay options were limited. But he's not going to go to Germany to fight and Michalczewski is not coming here, so given the dearth of talent in the division Jones decided to take a fling as a heavyweight.

"It's been inevitable," he said. "I was looking for a heavyweight champion to fight."

He said a personal call to Evander Holyfield three years ago brought only a polite "no" in response.

Jones is 47-1 with 38 knockouts and turns 34 years old next week. He's the betting favorite at Caesars yet most people within the sport believe he's apt to have his hands full.

The oft-cited notion that he's taking this fight because he has nothing to lose offends the Florida native.

"I don't think I've got nothing to lose," he said. "But damn the pride issue, this is a big event and I had to do it."

He'll train in Florida but won't put an accent on sparring with heavyweights.

"When you see me again, I'll be ready," he said. "Trust me."