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Jones moves up to possible shot at Lewis

The light heavyweight champ fights John Ruiz on March 1, which could later earn him a chance for the heavyweight title.

Compiled from Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published November 8, 2002

NEW YORK -- For his next extravaganza, Don King is offering four fighters for a series that might lead the survivor to the man he calls the emperor of boxing, WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis.

The fighters include four-time champion Evander Holyfield, top contender Chris Byrd and WBA champion John Ruiz. The fourth is Roy Jones Jr., the former middleweight champ and current light heavyweight champ who is moving up in weight.

After he knocked out Mike Tyson in June, Lewis said he was unimpressed with the credentials of Byrd, the No.1 contender, and surrendered the IBF title.

Lewis was convinced by King, and the promoters' $1-million payoff, that giving up the title was the right thing to do.

Thursday, King matched Holyfield and Byrd for the vacant belt, to be fought Dec.14 in Atlantic City.

The second part of his heavyweight series is scheduled for March1 in Las Vegas, when Jones fights Ruiz. King did not say if the bout would be for Ruiz's title.

"A brilliant move by the emperor," the promoter said of Lewis taking the payment. "They thought I was a complete idiot, and maybe I am.

"I couldn't have this unless I gave him the rainbow. He endorsed the series and made it more provocative. Maybe he'll give one of them permission to challenge him. He is in a world all his own."

Lewis, who is scheduled to work as a commentator on the telecasts, made no promises.

"I'll tell you after I see them box," he said.

King talked about the two fights as a heavyweight series but said, for the moment, they are separate entities.

"We're not saying anyone is signed for a unification," he said. "But we're hopeful."

Jones, busy playing basketball for the Mobile, Ala., franchise of the National Basketball Development League, missed the news conference. The light heavyweight champion is moving up to heavyweight for a guaranteed $10-million.

The deal pays him 60 percent of all net revenue from the pay-per-view fight, with the $10-million guaranteed.

Jones has been criticized in recent years for fighting little-known opponents among the light heavyweight ranks, and his move to heavyweight had been rumored for some time. Jones' promoter, Murad Muhammad, said it was his fighter's dream to step up in weight.

"Roy is ecstatic about fighting for the heavyweight championship of the world," Muhammad said. "He is taking a major risk, and he knows that.

"Roy says that's what separates the men from the boys."

Ruiz, whose biggest previous purse was $1.5-million for his last fight, against Kirk Johnson, will get 20 percent. Ruiz beat Johnson on a disqualification, and manager Norm Stone said Ruiz would not fight Johnson again despite a $3-million offer by promoter Dino Duva.

"He's a dog," Stone said.

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