Roy Jones Jr. Quotes

He don't know what it is to lose, so I gotta teach him something that he doesn't know yet.

We're in Madison Square Garden, I can't let you beat me in Madison Square Garden, are you serious!?

If they just reverse the division, ban the judges, and then it'll discourage other judges from ever doing this.

It was a tough situation. A fight that nobody expected to end so abruptly for him because he was really a great fighter. I felt sorry for him and I knew it could happen to anybody. And it could happen to any of us at any time. So when I was in a position to help him, I did what I could to help him.

I can get a title shot any time I want to. They know I can beat 110% of the champions out there right now. I just have to be motivated. Most of them are going to be trying to not give me a shot.

I hope that not one of them ever wanna even think about boxing.

I never was a person that wanted that life...I'm a leader not a follower. I don't care what they say, or what they're doing or what they're wearing. Go ahead, cos come Judgement Day, all of that won't matter. How many people did you help. How many people did you talk to. How many people did you try to encourage. How many people did you bring to God. That's what's gon' matter.

I think I might've turned 39, look like I turned 29, feel like I turned about 19.

Charity work shouldn't be bragged about. It's just something you're supposed to do...I do it because I feel like that's what God wanted me to do. It's as simple as that.

There's one thing I remember about Muhammad Ali. He said "I don't like my condition, but if this is what the Good Lord has planned for me to deal with, I'm happy with that." You have to understand, that comes from my idol, one of the guys that got me started in boxing.

He just got his neck broke one time, I'm not tryna break his neck again, that's not what I fight for. I fight to have fun, not to hurt nobody.

When I thought about it, I said "if you quit now, how you gonna explain to any other kid coming up that if something don't go their way, they're supposed to get up and go hard at it next time?" You can't if you quit.

If it comes from Tom Hauser, it's the truth.

My first advice is to keep God first in everything you do. Second is stay in shape, stay ready and learn about the business because you don't want to be in a business you know nothing about, because they will take advantage of you, in this business.

There's no way a fighter should fight and put his life on the line, and a promoter makes more money than he makes.

Boxing is not brutal, it's an art - God has gifted me with incredible handspeed as a tool to be used - what else am I supposed to do but fight? There ain't no hand-racing competitions.

Roy Jones still number one and it's gon' be that way baby! For all these doubters, him [points to Larry Merchant] and the rest of them that said Roy Jones is a fluke, now they know.

I'm having a wonderful time in training. It's so funny because you go through ups and you go through downs. People have to realize that my career started on a down. I got ripped off a Gold Medal at the Olympics but it didn't stop me and it made me a better person.

One thing you gotta know about Roy. The way I always saw myself, is I'm just like you. In the ring, I have a gift...That gift ain't on the basketball court. That gift ain't at home. You understand me? That gift is in the ring.

When I fought Montell Griffin, he quit on me, on the floor, I hit him with a soft punch and he laid down like I knocked him out, and it kinda upset me. I told him I don't care what it is, just give me the rematch. And then I really had to teach him the difference between acting like you've been knocked out, and getting hit for real.

If you go to Madison Square Garden, you better have your A game ready, because here goes the thing, they love boxing. They either like you, or they don't like you. They're either cheering for you, or they're cheering for you to die...They want you to kill, or be killed.

Every fighter should really do that if they can, because if you build a fan base at home first, then once they receive you at home, it'll be easier to be received elsewhere.

I don't know if I'm the best Pound-For-Pound fighter ever. I know I'm close. I gotta be Top 5.

I was concerned about them. I mean, it feels good but I was concerned about them.

I feel ashamed tonight that we treated Lennox Lewis the way we did because he gave it all his effort but everytime Don King's involved, you can expect a draw to come from somewhere. Ask Pernell Whitaker about the Julio Cesar Chavez fight...I thought Evander Holyfield gave a very game effort, but you win some and you lose some...tonight I'm upset because Lennox Lewis did not lose and it was not a draw. It's as simple as that.

The knockouts did not change me as a fighter. I was more of a boxer as a heavyweight. The problem was when I came back to light heavyweight, I lost all of the muscle and I lost all of the energy. I was going for the knockout because I didn't want to go the whole 12 rounds because my body was tired. I couldn't understand why my body was tired and it didn't dawn on me until now.

I got some real rough dental work done not long ago, and my mouth's still numb right here [points to the left side of his chin]. So it kind of messes with my speech a little bit, so don't y'all think that I took too many cos I haven't.

I always feel like there’s no fighter that I can’t figure out.

Boxing’s an art, it’s a science, and you don’t go out to knock people out. If they happen to get knocked out, they happen to run into one of these bricks by mistake [looks at his fists], that’s their fault.

Sorry to disappoint you but I don’t even watch the Olympics no more.

I had to hold my tongue from since, when I got here til when I was about 22 years old. I ain't holding my tongue no more. So it's best that I don't get no manager, don't get no promoter cos' they're the people tryna tell me what do.

That was probably the most important fight of my career...he was this crazy guy, who acted like most adults that I knew as a kid, and I knew right away by him being so crazy and wild and quick tempered, I was gonna get under his skin and aggravate the heck out of him. And that's exactly what I did.