At home with Roy Jones, Jr.: the hard-knock life of a heavyweight boxing champ

Jet, August 4, 2003 by Melody K. Hoffman

Roy Jones, Jr. is both a lover and a fighter, and the sooner you understand that, the sooner you'll begin to understand the complexities of this heavyweight champion's hard-knock life.

After working until 5 a.m. on his next hip-hop album, which is scheduled to drop in November, Jones talked to JET about what he loves and fights for in life in the confines of his vibrant, sprawling Pensacola, FL, home and music studio, which happens to be a separate house on his 80-acre gated estate that is hidden by trees from streetside.

After finishing his steaming waffles (that he cuts in perfect triangles), and country-fried ham while lounging in his gray and blue Jordan-brand short-set, Jones is prepared to shoot the breeze about his dynamic life.

Fame and fortune hasn't clouded the focus of this ambitious star at all. The 34-year-old Jones has a deep-seated enthusiasm for boxing and life, and on this road he's stayed true to his roots and made a comfortable life where he was raised, the deep south of Pensacola.

Sure, Pensacola isn't exactly a celebrity's haven, and after he won his first world title 10 years ago, this great success opened the floodgates to the grand, ritzy life. Sure, after making a splash with his role in the hit movie Matrix Reloaded this year Jones could have shipped out for the glamorous lights and gold-filled streets of Hollywood.

Certainly after Jones blew the minds of boxing fans by moving up in weight class and capturing the heavyweight championship this year, he could have taken his millions and disappeared from the dangerous world of boxing all together. But the 6-foot, unbeaten ferocious boxer didn't hear of it and has continued to shun his celebrity status.

"I ain't going no where. This is where I was born, this is where I was made, and this is where I was raised. Why get away from that now?" Jones protests while making himself comfortable in one of his cherry wood-laced offices that give no hint of the talented man's accolades. "That's how they get lost. Their first mistake is getting away from where they come from."

Jones spends much of his time at home and on his farm with his 1,200 birds, 50 dogs, 60 pigs, 13 horses and 18 cows. He even slipped out on the tour of image-building Matrix movie premieres (although he wants to continue his film career) to stay in his comfort zone. "I only went to one premiere, in New York. I don't like to go through all that. I like to be at home."

Added Jones, "My comfort level at home is unbelievable. My comfort level on the farm is like being in my heaven almost, because I'm surrounded by what I love. I love my animals. My animals love me regardless of what I do or how much I'm worth. That's what has been able to keep me grounded most of my life, because I can always go back to my animals."

However, first and foremost, Jones says his three sons are his strongest ties to home: 11-year-old twins DeShawn and DeAndre and 3-year-old Roy III, aka "Roy J." Jones doesn't want to be away from home longer than he has to because he's kept his vow to raise and teach his children.

"I make time, that's why I don't go that far. Two things I have to have time for are my kids and my animals. Those are the things God has blessed me with in life. And nothing makes me happier than to see my kids enjoy one another and have a good time." On this day, the adoration became apparent when the twins came home from an overnight camp bearing gifts of tie-dyed shirts they made for their dad, whose eyes and smile lit up the sky.

On the flipside Jones has no problem keeping it real and exposing his kids to the intricacies of the boxing world either. "I take them wherever I go; they have to know the truth. They have to know this is what daddy does. Yes, it's a possibility daddy may get hurt or knocked out, but this is what daddy does. This is how daddy gets his."

Asked if wedding bells are in his picture, he laughs and says, "No, I'm married to the game. I ain't going nowhere. Yeah, I'm engaged (to Roy J's mother), but that's good enough for me. Ain't nothing better in life than a good woman. Every man needs a good woman behind him. No matter what goes wrong in life, you know you always have that one person who will be by your side regardless ... and it doesn't take marriage to do that."

Let's back up to Jones' history-making feat on March 1. Jones ventured to the heavyweight class from the light-heavyweight division, where he was the first unified champion in 14 years. Many ask why Jones was not satisfied after he beat the best fighters in three weight classes. Not many understand why he could not just be the best pound-for-pound boxer with an unbeaten record of 48-1, 38 KOs (don't get it twisted, that one in the loss column represents a fight he was disqualified from--Jones has never come close to losing). The answer? Like the superb athlete Jones is, it's all about cementing a legacy, which in the sweet science of sports is the be-all and end-all, and means more than championship belts.

"The main thing going through my head was this was an opportunity God gave me, and I know people are doubting me all the time."