Montell Griffin vs Roy Jones Jr 2

Roy Jones Jr regained the WBC light-heavyweight championship by knocking out Montell Griffin after 2 minutes 31 seconds of the opening round at the Foxwoods Resort Casino in Mashantucket, Connecticut, on August 7, 1997. Griffin weighed 174 pounds and Jones 175. Arthur Mercante refereed the scheduled 12-round contest, which was promoted under the title “Unfinished Business” before a sell-out crowd of approximately 4,500 in a converted bingo hall. Each boxer was reported to have received a $1.5 million purse.

The match had been made necessary by the unsatisfactory ending of their first meeting less than five months earlier. Griffin, an awkward and accomplished boxer trained by Eddie Futch, had disrupted Jones with feints, changes of rhythm and a crouching approach during much of that contest. Jones recovered sufficiently to hold narrow leads on two scorecards entering the ninth round, while Griffin led on the third. After hurting Griffin and forcing him to one knee, Jones struck him twice while he was down. Referee Tony Perez disqualified Jones, giving Griffin the championship and inflicting the first defeat of Jones’s professional career.

Griffin therefore entered the return as the unbeaten champion with a record of 27 victories, while Jones stood at 34–1. Jones was nevertheless a 4–1 favourite. Griffin’s performance in the first fight had demonstrated that his compact stance and irregular movement could make Jones hesitate, but there was little hesitation in the rematch. Jones left his corner with the evident intention of denying Griffin the time required to establish his method. Instead of studying him from the outside, he advanced rapidly, held his hands low and looked to strike as Griffin attempted to settle into his crouch.

The first knockdown came before Griffin had established his jab or begun working his way inside. Jones moved towards him and whipped a left hook around the guard. Griffin was knocked backwards into the ropes and went down, his body being supported partly by the lower strands. Mercante correctly ruled a knockdown and administered the count. Griffin rose and indicated that he could continue, but the punch had unsettled him and deprived him of the composure upon which his style depended.

Jones followed without becoming disorderly. He stalked Griffin across the ring, throwing quick power punches whenever the champion paused or attempted to set his feet. Griffin tried to restore distance with his left jab, but Jones’s speed prevented him from organising the careful, tactical contest that had caused such difficulty in March. Jones attacked from unusual angles, stepping into range before Griffin could complete his preparations and withdrawing before a reply could be formed. There was no prolonged exchange and no opportunity for Griffin to impose his strength at close quarters.

With fewer than 45 seconds remaining in the round, Jones struck again with a leaping left hook. The punch landed cleanly against the head and sent Griffin heavily onto his back. Griffin attempted to rise, first turning over and then trying to bring his feet beneath him, but his balance had deserted him. He lurched sideways and fell against the ropes as Mercante completed the count. The official time was 2:31. No judges’ scores were required.

The result removed every uncertainty left by the disqualification in the first contest. Griffin had not been an accidental champion; he had boxed effectively against Jones and remained competitive until the illegal blows ended their first meeting. In the return, however, Jones gave him no opportunity to repeat that work. The difference lay not in a complicated technical alteration but in the speed and determination with which Jones attacked. He refused to wait for Griffin’s feints, struck while the champion was still arranging his position and twice found the target with the left hook.

Jones improved his record to 35–1 and recovered the WBC championship, while Griffin suffered his first professional defeat. The bout lasted only 151 seconds, but it supplied a decisive conclusion to a rivalry that had begun with argument and confusion. Griffin’s victory remained valid under the rules because Jones had fouled him in their first fight. The rematch established just as clearly that, when Jones applied his speed and power from the opening bell, Griffin could not reproduce the tactical control he had previously enjoyed.

Their first fight was a shocker, but I have never accepted the idea that Montell Griffin’s first victory over Roy Jones Jr was meaningless. Griffin boxed intelligently that night, disrupted Jones with his crouch and feints, and remained competitive until Jones struck him while he was on one knee and was correctly disqualified. But the rematch proved something just as clearly: Griffin had irritated Jones, and Roy arrived at Foxwoods determined not to give him time to think.

Griffin needed a measured opening. His whole style depended on drawing mistakes, changing levels and making opponents reach. Jones took that away immediately. Within 20 seconds, he whipped a left hook around the guard and dropped Griffin into the ropes. It was not simply speed. Jones recognised that Griffin was most awkward once settled and attacked before he could establish his rhythm.

After the count, Griffin tried to use his jab, but his confidence and balance had already gone. Jones stalked him with his hands low, throwing from angles that ordinary fighters could not safely attempt. The finishing punch was another leaping left hook. Griffin fell heavily, tried to rise and staggered into the ropes before Arthur Mercante completed the count at 2:31.

For me, this was peak Roy Jones: frightening reflexes, unusual timing and the power to punish hesitation instantly. Griffin was a fine technician trained by Eddie Futch, not some hopeless challenger, but he was blown away before his craft could become relevant. The first fight showed that Jones could be frustrated. The second showed what happened when he stopped studying an opponent and imposed his gifts. It was not revenge through patience or adjustment. It was a public execution carried out in 151 seconds.