‘We’ve had a strong interest out in the Middle East. Collins, who is 48 and has not fought since the summer of 1997, retired as WBO super-middleweight champion. Despite announcing that he was to have a grudge match against Roy Jones Junior, it looks as though Steve Collin’s dream bout will not now take place at all. Please continue to respect all commenters and create constructive debates. Are you sure you want to mark this comment as inappropriate? Just seconds earlier Jones had knocked out Richard Frazier in two, one-sided rounds; Jones was fighting at light-heavyweight at that time and would move through the weights, winning a legitimate portion of the world heavyweight title in 2003, and he is still fighting now. He started it! MARTIN SAMUEL: All Liverpool had to do to remain revered champions was not be a self-serving club like... Jurgen Klopp admits he feared Everton would become Liverpool's 'next proper challenger in line' when Carlo... Don't drop me, Ole! If Collins was not on the horizon, Jones would still be fighting. Some sources have also suggested that administrators in both England and Ireland were reluctant to sanction the fight. “It’s dead and buried and I’m happy with that. 16 Shares. ‘There’s a vacant title too we can fight for, which has been accepted. Darragh Murphy. The 48-year-old last week produced a significant shock, even by boxing’s standards, when admitting a fight between the two – one that should have happened when both were at their peaks in the 90s – is again a possibility and has since confirmed he is already in training for the fight he expects to be at 190lbs at cruiserweight, two weight classes above the super middleweight division in which he last appeared before his 1997 retirement. There are too many images of Jones out cold or taking a beating in recent years. The phone call led to the two fighters agreeing terms, including a split for the money, and it now looks like they will finally fight. We more or less agreed we’d do a deal to split it down the middle. I told him that, he was not very happy.". "I said a couple of things about Roy being scared of me. Are you sure you want to delete this comment? There’s nothing more important than my health.’. The most insightful comments on all subjects will be published daily in dedicated articles. Collins has everything to gain and, win or lose, he will still be remembered for the Eubank and Benn wins. It allows our most engaged readers to debate the big issues, share their own experiences, discuss real-world solutions, and more. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Published: 09:34 BST, 22 January 2013 | Updated: 09:36 BST, 22 January 2013. Steve Collins Ready For Roy Jones - If Doctors Allow Him. "This is just about me getting the only fight I ever wanted – I get Jones and I will knock him out now like I would have done 17 years ago. Want an ad-free experience?Subscribe to Independent Premium. For any showdown to be at that weight will increase fears over the health risks the Irish former two-weight world champion is taking, given it is over 15 years since he last fought and will be more than 1.5 stones above his former fighting weight, but Collins also insists that he will withdraw if his medical is ‘not 100 per cent’, even if he is adamant the fight ‘is going to happen’. Jones has been active but has looked far too vulnerable and easy to hit in the last few years. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? While there were many reservations aired at the time given the age of both fighters and the fact both fighters are a long way from their prime -the American has fought just five times in the past four years, losing three times and twice by way of knock-out – the news will come as a relief to many. It was in Florida where Collins issued his challenge. Independent Premium Comments can be posted by members of our membership scheme, Independent Premium. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. "I've spoken to Steve and I said 'I don't duck or dive nobody', so it's a very big possibility," said Jones. Our journalists will try to respond by joining the threads when they can to create a true meeting of independent Premium. "I had been asking for Jones to fight me for years – we were the last two left at the weight. Dozens of other fighters train hard, suck in their bellies and give it another go after breaks of between three and 15 years. But it’s a start.’, At 168lbs: But Collins expects their fight as a cruiserweight, ‘We’re just waiting for an offer that appeals to him and is acceptable, and then hopefully then we can announce who, where and when.'. If Jones was not still fighting then Collins insists that he would simply be enjoying life. South Africa has come on board. He had beaten all the Americans and I had taken care of all the Europeans [Collins beat Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn twice in world title fights]. It’s best to leave it be because Steve will always be the champ and at 48, it’s a non-starter,” the football manager added. It got him a bit annoyed, we spoke and now there will be a fight. Collins has claimed that Jones always came up with an excuse to dodge him. 90s boyband members form supergroup, and here is their new tune, QUIZ: Match the Friends quote with the character who said it, Man working for large retail business arrested in Kildare for allegedly receiving bribes from supplier, The restrictions that apply to Cavan, Monaghan and Donegal when Level 4 comes into effect, Here's Week 53 of JOE's 19 in 90 quickfire quiz, 1,205 new Covid-19 cases confirmed, three new deaths, We've got our first look at Bridgerton, the new Netflix series starring Nicola Coughlan, What happened with gin in the public psyche? We are no longer accepting comments on this article. I said “I can still make light heavyweight” – he said “I can’t make light heavyweight” and wants to fight at 190lbs, I said “no problem at all”. "No, no, that’s never going to happen, that’s off,” the current Athlone manager told the paper. Please be respectful when making a comment and adhere to our Community Guidelines. Given the inevitable controversy that will surround the finalising of such a fight – there are also understandable health concerns surrounding the declining Jones Jr, 44 – the location, and therefore which boxing board, if any, sanctions the fight, is of particular interest, but Collins said a decision is yet to be made and that the Middle East, South Africa and Russia are possibilities. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. But now that idea looks to have been KO’D, with Collins brother Roddy telling the Irish Examiner that the fight is now off. "He ran like a child," remembered Collins. Last year there was the disturbing image of Ricky Hatton collapsing in a comeback fight after just three years out of the boxing ring. 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