Roy Levesta Jones Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American former professional boxer that competed from 1989 to 2018, and again in 2023. He held multiple world championships in four weight classes, including middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. As an amateur he represented the United States at the 1988 Summer Olympics, winning the light middleweight silver medal.
Jones is considered by many to be one of the greatest boxers of all time, pound for pound, and left his mark in the sport's history when he won the World Boxing Association (WBA) heavyweight title in 2003, becoming the first and only boxer to win the heavyweight title starting his career as a junior middleweight. This also made him the second of only two former middleweight champions to win a heavyweight title, 106 years after Bob Fitzsimmons accomplished that feat. He is also one of only two heavyweight champions to have begun his career below middleweight, the other being former welterweight Tommy Burns, who won the title 97 years prior, thus being the second-lightest boxer to eventually become heavyweight champion.
BoxRec-style profile
- Birth name: Roy Levesta Jones Jr.
- Born: January 16, 1969 — Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
- Nationality: American / Russian
- Height: 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
- Reach: 74 in (188 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Pro debut: May 6, 1989 (Win by TKO vs Ricky Randall)
- Last bout: Apr 1, 2023 (Loss by MD vs Anthony Pettis)
- Total rounds boxed: 504 (summed from the bout table below)
- Divisions: Middleweight, Super middleweight, Light heavyweight, Cruiserweight, Heavyweight
- KO percentage: 71.2% (47 KO wins in 66 wins)
- Titles held (major, with reign dates): IBF middleweight title May 22, 1993 – May 27, 1994 (won the vacant title from Bernard Hopkins; defended against Thomas Tate; moved up); IBF super middleweight title November 18, 1994 – October 4, 1996 (won from James Toney; defended against Antoine Byrd, Vinny Pazienza, Tony Thornton, Éric Lucas and Bryant Brannon); WBC light heavyweight title November 22, 1996 (interim) / August 7, 1997 – May 15, 2004 (lost to Montell Griffin on March 21, 1997 and regained it from Griffin on August 7, 1997; added the WBA title on July 18, 1998 and the IBF title on June 5, 1999 and defended the unified titles through September 7, 2002; lost the WBA (Unified), WBC, IBO, IBA and The Ring titles to Antonio Tarver on May 15, 2004); WBA heavyweight title March 1, 2003 (won from John Ruiz; the reign closed with his return to light heavyweight in November 2003, per the bout table) — all dates per the bout table
Record at a glance
- Total bouts: 76
- Wins: 66
- Wins by KO: 47
- Losses: 10
- Losses by KO: 5
- Draws: 0
- No contests: 0
- Born: January 16, 1969 — Pensacola, Florida, U.S.
- Nationality: American / Russian
- Height: 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
- Reach: 74 in (188 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Divisions: Middleweight, Super middleweight, Light heavyweight, Cruiserweight, Heavyweight
Fight-by-fight record
| No. | Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Round/Time | Venue / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 6, 1989 | Ricky Randall | Win | TKO | 2 (8), 2:46 | Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 2 | Jun 11, 1989 | Stephan Johnson | Win | TKO | 8 (8), 2:04 | Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| 3 | Sep 3, 1989 | Ron Amundsen | Win | TKO | 7 (8), 2:43 | Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 4 | Nov 30, 1989 | David McCluskey | Win | TKO | 3 (8), 2:00 | Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 5 | Jan 8, 1990 | Joe Edens | Win | KO | 2 (8), 2:05 | County Fairgrounds, Mobile, Alabama, U.S. |
| 6 | Feb 28, 1990 | Billy Mitchem | Win | TKO | 2 (8), 2:57 | Interstate Fairgrounds, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 7 | Mar 28, 1990 | Knox Brown | Win | TKO | 3 (10), 2:20 | Interstate Fairgrounds, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 8 | May 11, 1990 | Ron Johnson | Win | KO | 2 (10), 2:28 | Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 9 | Jul 14, 1990 | Tony Waddles | Win | KO | 1 (10), 2:02 | Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. — Waddles was billed as Derwin Richards |
| 10 | Sep 25, 1990 | Rollin Williams | Win | KO | 4 (10), 2:56 | Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 11 | Nov 8, 1990 | Reggie Miller | Win | TKO | 5 (10) | Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 12 | Jan 31, 1991 | Ricky Stackhouse | Win | KO | 1 (10), 0:46 | Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 13 | Apr 13, 1991 | Eddie Evans | Win | TKO | 3 (10) | Interstate Fairgrounds, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 14 | Aug 3, 1991 | Kevin Daigle | Win | TKO | 2 (10) | Interstate Fairgrounds, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 15 | Aug 31, 1991 | Lester Yarbrough | Win | KO | 9 (10) | Interstate Fairgrounds, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 16 | Jan 10, 1992 | Jorge Vaca | Win | KO | 1 (10), 1:45 | Paramount Theatre, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| 17 | Apr 3, 1992 | Art Serwano | Win | KO | 1 (10), 1:40 | Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S. |
| 18 | Jun 30, 1992 | Jorge Castro | Win | UD | 10 | Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 19 | Aug 18, 1992 | Glenn Thomas | Win | TKO | 8 (10), 3:00 | Bayfront Auditorium, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 20 | Dec 5, 1992 | Percy Harris | Win | TKO | 4 (12), 3:00 | Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title |
| 21 | Feb 13, 1993 | Glenn Wolfe | Win | TKO | 1 (10), 2:23 | Caesars Palace, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 22 | May 22, 1993 | Bernard Hopkins | Win | UD | 12 | Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C., U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant IBF middleweight title |
| 23 | Aug 14, 1993 | Thulani Malinga | Win | KO | 6 (10), 1:57 | Casino Magic, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, U.S. |
| 24 | Nov 30, 1993 | Fermin Chirino | Win | UD | 10 | Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 25 | Mar 22, 1994 | Danny Garcia | Win | KO | 6 (10), 2:59 | University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 26 | May 27, 1994 | Thomas Tate | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 0:30 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained IBF middleweight title |
| 27 | Nov 18, 1994 | James Toney | Win | UD | 12 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won IBF super middleweight title |
| 28 | Mar 18, 1995 | Antoine Byrd | Win | TKO | 1 (12), 2:06 | Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained IBF super middleweight title |
| 29 | Jun 24, 1995 | Vinny Pazienza | Win | TKO | 6 (12), 2:58 | Convention Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained IBF super middleweight title |
| 30 | Sep 30, 1995 | Tony Thornton | Win | TKO | 3 (12), 0:45 | Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained IBF super middleweight title |
| 31 | Jan 12, 1996 | Merqui Sosa | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 2:36 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| 32 | Jun 15, 1996 | Éric Lucas | Win | RTD | 11 (12), 3:00 | Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained IBF super middleweight title |
| 33 | Oct 4, 1996 | Bryant Brannon | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 2:23 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained IBF super middleweight title |
| 34 | Nov 22, 1996 | Mike McCallum | Win | UD | 12 | Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBC interim light heavyweight title |
| 35 | Mar 21, 1997 | Montell Griffin | Loss | DQ | 9 (12), 2:27 | Etess Arena, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Lost WBC light heavyweight title; Jones disqualified for hitting Griffin after a knockdown |
| 36 | Aug 7, 1997 | Montell Griffin | Win | KO | 1 (12), 2:31 | Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBC light heavyweight title |
| 37 | Apr 25, 1998 | Virgil Hill | Win | KO | 4 (12), 1:10 | Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. |
| 38 | Jul 18, 1998 | Lou Del Valle | Win | UD | 12 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBA light heavyweight title |
| 39 | Nov 14, 1998 | Otis Grant | Win | TKO | 10 (12), 1:18 | Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA and WBC light heavyweight titles |
| 40 | Jan 9, 1999 | Richard Frazier | Win | TKO | 2 (12), 2:59 | Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA and WBC light heavyweight titles |
| 41 | Jun 5, 1999 | Reggie Johnson | Win | UD | 12 | Grand Casino, Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA and WBC light heavyweight titles; Won IBF light heavyweight title |
| 42 | Jan 15, 2000 | David Telesco | Win | UD | 12 | Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO light heavyweight titles |
| 43 | May 13, 2000 | Richard Hall | Win | TKO | 11 (12), 1:41 | Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO light heavyweight titles |
| 44 | Sep 9, 2000 | Eric Harding | Win | RTD | 10 (12), 3:00 | New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO light heavyweight titles |
| 45 | Feb 24, 2001 | Derrick Harmon | Win | RTD | 10 (12), 3:00 | Ice Palace, Tampa, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF and IBO light heavyweight titles; Won vacant NBA light heavyweight title |
| 46 | Jul 28, 2001 | Julio César González | Win | UD | 12 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, NBA and IBO light heavyweight titles; Won vacant WBF (Federation) and IBA light heavyweight titles |
| 47 | Feb 2, 2002 | Glen Kelly | Win | KO | 7 (12), 1:55 | American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, IBO, WBF (Federation), NBA, IBA and The Ring light heavyweight titles |
| 48 | Sep 7, 2002 | Clinton Woods | Win | TKO | 6 (12), 1:29 | Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Unified), WBC, IBF, IBO, WBF (Federation), NBA, IBA and The Ring light heavyweight titles |
| 49 | Mar 1, 2003 | John Ruiz | Win | UD | 12 | Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBA heavyweight title |
| 50 | Nov 8, 2003 | Antonio Tarver | Win | MD | 12 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained IBO and The Ring light heavyweight titles; Won WBC and vacant WBA (Unified) light heavyweight titles |
| 51 | May 15, 2004 | Antonio Tarver | Loss | TKO | 2 (12), 1:41 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Lost WBA (Unified), WBC, IBO, IBA and The Ring light heavyweight titles; For vacant WBF (Foundation) light heavyweight title |
| 52 | Sep 25, 2004 | Glen Johnson | Loss | KO | 9 (12), 0:48 | FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. — ★ Title fight — For IBF light heavyweight title |
| 53 | Oct 1, 2005 | Antonio Tarver | Loss | UD | 12 | St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — For IBO and The Ring light heavyweight titles |
| 54 | Jul 29, 2006 | Prince Badi Ajamu | Win | UD | 12 | Qwest Arena, Boise, Idaho, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBO–NABO light heavyweight title |
| 55 | Jul 14, 2007 | Anthony Hanshaw | Win | UD | 12 | Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant IBC light heavyweight title |
| 56 | Jan 19, 2008 | Félix Trinidad | Win | UD | 12 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. |
| 57 | Nov 8, 2008 | Joe Calzaghe | Loss | UD | 12 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. — ★ Title fight — For The Ring light heavyweight title |
| 58 | Mar 21, 2009 | Omar Sheika | Win | TKO | 5 (12), 1:45 | Civic Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBO–NABO light heavyweight title |
| 59 | Aug 15, 2009 | Jeff Lacy | Win | RTD | 10 (12), 3:00 | Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBO–NABO light heavyweight title |
| 60 | Dec 2, 2009 | Danny Green | Loss | TKO | 1 (12), 2:02 | Acer Arena, Sydney, Australia — ★ Title fight — For IBO cruiserweight title |
| 61 | Apr 3, 2010 | Bernard Hopkins | Loss | UD | 12 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 62 | May 21, 2011 | Denis Lebedev | Loss | KO | 10 (10), 2:58 | Krylatskoye Sports Palace, Moscow, Russia |
| 63 | Dec 10, 2011 | Max Alexander | Win | UD | 10 | Civic Center, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant UBO Intercontinental cruiserweight title |
| 64 | Jun 30, 2012 | Paweł Głażewski | Win | SD | 10 | Atlas Arena, Łódź, Poland |
| 65 | Dec 21, 2013 | Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf | Win | UD | 12 | Krylatskoye Sports Palace, Moscow, Russia — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBU (German version) cruiserweight title |
| 66 | Jul 26, 2014 | Courtney Fry | Win | RTD | 5 (12), 3:00 | Ķīpsala International Exhibition Centre, Riga, Latvia — ★ Title fight — Retained WBU (German version) cruiserweight title |
| 67 | Sep 26, 2014 | Hany Atiyo | Win | KO | 1 (12), 1:15 | Basket-Hall, Krasnodar, Russia — ★ Title fight — Retained WBU (German version) cruiserweight title |
| 68 | Mar 6, 2015 | Willie Williams | Win | TKO | 2 (10), 2:38 | Cabarrus Arena, Concord, North Carolina, U.S. |
| 69 | Mar 28, 2015 | Paul Vasquez | Win | TKO | 1 (12), 3:00 | Bay Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBU (German version) cruiserweight title |
| 70 | Aug 16, 2015 | Eric Watkins | Win | KO | 6 (10), 2:59 | Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S. |
| 71 | Dec 12, 2015 | Enzo Maccarinelli | Loss | KO | 4 (10), 1:59 | VTB Ice Palace, Moscow, Russia |
| 72 | Mar 20, 2016 | Vyron Phillips | Win | TKO | 2 (6), 2:30 | Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| 73 | Aug 13, 2016 | Rodney Moore | Win | UD | 10 | Bay Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
| 74 | Feb 17, 2017 | Bobby Gunn | Win | TKO | 8 (12), 0:07 | Chase Center, Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBF (Foundation) cruiserweight title |
| 75 | Feb 8, 2018 | Scott Sigmon | Win | UD | 10 | Bay Center, Pensacola, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBU (German version) cruiserweight title |
| 76 | Apr 1, 2023 | Anthony Pettis | Loss | MD | 8 | Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Titles & notes
Major title reigns (start–end): IBF middleweight title May 22, 1993 – May 27, 1994 (won the vacant title from Bernard Hopkins; defended against Thomas Tate; moved up); IBF super middleweight title November 18, 1994 – October 4, 1996 (won from James Toney; defended against Antoine Byrd, Vinny Pazienza, Tony Thornton, Éric Lucas and Bryant Brannon); WBC light heavyweight title November 22, 1996 (interim) / August 7, 1997 – May 15, 2004 (lost to Montell Griffin on March 21, 1997 and regained it from Griffin on August 7, 1997; added the WBA title on July 18, 1998 and the IBF title on June 5, 1999 and defended the unified titles through September 7, 2002; lost the WBA (Unified), WBC, IBO, IBA and The Ring titles to Antonio Tarver on May 15, 2004); WBA heavyweight title March 1, 2003 (won from John Ruiz; the reign closed with his return to light heavyweight in November 2003, per the bout table) — all dates per the bout table
- Dec 5, 1992 vs Percy Harris: Won vacant WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title
- May 22, 1993 vs Bernard Hopkins: Won vacant IBF middleweight title
- May 27, 1994 vs Thomas Tate: Retained IBF middleweight title
- Nov 18, 1994 vs James Toney: Won IBF super middleweight title
- Mar 18, 1995 vs Antoine Byrd: Retained IBF super middleweight title
- Jun 24, 1995 vs Vinny Pazienza: Retained IBF super middleweight title
- Sep 30, 1995 vs Tony Thornton: Retained IBF super middleweight title
- Jun 15, 1996 vs Éric Lucas: Retained IBF super middleweight title
- Oct 4, 1996 vs Bryant Brannon: Retained IBF super middleweight title
- Nov 22, 1996 vs Mike McCallum: Won vacant WBC interim light heavyweight title
- Mar 21, 1997 vs Montell Griffin: Lost WBC light heavyweight title; Jones disqualified for hitting Griffin after a knockdown
- Aug 7, 1997 vs Montell Griffin: Won WBC light heavyweight title
- Jul 18, 1998 vs Lou Del Valle: Won WBA light heavyweight title
- Nov 14, 1998 vs Otis Grant: Retained WBA and WBC light heavyweight titles
- Jan 9, 1999 vs Richard Frazier: Retained WBA and WBC light heavyweight titles
- Jun 5, 1999 vs Reggie Johnson: Retained WBA and WBC light heavyweight titles; Won IBF light heavyweight title
- Jan 15, 2000 vs David Telesco: Retained WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO light heavyweight titles
- May 13, 2000 vs Richard Hall: Retained WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO light heavyweight titles
- Sep 9, 2000 vs Eric Harding: Retained WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO light heavyweight titles
- Feb 24, 2001 vs Derrick Harmon: Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF and IBO light heavyweight titles; Won vacant NBA light heavyweight title
- Jul 28, 2001 vs Julio César González: Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, NBA and IBO light heavyweight titles; Won vacant WBF (Federation) and IBA light heavyweight titles
- Feb 2, 2002 vs Glen Kelly: Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, IBO, WBF (Federation), NBA, IBA and The Ring light heavyweight titles
- Sep 7, 2002 vs Clinton Woods: Retained WBA (Unified), WBC, IBF, IBO, WBF (Federation), NBA, IBA and The Ring light heavyweight titles
- Mar 1, 2003 vs John Ruiz: Won WBA heavyweight title
- Nov 8, 2003 vs Antonio Tarver: Retained IBO and The Ring light heavyweight titles; Won WBC and vacant WBA (Unified) light heavyweight titles
- May 15, 2004 vs Antonio Tarver: Lost WBA (Unified), WBC, IBO, IBA and The Ring light heavyweight titles; For vacant WBF (Foundation) light heavyweight title
- Sep 25, 2004 vs Glen Johnson: For IBF light heavyweight title
- Oct 1, 2005 vs Antonio Tarver: For IBO and The Ring light heavyweight titles
- Jul 29, 2006 vs Prince Badi Ajamu: Won WBO–NABO light heavyweight title
- Jul 14, 2007 vs Anthony Hanshaw: Won vacant IBC light heavyweight title
- Nov 8, 2008 vs Joe Calzaghe: For The Ring light heavyweight title
- Mar 21, 2009 vs Omar Sheika: Won vacant WBO–NABO light heavyweight title
- Aug 15, 2009 vs Jeff Lacy: Retained WBO–NABO light heavyweight title
- Dec 2, 2009 vs Danny Green: For IBO cruiserweight title
- Dec 10, 2011 vs Max Alexander: Won vacant UBO Intercontinental cruiserweight title
- Dec 21, 2013 vs Zine Eddine Benmakhlouf: Won vacant WBU (German version) cruiserweight title
- Jul 26, 2014 vs Courtney Fry: Retained WBU (German version) cruiserweight title
- Sep 26, 2014 vs Hany Atiyo: Retained WBU (German version) cruiserweight title
- Mar 28, 2015 vs Paul Vasquez: Retained WBU (German version) cruiserweight title
- Feb 17, 2017 vs Bobby Gunn: Won vacant WBF (Foundation) cruiserweight title
- Feb 8, 2018 vs Scott Sigmon: Won vacant WBU (German version) cruiserweight title
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (). Featured image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Rou_Jones_Jr._%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=en.wikipedia.org&utm_campaign=api&utm_content=original
Record source: Wikipedia professional boxing record table (cross-checked against the bout list), retrieved 2026-10-31.
