Observations on Trinidad vs Jones

Posted by Bill Scherer Jan 22, 2008

I enjoyed the Trinidad/Jones fight last night. In fact, I enjoyed the entire card. Fight cards are a bit of a crap shoot for promoters--match-ups that seem certain to provide good entertainment sometimes end up rather dull and vice-versa.

Referees, on the other hand, are more consistent and when certain referees are chosen, I cringe. Joe Cortez makes me cringe. Besides his poor officiating, he always seems to know where the camera is. His belabored on camera pre-fight instructions and "I'm fair but I'm firm" nonsense nauseates me.

Then there are the good ones, like Arthur Mercante Jr., who worked Trinidad vs Jones last night. His father was one of the greatest referees of all time and worked fights up into his eighties without losing a step. Like his father, Mercante knows that the best referees often go unnoticed in the ring. And in the locker room.

Mercante's pre-fight instructions to the fighters? "This is your show." I hope Joe Cortez was listening.

For once, I agree with Jim Lampley that Roy Jones looked better last night than he did against Prince Adjamu and Anthony Hanshaw. Besides his body having adjusted to losing nearly twenty pounds of muscle after his fight with John Ruiz, Jones seems to have found the style to compliment his age.

To make up for his lesser reflexes, Jones keeps his hands high and tight when he's in the range of his opponent and drops his hands when on the outside so he can deliver with speed, which he still has plenty of. He also uses his jab more, and uses it well.

This could be interesting.