On April 25, 1998, nine months after avenging his sole professional defeat against Montell Griffin, Roy Jones Jr. was back in the ring taking on former light heavyweight and future cruiserweight champion Virgil Hill. The fight took place at the Coast Coliseum, Biloxi, Mississippi and was a non-title fight at light heavyweight, and Big Fight Weekend wants to transport you from 2024 back to fight night in 1998.
Roy Jones Jr. vs. Virgil Hill: Light Heavyweight Non Title Fight
Roy Jones Jr. vs. Virgil Hill Revisited
The beginning of the fight saw Jones showcase his exceptional hand speed, which ensured he beat Hill to the punch. He exhibited an impressive repertoire of hooks and uppercuts alongside that lead jab, which put him in control early in the fight. The first round showed his dominance of the Missouri-born fighter – and that he wanted to show the world there were levels between him and his opponent.
Hill tried to get a foothold in the fight during round two by working the body of Jones, but the Pensacola native responded with a beautifully timed right. “Quicksilver” continued to work the body as it seemed to be his only successful option. Jones quickly figured out the timing of the body shots and started countering effectively with speed.
The Missouri native opened up more in round three, but it just meant he absorbed more laser-like counters from Jones. During the fourth round, with “Quicksilver” backed against the ropes, Jones flicked out a jab, to draw a counter jab, which worked perfectly as Jones landed a huge right to the ribs of Hill, which left him crumpled on the canvas in agony, and despite rising to his feet, he was in no position to continue, and Jones was the winner by fourth-round KO.
Performance Overview
When at his best, Jones Jr. was a joy to watch, with his scintillating hand speed and laser-like accuracy. He could keep people on the edge of their seats, and the performance against Hill was him – at his dominating best as he established his strengths early on and beat his opponent to the punch from the very first bell before giving us another highlight reel KO.
Rather than look at his defeats later in his career, long after he should have retired, we prefer to concentrate on his memorable performances, such as his destruction of Hill and his memorable win against John Ruiz, where “Superman” proved just how special he was.
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