Shropshire Star

Richie Woodhall and Roy Jones Jnr 25 years on

Telford's Richie Woodhall has been reunited with his nemesis Roy Jones Jnr 25 years on from when the pair boxed in the 1988 Games.

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Picture courtesy of Juggy Singh photography

The American's silver medal that year in Seoul, South Korea came with a victory over Woodhall that saw the Englishman could only obtain bronze.

They have never gone face-to-face since until Jones came to a sportsman's dinner at West Bromwich Albion's Hawthorns ground on Saturday night, with Woodhall his interviewer.

The Shropshire boxing legend, who went on to win a WBC world super middleweight title after turning pro, could not believe the time that had elapsed since he shared a ring with Jones.

"How time flies" he commented as he recalled how he believed his defeat should have come to a gold medallist that year, only for Jones to the victim of "daylight robbery" in a controversial final.

Jones was equally complementary in his recollections of leaving it late to record a landslide 5-0 points win against a tricky adversary, who kept coming over the three-round distance.

He said: "It was a very good fight and Richie was a tall, competitive guy with a lot of heart. He had a long jab and was very difficult to get to.

"But, when I got close to him, I knew I would win."

Woodhall hung up his gloves after losing his world title to Joe Calzaghe in 2000 and has now carved himself out a career as a knowledgeable pundit for boxing on Sky Sports.

Jones made history in his pro career by becoming the only man to win world titles at middleweight and heavyweight which, with a cruiserweight crown, would have been a Grand Slam.

Then-IBO champion Danny Green shattered those dreams with a first-round defeat in 2009 but it isn't over yet, insists Jones.

He said: "I want a cruiserweight title, without a doubt. Whoever I can get first, I will take. I feel as good as ever and this is the missing part of the puzzle.

"I have still got all of my speed and power and I have focussed all of my energies on winning a cruiserweight title. If I do that, I can get it. I am not done, I have got at least another year in me.

"By winning world titles at middleweight and heavyweight, I have already done the unthinkable. I want to carry on doing the unthinkable."

Another great world champion from the 1990s, Steve Collins, called out Jones last year and demanded they decide who is the better man in the ring.

The Irishman is 48 and hasn't boxed in 15 years while his foe has yet to retire at all, making Collins the underdog.

But Jones insists it's a fight that would only happen on his terms – and on our shores.

He said: "I didn't duck him then and I wouldn't duck him now, but there's got to be something in it for me that would motivate me enough to fight.

"That said, I would love to put on a show for the fans over here in the United Kingdom. That would be motivation for me."

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