Roy Jones and Knockout Produce a Hit on a Card That Almost Didn’t Happen

Photo credit: Pattee M

By Edgar Gomez

Roy Jones Jr.’s return to American television waves was nothing short of amazing, producing his best performance in years with a highlight reel knockout of Eric Watkins.

The undercard fights were exciting and action packed and the all-star broadcast team of Al Bernstein and Randy Gordon was a perfect combination.

The weekend in Connecticut produced several boxing greats like Mickey Ward, Harold Letterman and the list goes on.

The bottom half of the Grand Theatre was full at Foxwoods Resort and Casino and with a short fight card -with just the three televised fights – the crowd left with big smilies after witnessing two vicious knockouts and a third fight that was evenly matched and ended in a draw.

Jones knockout had the social media world buzzing and the show trending. The event was streamed illegally by various sites and Nuvo/Fuse became a legitimate cable outlet in the boxing space.

Knockout the series has proven why it’s considered by the boxing world as the best reality show outlet in boxing and after Sunday, it has to be considered one of the top five promotional companies in the country.

However, as of close of business on Friday, Roy Jones return to television wasn’t promised.

On Wednesday, John Scully – who is a trainer on the show and worked the corner of Mike Oliver and Jason Litzau, received a call from a local promoter who said the show would not be happening and that it’s impossible to clear so many hurdles in such a short time frame. So Scully called the executive producer of Knockout, Steven Marcano, who assured him everything will be fine.

After I heard the rumor, I reached out to Steven to see if I should still plan on covering the fight because I had already made travel arrangements. His response was that there was, “an issue with medicals and my co-promoters pulled out but I should get on a plane and fuck it, don’t worry.”

He said that, “they think they are smarter and they may have contacts and money but they can’t outwork me.” So he said, “get on a plane,” and very cockily said, “watch a winner win.”

So I touch down and with everything from Roy Jones going to the Antonio Tarver fight on a private jet to some of Connecticut’s best doctors opening up on a Saturday to make sure the fight goes on, to National Events Ticket Company moving tickets and Roy Jones touching key members of his team down to assist with only about 24 hours to go at the weigh in, the show became offical.

As Foxwoods CEO Felix Rappaport and Fuse President Bill Hilary were at the podium speaking, I asked Steve did he think the show would make it and he replied, “hell yeah. When you are around the best you learn to be a winner and find a way and leave all the crying and complaining to the losers.”

He stated that seeing these gentlemen on stage was the reason why he wasn’t going to have failed them or why why he wouldn’t have failed himself.

“I know people hate the way I do things – there is a simple reason for that,” said Marcano.  “It is because they don’t understand it. You hear Jay Z say, ‘I will not lose’, or 50 Cent say, ‘get rich or die trying’ or Don King say, ‘2nd place means you’re still a loser.’ Mayweather is so good because of his work ethic and says that, ‘all these people who bet against me will never out work me.'”

So the fight card was pulled off and Roy is back. Knockout is a force because the fans responded. Over a million people took to social media and the fans in attendance and the executive producer and promoter put on one hell of a show and they aren’t worried about anyone else in the industry.

Facts are facts. Knockout is proven. I look forest to seeing Season 3 in 2016.