Jones Has Last Chance to Save Glorious Career

Roy Jones Jr, regarded as perhaps the finest boxer in the world for the better part of a decade, fights for his future in Tampa, Florida, tonight. Nominally, the International Boxing Organisation world light-heavyweight title is at stake when he takes on Antonio Tarver, but Jones knows his last vestige of credibility would be erased with another defeat. The 36-year-old was seemingly invincible as a middleweight, super-middleweight, light-heavyweight and, historically, as a heavyweight when he defeated the World Boxing Association champion John Ruiz in March 2003. But the ageing process has been a rapid one for Jones and his last two fights have ended in bad knockout defeats against Tarver and Glen Johnson. Britain's Michael Sprott, meanwhile, has an outstanding chance to win the European heavyweight title in Oldenburg, Germany, tonight when he fights the Italian champion Paolo Vidoz.