Could two future boxing Hall of Famers settle their score in a trilogy fight?
In a video done social media by Russian boxing chief Umar Kremlev, former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins challenged Roy Jones Jr. to one more fight to determine who the better man is once and for all.
"Roy, I'm in Cancun, but that's not the point," Hopkins said. "The point is this: We are one and one. You got one, and I got one. Let's break the tie. Anywhere. We can go to Russia. We can go to China. We can go anywhere to fight. Let's do it. Hopefully, you get this video, and it isn't lost in the clouds somewhere."
It didn't take long for Jones to hear about Hopkins' callout. The former middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight champion responded in jest on Kremlev's Instagram account. Kremlev is reportedly interested in promoting a third fight between Hopkins and Jones Jr.
"It will never get lost in the cloud when it comes to Roy Jones Jr.," Jones said. "We can do it any time, anywhere, any day. You know me, I don't play, I stay ready. I've been waiting for the opportunity to do something like this anyway. So let's get it on."
Hopkins and Jones first met on May 22, 1993, with Jones winning by unanimous decision. They met again on April 3, 2010, with Hopkins beating Jones by a very lopsided decision in an underwhelming rematch.
The 54-year-old Hopkins (55-8-2, 32 KOs) retired at the age of 51 after he was violently knocked out by Joe Smith Jr. in December 2016. Hopkins is currently an executive at Golden Boy Promotions.
Jones (66-9, 47 KOs), who turns 50 on January 16, last fought in February 2018, winning a unanimous decision over Scott Sigmon. After the fight, Jones officially announced he would be retiring from the ring.
Since then, Jones finished up his commentating duties for HBO at the end of 2018 when the premium channel decided to no longer be involved in broadcasting boxing events.