Heavyweight Dave Jones gets back in the ring for the first time since his first defeat to Daniel Dubois
Kent heavyweight Dave Jones (9-0-1) has his first fight back on May 12 since his sole career loss to the highly-touted Daniel Dubois (7-0) last February.
Jones gets back under the bright lights at Mote Park in Maidstone in a six-rounder against an opponent yet to be confirmed, looking for a win to kick start the momentum towards title fights again.
It’s been an entire year since the 36-year-old former soldier has had his arm raised in the ring following a draw and loss, respectively, in his previous two outings.
Jones went to war with Welshman Dorian Darch (12-6-1) last October, resulting in a 56-56 points score despite suffering a career-first knockdown in the second-round.
The wait for another win on the record hasn’t affected the heavyweight from Queenborough in any way, he says, “I ain’t fussed about that, I don’t care about not winning for a year, I just love boxing and I’m only after having good fights.
“I got paid decent money for the [Daniel] Dubois fight and I weren’t expected to get my arm raised, and the [Dorian] Darch fight was a great fight for the fans, and I’d love to fight him again soon.”
The former soldier, now a warden at HM Prison Elmley, reflected on his Southern Area heavyweight title fight with newest sensation ‘Dynamite’ Daniel Dubois, “It was a decent experience for me, I got to see how it all works with the TV and all that. It just had the feel of a big fight and I really liked it, I enjoyed the whole thing, I had wanted to make the fourth [round] but so close!”
Jones, an ex-army boxing champion, lasted longer than any other Dubois opponent, taking Frank Warren’s top prospect into the third-round for the first time in his 10-month career that has seen the South Londoner score seven knockouts from seven wins.
Jones explained why his tactics worked better than the rest, “If I stood off him, I would have got knocked out quickly like everyone else, but I got in his face and he didn’t like it.
“It’s shown me that I’ve got a chin and I’m game; I’ve always known that but now I’ve had the opportunity to show people.
“When I’m retired, that fight will be one of the highlights of my career; even the Darch fight is a highlight and I just think ‘let’s get some more!’”
Jones has silverware of his own in the form of the International Challenge heavyweight belt that he claimed when he outpointed Czechoslovakian Jiri Svacina in June 2016.
The oldest prize in British boxing – the Southern Area title – is still on Jones’s radar, but he hasn’t ruled out stepping up to another big fight again in the future.
“Definitely want another big fight with decent pay again,” he enthused. “Joe Joyce is someone I’ve been linked with and there’s been talks before, but the money has to be right, especially now I know what I’m worth.”
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