Irish boxing legend Steve Collins has said that he would to get back in the ring one last time – if he can convince American great Roy Jones Jr to fight him.
However, Collins is now 51 years old so we should probably hope that his comments were tongue-in-cheek.
The Celtic Warrior is now a trainer to British contender Frank Buglioni, who has a world title shot at the end of the month.
Buglioni’s opponent is the new WBA super middleweight world champion Fedor Chudinov – who just so happens to have recruited Jones Jr to be in his corner.
Jones Jr is considered by many to be a boxing all-time great. He and Collins both had their heydays in the 1990s when both won world titles and took part in memorable fights. However, their paths never crossed and it has always been a regret for Collins that the two never fought.
Former WBO champion Collins said: “If Frank knocks Chudinov out in the first couple of rounds and the fans’ want more action then I’m happy to put on the gloves again and fight Jones if he’s up for it.
“I chased and chased Jones throughout my career and he never wanted to fight me, but now we’re in the same ring in opposite corners, it’s the closet we’ve ever got in a ring, I’ll still have it with him if he fancies it.
“I’m still in great shape, I’ll fight him whatever weight he is. The fight is easier now than it was 10 or 15 years ago.”
While it may be great to imagine Collins rolling back the years in the ring it is safe to say that he proved his quality as a trainer.
When he joined up with Buglioni, the London fighter was putting his career back together after losing a European title fight. After over a year with Collins he is now on the verge of becoming a world champion.
