On July 18, 1998, Roy Jones Jr. experienced something almost nobody thought possible. Defending his place among boxing's pound-for-pound elite against WBA light heavyweight champion Lou Del Valle at Madison Square Garden, Jones was knocked down for the first time in his professional career. But what could have become the defining moment of the fight instead became little more than a footnote in another dominant victory.
Jones entered the bout fresh off a spectacular knockout of Virgil Hill and was already regarded as one of the sport's greatest talents. Although Del Valle held the WBA title, he entered as a 15-to-1 underdog against the three-division world champion. The two men knew each other well, having previously worked together as sparring partners, giving Del Valle rare familiarity with Jones' dazzling speed and unorthodox style.
For most of the contest, Jones looked untouchable. He controlled the action with blistering hand speed, sharp body punching, and superior movement, frustrating Del Valle round after round. Then, in the eighth, Del Valle landed a perfectly timed counter right-left combination that sent Jones crashing to the canvas for the first official knockdown of his career. Madison Square Garden erupted as the seemingly invincible superstar picked himself up, but Jones showed no signs of panic and quickly regained complete control of the fight.
Del Valle was unable to build on the dramatic moment, while Jones returned to dictating the pace with the precision that had made him one of boxing's biggest stars. After 12 rounds, all three judges comfortably favored Jones, scoring the fight 118-109, 118-109, and 119-108. The victory added the WBA title to his collection and moved him another step toward becoming the unified king of the light heavyweight division.
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