They say you can never go home. But when you’re an undefeated heavyweight fighter they call “Jawbreaker,” you can go anywhere you want.
And so, Justin Jones (17-0-1, 10 KOs) will make his fistic return to Louisiana, at the Cypress Bayou Casino Hotel in Charenton, on January 30, to face local brawler Dwight Gipson. The pair will meet in one of the featured bouts of Boxncar Promotions’ “Bouts at the Bayou” event.
33-year-old Jones can do it all in the ring. A born athlete, he is able to box and brawl with equal ability. “I really have no style. I’m athletic and I do whatever is needed. It depends on the guy I’m fighting. I consider myself the kind of fighter who can do whatever is needed to win.”
Jones, who grew up in nearby St. Martinville, was a star football player at St. Martinville Sr. High School, under local legend coach and mentor Carroll Delahoussaye.
“I had a great football career,” recalled Jones. “I excelled at it and put all I had into it. I learned a lot. I think the football career actually helped me prepare for boxing because it really helped my footwork and I’m very coachable.”
Jones’ athletic prowess made him a very popular person in St. Martinville, and a full house of his fans is expected next week. “Everybody is coming to see me because it’s been so long since I fought here. I’ve only fought in Louisiana twice in my whole career. I’m excited about putting on a show for them all.”
2016 is shaping up to be a great year for Jones, who has been in camp with Wladimir Klitschko and top contender Alexander Povetkin, but suffered from promotional problems and resulting inactivity in the past. He recently began working with long-time Louisiana boxing icon Kerry Daigle as an advisor and signed with top promotional firm Warriors Boxing.
“I’m excited to now be with the right people to establish my place among the top heavyweights,” said Jones. “I’ve known Kerry for a long time. He used to manage one of my good friends, Skip Scott. He’s a guy I trust. He made good decisions with Skip and I like the way he does things. And he says Warriors is the right promotional fit for me.”
“Justin is a world-class heavyweight at the perfect time to be one,” said Kerry Daigle. “I’ve known Justin for a long time and I believe in him and his natural talent. He has all the tools to make a big splash in the big man’s division.”
“He’s a big, strong talented boxer who I expect will make lots of noise in the heavyweight division,” added Leon Margules. “Add him to the list of American heavyweights that have a chance to return heavyweight boxing to its glorious past.”
Jones is now based in Houston, Texas, and trains at the Fighter Nation Gym under coaches Maurice “Termite” Watkins and Eleazar Renteria. “I’m at my physical peak right now,” said Jones. “The goal is to have one more fight and then I’ll be looking for anybody in the top 20.”
