ROY JONES Jr. vs OMAR SHEIKA

Roy Jones Jr., at the age of 40, just cannot stay away from boxing. He says that he still loves the game. So, on Saturday, Jones is back in the ring, in front of the hometown fans in Pensacola, when he meets Omar Sheika in a light-heavyweight 12-rounder.

This PPV show blends boxing with several mixed martial arts bouts. I do not like this idea. I have no interest in MMA and do not want to watch it. (Of course, many MMA fans might say the same about boxing.) So, unless the main event was absolutely compelling, I would not be prepared to order a show that has a mixture of boxing and MMA.

Jones against Sheika is a curiosity rather than a compelling fight.

Let’s face it, Jones was once a very special type of fighter but now he is going nowhere. I’m a little surprised that he didn’t announce his retirement after last November’s one-sided, bloody defeat against Joe Calzaghe.

Sheika, 32, has been a world title challenger four times at 168 pounds and he has had some thrilling fights, notably the two wars with Scott Pemberton. When he gave Jeff Lacy a tough, close fight it should have been the tip-off that Lacy wasn’t going to beat Calzaghe — Sheika exposed Lacy’s limitations that night.

Unfortunately for Sheika, his career has been dogged by injuries, with cuts and swellings around the eyes and a history of hand problems. He has boxed only twice in four years.

Sheika has sounded motivated and upbeat at the press conferences leading up to this fight. He knows that an upset win over a faded legend can lead to a career revival.

The question is, has Jones faded badly enough to lose to a fighter who at one time wouldn’t have been in his class? Jones’s age and obvious decline give this match its interest. A well-conditioned, motivated Sheika has a chance. Sheika was always a good puncher and he has always been durable and game.

I do think, though, that Jones should be able to win this fight. Before losing to Calzaghe he looked quite sharp in his unanimous decision win over Felix Trinidad. Calzaghe swarmed all over him with a high punch-output, speed and energy, but Sheika is more of a straightforward fighter and not very fast, and having had just four rounds of boxing in three and a half years is not going to help the New Jersey fighter of Palestinian heritage.

At this stage of his career, Jones could fall apart at any time. He has become something of a ring mechanic as his speed and athleticism has diminished, and he can still fight effectively in short bursts at a certain level, just not at the top world-class level. I expect him to beat Sheika, probably by decision — even now there seems to be a bit of a class difference between Jones and his willing opponent.