Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr emotes tearfully as he's presented with an Olympic gold medal, three and a half decades following the alleged greatest boxing theft ever.
Roy Jones Jr. Reunites with Stolen Olympic Gold Medal
Roy Jones Jr., the legendary boxer who achieved legendary status in professional boxing as a multi-weight world champion, has finally been reunited with the Olympic gold medal he was denied in 1988.
In a historic moment, Park Si-hun, the South Korean boxer who won the super welterweight final at the 1988 Summer Games, travelled more than 7,000 miles to Jones' ranch in Pensacola, Florida, to return the gold medal.
Jones Jr. had posted a caption on social media regarding the return of the gold medal, stating that he was robbed of it in 1988 in what became one of the biggest controversies in boxing history. The result of the final was a 3-2 split decision, which many consider one of the biggest injustices in Olympic boxing history.
Despite the weight difference, Jones Jr outclassed Park Si-hun in the final, outlanding him by almost triple the punches. Jones Jr dominated the match, even rocking his opponent en route to a remarkable unanimous decision victory.
Jones Jr turned professional in boxing in 1989 at the age of 20. By 2004, he had compiled a 49-1 record, winning world titles in four separate weight classes. However, his 34-fight winning streak was only snapped by a disqualification loss to Montell Griffin in 1997.
In 1993, Jones Jr won his first world title by beating Bernard Hopkins for the IBF middleweight title. He moved up two divisions to face John Ruiz for the WBA heavyweight title in 2003, despite conceding 33lbs to his opponent.
The emotional meeting between Jones Jr and Park Si-hun was uploaded to Jones Jr's YouTube channel, where Jones Jr was moved by the gesture and was almost lost for words when he received the gold medal. Park Si-hun expressed that he wanted to return the gold medal to Jones Jr, stating that it belonged to him.
Despite suffering his first legitimate loss in 2004, a brutal second-round knockout to Antonio Tarver, Jones Jr's impact on the sport of boxing remains undeniable. His career spanned over two decades, during which he became one of the sport's most dominant fighters from the 1990s through the 2000s.
The return of the gold medal marks the end of a long-standing controversy in boxing history, and a moment of closure for Roy Jones Jr. The gold medal will undoubtedly serve as a reminder of his incredible career and the injustice he faced in 1988.
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