The ring in which Roy Jones Jr. learned to fight was located by the river behind his family home. There Jones developed the speed and power that helped him win the super middleweight boxing title and become the best fighter, pound-for-pound, in the world. The road to the top has not always been easy. He did not reach his full potential until he broke away from the father who trained and controlled him. The trip from that ring by the river to manhood proved to be the most difficult fight of Jones's life.

Growing up

Too tough"

Roy Jones Jr. was born on January 16, 1969, in Pensacola, Florida. He grew up in Barth, Florida, 25 miles north of Pensacola. His father's name is Roy Sr. and his mother's name is Carol. His father, an aircraft electrician at Pensacola Naval Air Station, earned a Bronze Star in Vietnam for rushing through...