TEN years and 27ย fights, thatโs how long Crawley featherweight, Ben Jones, 21-5-1(10), has been on the professional scene, and itโs never been easy.
Presently managed by Kaz Evans and Assassin Boxing in Brighton, Benโs career started under the old Matchroom regime with Barry Hearn back in 2006, debuting at York Hall with a points win over Carl Allen.
Since then he has worked his way up through the ranks to his current status of WBO Inter-continental featherweight champion last October, and heโs done so having endured two of his five losses against Lee Selby (June 2010) and Stephen Smith (March 2012), losses that still donโt register with the Sussex fighter.
โThe fight with Selby was a draw all day long and with Smith I went in with only three weeksโ notice,โ stated Jones.
โThe only proper loss, to me, was (against Juli Giner, in Catalunya, Spain in October 2013) because of silly mistakes that were made on my part, but thatโs boxing and, although it has been an up and down career the losses have come against world champions or challengers.
โTo me they show that I am that class and it really is down to what happens on the day, the losses just make you stronger so letโs keep on going and see what we can do. Iโd love a rematch with Selby though but he knows thatโs a risk for him โ donโt get me wrong here, Lee is a great fighter, but get him in close, thatโs the difference.โ
Maybe the one thing missing on Jonesโ resume is that of a British or Commonwealth title for, with him being ranked fourth in the world with the WBO, Jones has never had any real opportunity to progress at home or abroad.
He won the English strap at super-featherweight in May 2011 against Akaash Bhatia before the loss to “Swifty” Smith came about. After that he won IBO International at Hoveโs Town Hall (against Jamie Speight) and WBO European super featherweight (against Kris Hughes) in consecutive outings.
The latter came in February 2013 before having only three outings over the next twenty-four months, two of which were losses, to Gilner, and, thirteen months later in his next fight, to Santiago Bustos.
With such a spell of inactivity some people could have easily just walked away, but for Jones, he went back to the drawing board and started again, working himself back into title contention.
โWhen I began boxing I was eight years old after my parents got me into every possible sport going, I was just a complete natural at boxing so stuck it out [his grandad, Malcolm Jenner, was a successful amateur in the forties when in the Armed Forces].
โThen I got my chance, and made my debut at the famous York Hall where Iโve gone on to fight many times and itโs a place which shows I have great support โ after winning my debut [against Allen], they actually had to stop the live TV interview due to the noise the crowd was making, that felt amazing to me.โ
Since then he has been through countless wars, taking a few titles along the way and, in October last year, at the Troxy in London, he claimed the WBO Inter-continental featherweight strap with a unanimous decision win over the Czech Republicโs Martin Parlagi (97-93, 96-94, 97-93).
The initial defence, in April this year, finished in a No Decision outcome after Jonesโ opponent, Jesus Antonio Rios, suffered a cut to his right eye following an accidental head clash in the second which worsened in the next round resulting in referee Lee Cook calling the bout.
For Jones it was frustrating but, on October 29, he goes again. In Tolworth, on a Steve Wraith โ Joey Pyle promotion, against a yet to be announced opponent, Jones defends his WBO Inter-continental featherweight title with opportunities at a world title seemingly within touching distance, outcomes of bouts depending.
โThe initial defence was annoying really as I believe that, within another few rounds, Iโd have had him out of there anyway,โ continued Jones.
โWinning the belt though [against Parlagi] was fantastic and I had to take the fights that I did in order to get there and win it. Iโve never had opportunities for British or Commonwealth which I just donโt get though and Iโd still seriously consider taking it now, although if Iโm mandatory for the world then Iโd have to really think about it โ if not, then perfect, Iโll go and take them instead.
โItโs all down to Assassin Boxing though as Iโve been with them a few years now and all that theyโve promised me, theyโve delivered which is why Iโve stayed.โ