Honestly, all he is doing is harming his legacy at this point. Why is Roy Jones still fighting, I've heard rumours that he's in debt. Anyone in the know?
Maybe he is in debt. However I just think he can't let go. He fights for around $200k a pop now (reduced to around $75k ish after expenses) plus his HBO gig and his 10% trainer fee from Pascal per fight. He is not doing terrible in my opinion. Could be better but even millionaires say that too.
$200k is nothing to be sniffed at, but when you've been making millions per fight in your career and your reduced to fighting in Russia for 75k a time, it's kinda sad really.
I don't think it tarnishes his legacy at all at this point. Everyone knows he is beyond shot so any losses at this point are to be expected. As for why he's continuing to fight, who knows. Maybe for the money but he never seemed to have been overly flamboyant with his cash but maybe he lost money with investments during the economic down turn. Or it maybe just a case of not being able to let go, which is surprising as he never seemed to love fighting. But when you have been doing something your whole life and it is the defining aspect of your life, it can't be easy to just stop. He may also miss the adulation and the buzz of fighting in front of a crowd.
I don't think it's the money. Forbes still has his net worth at like 20 million. I think it has to do with the love of boxing and the love of the spotlight.
The "harming his legacy" ship sailed long ago. It all just goes to show he was never a great fighter and was the classic one trick pony. He had great reflexes and once they diminished slightly his lack of fundamentals and his chinese chin had him going to sleep more often than the elderly at any given nursing home. He's a circus act now in the curio section.
I think he just doesn't want to fade away from the spotlight (not that he is in one at this point, but I mean he just wants to keep his name around I guess still).
As long as he doesn't get seriously hurt he can fight for as long as he likes. It's obviously serving some purpose to him so hey...
I'm not a fan of his but to say he wasn't a great fighter is ridiculous. He was one of the best of his era, won titles at multiple weights and for many is the most naturally gifted fighter we have ever witnessed. But he lived off his natural gifts of speed, power and reflexes. He developed a style that while he had these attributes made him very formidable but once these attributes abandoned him with the passing of time he was left with a style that left him vulnerable to more technically sound boxers. His strengths became his weaknesses and like many when they age was unable to adapt, Hopkins, Moore and Foreman were the exceptions not the norm, to expect a fighter in his mid 30's to not decline is unrealistic.
Addiction to the sport and money. His legacy won't be harmed in any way. People that actually use their heads when judging fighters know that RJJ after the Ruiz fight was pretty much done with.
