Roy Jones Jnr believes Ian Green is a top-three super middleweight right now.
Green picked up a first-round technical knockout over Cleotis Pendravis last Saturday at the Bienville Ballroom in Mobile, Alabama. Pendravis was dropped by Green in the first round, and although he got to his feet, he failed to answer the bell for the second round.
For the fight, Green, 20-2 (13 KOs), had put in his first professional training camp with Jones. He also snapped a period of inactivity dating back to June 2024. A 32-year-old from Paterson, New Jersey, Green now holds his training camps in Florida with Jones, who envisions big things for his charge.
“I think he is one of the top-three in the division, without a question, already,” Jones told BoxingScene. “I can’t teach hunger. When you have hunger, and you get the knowledge that I do have, you could be a great fighter.”
Jones is a Hall of Famer who excelled across six divisions and collected wins over Bernard Hopkins, James Toney, Antonio Tarver and Felix Trinidad over the course of his career, but he was arguably never so dominant as he was as a super middleweight during the mid-1990s. He believes that his knowledge of this division from his fighting days will help Green now.
“I understand and know that division,” Jones said. “I know what it takes to dominate that division.”
On paper, the Pendravis fight served as a stay-busy bout until a big opportunity came around, and it also activated Green’s BoxRec.com page. He went from being listed as inactive to active, which might be a small thing to some – but matchmakers often look there to find who is available in a division. Additionally, Green hinted that opportunities have been close to happening, but he needed to be active to put them over the top. The win reignited both his career and his confidence.
“I am an elite fighter,” Green told BoxingScene. “He didn’t belong in there with me, and I did my job.”
The only thing Jones could have hoped for from the bout was a bit more ring time for Green.
“I do want to get him some more rounds in if I can,” Jones said. “He has enough experience. We can deal with whatever we have to deal with, because we can get that in sparring during a training camp.”
Green agreed with Jones that he’s ready for what boxing throws at him next.
“I have been boxing since I was 10 years old. I am 32,” Green said. “A lot of people don’t know who I am, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have experience.”
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
