Sorry, but not sorry. That’s the approach boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. has chosen to take after he made headlines on Saturday night. ‘Captain Hook’s boxer Kevin Newman II was facing off against Elijah Garcia on the PBC-Amazon Prime undercard of the Fundora vs. Thurman fight. And Jones Jr. decided to motivate his fighter using explicit language, which helped him avoid Thurman’s fate in the main event. 

Garcia was the favorite heading into the fight, highlighted by his status as a former super-middleweight contender and a win over champion Armando Resendiz. And the fight appeared to be heading in his direction, but then Jones Jr. blasted Newman after the ninth round. He asked Newman to “fight or f**king quit,” among other things. This lit a fire under Newman, winning via majority decision. Now, however, Jones Jr. is apologizing.

Roy Jones Jr. explains what led him to use explicit language

“Hey, what’s happening, awesome fans of mine,” Jones Jr. said, opening the video on his Instagram story. “How y’all doing today? I’m good. I just want to come on this morning to be apologetic for the explicit language that I was forced to use over the weekend. The calm approach was not getting the job done. My job as a coach is to get the job done. So I had to do what I had to do to get it done. 

“[It] wasn’t what I wanted to do, but it’s what was necessary and apparently got the job done. So, I apologize for the explicit language. 

Despite the apology, Jones Jr. refused to guarantee he would be able to stop himself from doing the same again to one of his fighters to bring out the best in them. 

“I will try to make sure it doesn’t happen again, but I can’t make [any] promises because I love boxing.”

Thanks to Jones Jr., Newman avoided breaking his eight-fight win streak and has improved it to a nine-fight winning streak. Before Saturday’s bout, Newman had lost two of his three 10-round fights, suggesting that Jones Jr.’s push did a lot for his win. Still, there was barely any need for an apology from Jones Jr., who knows firsthand what fighting inside the ring in front of thousands feels like. 

Although Roy Jones Jr. officially retired from professional boxing in 2018, it wasn’t until the 2020s that he began to gain real momentum as a trainer. Having already established a boxing gym in Pensacola, Florida, he initially worked with fighters on a limited basis before fully committing to coaching. In addition to Newman, Jones Jr. has collaborated with notable names such as Chris Eubank Jr., Jean Pascal, and has also worked with Errol Spence Jr. in preparation for his return.

Regardless, such moments in the corner aren’t limited to just boxing.

Paddy Pimblett’s trainer roasted his fighter at UFC London

For anyone who felt Jones Jr.’s explicit language was harsh, what went down at UFC London earlier this month might be child’s play for them. Trainer Paul Rimmer delivered one of the most brutal corner moments of the year while coaching Shem Rock. 

The longtime trainer of Paddy Pimblett didn’t hold back after watching his fighter drop the first two rounds against Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady.

“You’re just giving the fight away,” Rimmer snapped. “You have to attack! This isn’t the Ultimate Defending Championship. 

“You’re two rounds down, lad…,” he added, doubling down with urgency. “You wanna go in there showboating… You are not going to [win].

Rimmer’s message was clear—stop coasting and chase a finish. 

“You need to take him down and f***ing submit him, like we’ve worked on.”

Although Rock responded with his strongest round, unlike in Jones Jr. and Newman’s case, Rock lost 30–27, as Rimmer’s fiery tough love quickly went viral. Perhaps if Rimmer used some explicit language and asked Rock to quit if he can’t win, the result would have been different. 

What happens in a fighter’s corner might be aired to thousands, but it’s ultimately between the fighter and their trainer. They have built a relationship over years of work, and a trainer would know best what motivates their fighter. So, do you think Jones’ apology was necessary?