Roy Jones Jr fell to a shock defeat against ex-MMA fighter Anthony Pettis, breaking a seemingly unneeded record.
Jones Jr retired from the professional ranks in 2018 and is considered one of the greatest boxers of all-time given his achievements in four weight classes.
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He returned for an exhibition fight with Mike Tyson in 2020 which was purely entertainment, but in 2023 he announced a shock full comeback to boxing.
The legend decided to accept a stunning boxing fight with ex-MMA fighter Pettis at the age of 54, which would count on his professional boxing record.
Jones Jr would then know he would break an incredible record given his career would span 33-years from 1989 until 2023 [12,384 days].
It was RJ's 76th professional contest and it saw him break the record of the longest-spanning career out of all of the 105 former and current heavyweight world champions.
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It was a record that had been held for nearly a century, with former blue-riband king Jack Johnson having fought from 1897 and 1931 [12,231 days].
The incredible feat wasn't necessarily what it shaped up to be though, as Jones Jr fell to an alarming fate.
It was debutant Pettis who was his rival, with most predicting that the American's experience and natural skill would be too much.
But from the first bell he showed his age and was instantly on the back foot.
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He looked more agile and proactive than in his clash with Tyson, but found himself far off the pace in the ring.
Pettis was able to let his hands go more despite his experience, and landed some big combinations on the ageing veteran.
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It was a worry for 'Captain Hook' who did absorb some big shots in health concerns for the ageing star.
He did make the final bell of the eight-round contest, and would be relieved to not have come under more significant fire.
But it was a sad ending to a stellar career for Jones Jr who succumbed to a majority decision defeat against the new boxer on the block.
Despite the loss, he still remains open to surprise further fights, adding after the final bell: "For me, I like to come in and entertain the fans.
"My job is to come in and make sure that the fans get what they paid for, and I’m all good with that.
“I think it was a good fight. He did a great job and fought a very smart fight. I think I educated him and taught him a lot in this fight.
"So, I think if I fought him again it would be even better because he knows a lot more now. I think it would be a really good rematch.”
“I don’t do exhibitions, I fight real fights. I’m not an exhibition guy, I’m a real guy. I want to win, or I want to lose. But I’m going to go out on my shield, and I want to be able to do it again as many times as I want to.
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“At 54 years old, that’s a beautiful thing, and he already said he’d do it again because one judge had it even. So that’s what I love.”
Jones Jr's unsuccessful comeback is a stark warning to exhibition rival Tyson who is set to return to the professional ranks against Jake Paul.
He could break the record if the sanctioned clash does take place on November 15, having a career that has spanned 39-years.
But 'Iron Mike' has justifiably sparked concerns with his new comeback given he will be 58 when he returns.
There are huge concerns for Tyson's health, but the former undisputed champion has been releasing footage to allay those fears.
Evander Holyfield also helped set a trend of legend's returning to disaster, as he was knocked out by Vitor Belfort in one round in an exhibition in 2021.
And Jones Jr admits he would take Tyson's spot against Paul if he is unable to fight.
Roy Jones Jr's incredible career
🥊 1988 Summer Olympics silver medal
🥊 Middleweight world champion
🥊 Super- Middleweight world champion
🥊 Undisputed Light-Heavyweight world champion
🥊 Heavyweight world champion
I’m kind of thinking about that. I might try and get into shape in case that happens," he said.
"I never thought about doing it before, but with the situation of the fight being postponed, I think that’s a great idea and I’ll be ready.
"If the fight doesn’t happen then the ideal guy to substitute in place of Mike Tyson to fight Jake Paul is something I have been thinking about. If the fight is out there then yes.
"I would jump on it, but now that this thing has come up, it makes sense to get into shape for Jake Paul and it would be one of the biggest fights of this decade."
Tyson vs Paul was initially scheduled to take place this week.
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However, the fight had to be postponed due to health concerns for the 58-year-old.
Paul will now instead face Mike Perry on Saturday night, and move on to the clash with Tyson in November if he's successful.
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