Jones too strong for brave Woods

UNDISPUTED light heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr admitted he had a ‘‘little fun’’ with Clinton Woods before the Englishman’s corner threw in the towel.

American Jones dominated the contest, stopped in the sixth round, against Woods, who was dismissed as a ''hapless mandatory challenger'' in the local media.

''I'm a bad dude,'' Jones said.

''I stayed focused and kept going. No disrespect to him, but I had a little fun tonight.''

Jones battered the badly outclassed British, Commonwealth and European champion with lightning-quick punches until the challenger's corner told the referee to pull their man out one minute, 29 seconds into the sixth of the bout in Portland.

''Skilfully, he is not on my level,'' added Jones.

''He was very spirited and had a big heart.''

With few challenges left in the light heavyweight division, Jones widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world appears to be headed to the heavyweights and is looking toward to a tangle with WBA champion John Ruiz.

''People want to see how I fare,'' Jones said.

''I feel pretty good tonight and if I get in shape, I could do that for the title.

''I just want to see how the public is going to react, I want it to be a big event. If the public wants it, that is what I will do.''

Jones also raised the possibility of meeting highly regarded light heavyweight contender Antonio Tarver, a 1996 US Olympian.

After a lengthy ring entrance that included the theme from the film ''Shaft'', dancing girls in hot pants and a rap number by Jones, it became apparent the champion was the superior boxer as he repeatedly tagged Woods in the opening round.

Woods kept coming forward and tried to smother Jones along the ropes.

But the champion dazzled the challenger with superior footwork and ring generalship.

In the third round, Jones landed a crunching left to the body that had Woods wincing as the bell sounded.

With the Yorkshireman protecting his body to start the fourth, Jones mixed his world-class hand speed with some showboating and opened a cut on the challenger's left eyebrow.

Woods came out fighting in the fifth but was no match for Jones and he was again hurt by a body shot a minute into the round.

In the sixth, one of Woods' corner men came on to the ring apron with a towel, getting referee Jay Nady's attention and the contest was stopped a long time after it was over.