Why No Discombobulating Jones?

Those of you who are familiar with Boxing Along The Beltway know the name Henry "Discombobulating" Jones. For those who aren't, Jones is the first African-American continually working boxing ring announcer. While it is not a full-time job like it is for Michael Buffer (not yet, anyway), Jones is the first of a handful of African-Americans who do the job on a regular basis.

Jones started ring announcing a few months before I started covering the sport. In those 18 years, I have seen him rise from a local announcer on my TV series Boxing Spotlight to someone who is in demand across the country and someone who has appeared on USA Network, ESPN, The Sunshine Network and who was a regular on HBO's KO Nation and worked the Cedric Kushner-promoted "Fistful of Dollars" heavyweight tournament that was on Pay-Per-View a few years ago.

I have also seen the prejudice that Jones has had to battle and also have witnessed some African-American promoters buy into that garbage, making them afraid to use Jones for the bigger shows along the Beltway.

An example of this took place during the week of the Kevin McBride-Mike Tyson bout in DC this past June. At the Tyson-McBride weigh-in, I witnessed a verbal confrontation between Jones and Rock Newman, who was assisting the promotion of the bout. The confrontation stemmed from an interview Jones gave to a boxing website (not Fightnews) in which Jones said Newman promised Jones an opportunity to work one of Newman's bouts someday. Newman claimed he never said that because Jones has "never been qualified" to work on a card. This is what Newman told Jones during the shouting match.

I just shook my head when Newman said that. Apparently the previously mentioned networks believed otherwise.

Everyone knew that since this was a Showtime PPV that legendary ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr. would do the televised portion of the card. But Jones definitely should have been allowed to work the undercard.

Instead, Newman used his old buddy Ron Harris who tried hard, but was woefully unprepared and sounded like Paul Shaffer doing his Don Kirshner impression on Saturday Night Live.

Unfortunately, this has been typical of what Jones has faced throughout his career here along the Beltway. The card in Virginia on Sept. 17 should have Jones. But promoters would rather use a radio DJ who probably has never been to a live boxing card, much less worked one.

I've never been a boxing ring announcer but I have been a public address announcer at sporting events for almost 20 years and I know how important it is to have a voice that will make your event sound professional. If you have someone who doesn't know how to do the job, it reflects on the people in charge.

Fortunately, though, Jones remains undaunted and employed. He will be traveling soon to his hometown of Rochester, NY to work his first card ever. The mayor will give him a proclamation and he has organized some programs to help stem a rising tide of violence in the city. Jones will also be working regularly in Columbus, OH with boxing cards.

I just wish "Discombobulating" Jones would get the respect he deserves here along the Beltway.