Ex-Boxing champ Roy Jones Jr in the corner of juiced cockfights

The Orlando Sentinel carries the story of former boxing champ Roy Jones Jr's cockfighting enterprise.   Jones raises the birds in Florida, then fights them in Cajun country.  For some insane reason, Louisiana allows cockfighting matches.  Noble, huh?

Four years ago on a farm outside Pensacola, former five-time world boxing champion Roy Jones Jr. stood among the 700  chickens he raised for fighting purposes, trying to explain their manic code of survival.

"When they get loose, if I don't get out there within an hour, somebody is going to be dead," Jones said over the sound of the   roosters  crowing incessantly.

"That's just how they are. They know that at any given second, anything can happen. At any moment, a storm or wind can blow a pen over, and here comes this guy to fight to the death. And they have to be ready for it. They stay ready to kill or be killed."

Jones Jr. now faces a problem: the Feds don't seem to enjoy cockfighting as much as Jones and his crowd do:

Fast-forward to 2007. Jones is washed up as a world-class fighter, but he remains among a fringe element of cockfighting connoisseurs who embrace the thrill of the kill.

Those ominous storm clouds Jones spoke of now hover over the "sport" of cockfighting. A federal law makes the interstate transport of the birds and any paraphernalia associated with cockfighting a felony punishable by up to three years in jail and $250,000 in fines.

Drug up the roosters with steroids and stimulants to ratchet up aggressiveness.  How inhumane.  Sounds like the UFC or the Tour de France:

...The Humane Society of the United States provides this sobering picture: Three-inch-long steel blades are attached to legs to inflict deep puncture wounds. The animals are often drugged with stimulants and steroids to make them more aggressive. If a bird suffers a deep puncture wound to the lungs, handlers often suck the blood out of a bird's beak so that the bird can continue fighting. Eyes are gouged out; legs are broken.

I think back to four years ago in Pensacola, where I looked at chickens tethered alongside white plastic tepees.  It was necessary to prevent the birds from attacking each other.  They weren't natural-born killers; just animals trained to satisfy the bloodlust of humans.

At least Jones had a choice when he stepped into the ring.

As Deadspin says: Roy Jones Jr. likes his cocks to fight.

Where is Michael Vick when you need him?

Comments

[Justin Davis]

Holla at ya boy!

[ryane]

game roosters are natural born fighters and killers if you dont think they are your stupid all they know how to do is fight and if you let them all go at once there would only be one rooster because the are fighting roosters they arent your ordinary chickens the hens will even fight each other sometimes

[sunny]

So Jones is a slave owner too? And the chickens on his ranch are not for fighting. So get it right and don't speculate. As long as it is legal it is not wrong in LA. It is a sport. What are your bad habits? We all have at least one.

From the Nation: Our bad habits are not the issue. Jones cruelty to animals is the issue, Period.

thanks

[mark pickens]

it seem like the nation and its people has its prioreties all messed up spend thousands of dollars and raise millions to stop cockfighting.cockfighters dont cause anyone prolems .there are alot of hungry kids out their that could use all the money and effort for food and clothing.boy would that be nice save a child, our future.and worry about the cockfighting when you get this problem solved.along with the rest of b.s.that is going on in this nation. but i guess 20 years from now you can tell your grandchildren u help get cockfighting stop ,wow do u think they will care.yea right, do somthing good that u and all your money and efforts will be remembrd and will mean somthing for our people.they so much drugs,and drug dealers killers, rapist which go untouched and dont pay taxes.90% of rooster men are honest hard working tax paying citizens!but if u think about it, these are people the nation is making it hard on .so get a life ,leave us alone

[Rue]

What is the federal statute code and number? Where can we find this new law?

[mackduke]

ITS SAD FOR ME TO THINK THAT I LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE KILLING YOUR UNBORN CHILD IS CONSIDERED ACCEPTABLE BUT FIGHTING CHICKENS IS CONSIDERED INHUMANE.WHAT ABOUT ALL THE CHICKENS THAT ARE KILLED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION IN WAYS THAT WOULD MAKE YOU CRINGE THINK ABOUT THAT THE NEXT TIME YOUR ENJOYING A CHICKEN SANDWICH I MEAN WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE GOING TO DRAW THE LINE AND THATS JUST IT THERE NOT GOING TO STOP.

[Charles Jewell]

Cruelty????????????
Roy Jones is not a cruel person. He hasnt had 15 divorces,no rehab,no assault charges on family, and none of the problems of the uncruel people around us. Makes you wonder dont it. I mean if cockfighting is the cause of all of this behavior he seems fine to me. A gamecock has everything a man admires and wishes he had them too. Their territory is their territory no questions!!!! they will go to the death to prove it. No drugs,no training,just the way these noble creatures are. I have been around chickens all my life with my dad and have wonderful memories of our time together. No crazy bloodlust puppy drowner gat raised from it. I dont use drugs never had a ticket of no kind open doors for ladies, respect my elders, say yessir and nomam and mean it. My children are very well behaved and polite a lot of parents should practice that training. Have a job at a fortune 500 mining company. Everyones mind hearkens back to the Golden Years of the 50s and on back. Cockfighting was prevelant then way more so than today. No school shootings,No abortions, people cared for people back then.Now everyone thinks that someone else should make the choice for you or you whould go with the "politically correct" way of life. I dont advocate being a cocker for you but for me I enjoy it. Dad told me I fought a war for freedom to have my freedoms took away buy this modern day Pansy Factory. If ou8r country doesnt get it together this country could be took over by a government that gives it a backhand and a few hurtful remarks and the whole country will sit in a corner and cry and they can take over. Think about it. Greetings from West Virginia. GO ROY!!!!!!
Sincerly Charles Jewell

[jentry peters]

i hate the tree hugging bastards they make up alot of false facts to make them sound right i have game roosters and i have never gave them steriods to make them fight they do it naturaully you take a game rooster all the way across the world and bring it to my yard and pick any rooster you would like they would fight till the death two animals that fight till death
1 game rooster
2 spanish fighting bull

[Soren Sabastian]

The two men above me clearly voted for John McCain. Maybe now that McCain isn't campaigning you folks could get a drink with him and Palin, reflecting on that Golden Age when God and Guns and Freedom reigned supreme; perhaps at the congenial grave site of your Dear Father in Freedom, the late Strom Thurmond. Tell him that his stepson Sharpton wants an explanation.

[Soren Sabastian]

"People cared for people?" I do not believe your working definition of people in this phrase is unsatisfactorily narrow and incredibly homogeneous.

[Shane]

Game roosters are no different than the common breed of chickens such as Rhode Island Reds or White Leghorns,the cockerell will fight in any of these breeds! They fight for breeding rights and dominance, also said "Cock of the Walk". This comes NATURAL to the bird...not forced upon them. If in the wild a rooster will come to the other crow of a rooster to run him out of his territory and if a fight insues it can be till death! This all comes natural to chickens of most any breed, just ask any local farmer that raises chickens,I'm sure they will agree with me and owners of gamefowl!!!It is the my right to own these wonderful birds and will do so as long as I breathe! It is the sport of KINGS and gentlemen!!!