What do you get when you cross Jones-Tarver I with Jones-Tarver II? The answer was found Saturday night at the Fedex Forum in Memphis, Tennesee.

The week after Oscar De La Hoya lay crumpled on the canvas in the 9th round due to a Bernard Hopkins bodyshot, Roy Jones Jr. lay unconscious in the ring after Glencoffe Johnson flattened him in the same round which spelled the 'Golden Boy's' demise. In the building that hosted Lewis-Tyson and saw the former Baddest Man On The Planet pummelled and later humbled, Roy Jones Jr., once regarded as the greatest pound-for-pound fighter on the planet, was taken to hospital by ambulance, his days as a top-ranked light heavyweight effectively over.

In his first fight after being knocked out by Antonio Tarver, Johnson was supposed to be a comeback fight for Jones, a handpicked opponent who provided little risk but owned the IBF belt. The Jamaican veteran Johnson, 41-9-2 (28), came into the fight riding a wave of confidence after several solid wins while Jones, ostensibly relaxed and confident as he entered the ring rapping and getting the pro-Jones crowd going, obviously was still feeling the psychological effects of his crushing KO defeat to Tarver.

Like Tarver in his first fight with Jones, Johnson had Jones up against the ropes for almost the entire round, throwing wildly, landing occaisonally nothing of significance while Jones threw the odd counter and passively slipped and blocked punches. Throughout the fight, Jones showed flashes of the old RJ, using his footwork to avoid punches and throwing blistering combinations which landed with pinpoint accuracy. But not often enough. In round 5, he appeared to have hurt Johnson but failed to capitalize, chosing instead to retreat into a defensive shell as the Jamaican kept up the pressure.

The fight was becoming dangerously close to cloning Jones-Tarver I when Johnson decided he liked the sequel better. In the 9th round, after throwing a jab, Johnson threw a hard right hand while Jones held his left glove at waist level, attempting to block the punch with his shoulder. He didn't, and the result saw him knocked cold as he lay on the canvas for several anxious minutes while Johnson celebrated his victory in the ring with his wife. The long hard road that Johnson had travelled had finally come to an end; sadly, so did the long, sensational reign of Jones.

During his interview with HBO's Larry Merchant, the affable Johnson said that his plan was to stay at a close distance to Jones and not allow him to throw single shots and spin out of the way. At 35, Jones, now 49-3 (38), is clearly no longer able to rely on his reflexes to avoid getting hit, and now, after getting knocked out in two consecutive fights, it is clear that he has lost the confidence to compete at an elite level. As a good friend and boxing trainer observed, "Instead of brushing up on his defence, he chose to fight defensively. It's not the same thing." Johnson, also 35, put to rest a demand for a rubber match between Jones and Tarver, and joked with the 'Magic Man' about a unification bout.

After moving up to heavyweight and beating John Ruiz for his WBA title in 2003, Roy Jones seemed invincible. Now, little over a year later, Jones has aged shockingly quick and surely should retire. The great former champion has always been sensible about knowing when to get out before getting seriously hurt and suffering permanent damage; it's time for him to listen to his own advice. We all knew that one day Roy Jones Jr. would be past his prime and get toppled from the pound-for-pound rankings. But not like this. Never in our worst nightmare did we imagine it would end like this.

And you can bet the farm that he didn't either.